Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
9 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, including 2 who attended mass religious gathering in Malaysia
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SINGAPORE: Nine new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Singapore on Thursday (Mar 12), including two people who attended a mass religious gathering at a mosque in Malaysia. The two are among five new imported cases reported on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Three new cases are linked to a cluster involving a private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong, raising the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
US in crisis mode as COVID-19 cases soar, travel restrictions loom
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WASHINGTON: The United States went into crisis mode on Thursday (Mar 12) to contain a coronavirus outbreak that has played havoc with businesses, shuttered schools and universities and severely disrupted the sports and entertainment world. Fears of a recession grew as US cases of the virus that causes the sometimes fatal COVID-19 respiratory illness rose and
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 13, 2020
New York bans gatherings of more than 500 on coronavirus fears
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NEW YORK: New York State will ban gatherings of more than 500 people beginning on Friday at 5.00pm (2100 GMT) in order to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday (Mar 12). Establishments that can fit 500 people or fewer must halve their capacity beginning on Friday, Cuomo said. Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
Airline stocks nosedive as US travel ban hits EU travel industry
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PARIS: Europe’s travel sector reacted with dismay on Thursday (Mar 12) to a US-imposed trans-Atlantic travel ban with the share price of major airlines going into free fall. President Donald Trump said the measure would stem the spread of coronavirus, but an EU diplomat in Brussels called it “erratic”. Advertisement Advertisement READ: US to suspend
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
Dow falls 8.7% as US stocks face another rout
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NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks were deep in the red early Thursday (Mar 12), resuming after a 15-minute suspension as the economic pain from the coronavirus deepens and widens. About 25 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 21,505.07, down more than 2,000 points or 8.7 per cent. Advertisement Advertisement The broad-based S&P
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
New York’s coronavirus ‘containment zone’ may not do enough, say residents
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NEW YORK: People who live in the epicentre of New York’s coronavirus outbreak said they were not convinced the state’s order closing the area’s schools and large-gathering venues for two weeks would do enough to curb the spread of infection. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo this week said he was heeding the advice of the state
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
17 years after SARS, this quarantine order agent is back on the frontline battling COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: When he was deployed by Certis during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, Sergeant (Auxiliary Police Force) Gogulakanan Govindasamy was a 26-year-old bachelor who wanted to make a difference. Seventeen years later, he is a married man with three children, but his desire to help out in a crisis has not waned. Advertisement Advertisement “Now
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
WHO’s Tedros urges world to ‘double down’ on COVID-19 pandemic
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GENEVA: The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged all countries on Thursday (Mar 12) to “double down” in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking to diplomats in Geneva a day after characterizing COVID-19 as a pandemic, also said: “Describing this as a pandemic does not mean that countries should give
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
Wall Street pauses trading after stocks plunge
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NEW YORK: Trading on Wall Street was halted just moments into Thursday’s (Mar 12) session after US stocks plunged further on the deepening economic pain from the coronavirus. Trading was suspended after the S&P 500 dropped 7.0 per cent to 2,549.05, triggering an automatic 15-minute suspension. Advertisement Advertisement The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 7.2 per
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
2 Singaporeans who attended religious event in Malaysia confirmed to have COVID-19; MUIS closes mosques, suspends Friday prayers
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SINGAPORE: Two Singaporeans have contracted COVID-19 after attending a religious event near Kuala Lumpur, Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli confirmed on Thursday (Mar 12). Mr Masagos also announced that the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will close all mosques for at least five days from Friday for cleaning, to prevent community spread through
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
US to suspend all travel from Europe for 30 days to fight COVID-19 outbreak
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WASHINGTON: The US will suspend all travel from Europe to the country for 30 days in an effort to curb the COVID-19 outbreak, said President Donald Trump on Wednesday night (Mar 11). The travel restriction will not apply to the United Kingdom, he said in a televised address. Advertisement Advertisement “To keep new cases from entering
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
PM Lee to provide update on COVID-19, to be broadcast at 8pm
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SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be giving an update on the COVID-19 situation on Thursday (Mar 12) and it will be broadcast at 8pm, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement published on Mr Lee’s Facebook page. Mr Lee will be speaking in English, Malay and Chinese, the statement said. Advertisement Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
COVID-19 outbreak a ‘pandemic’, says WHO chief
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GENEVA: The World Health Organization described the new coronavirus as a pandemic for the first time on Wednesday (Mar 11), adding that Italy and Iran were now on the frontline of the disease and other countries would soon join them. “We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 12, 2020
COVID-19: Catholic masses to remain suspended, says Archbishop of Singapore
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SINGAPORE: The Catholic Church in Singapore will continue to suspend mass in light of the rising number of COVID-19 infections, it announced on Thursday (Mar 12). “We are not helping the situation if we resume Masses at this time, simply because of the sheer numbers of Catholics packing in each service, and their fluidity in
