Month: March 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
Task force formed to raise public hygiene standards beyond COVID-19 outbreak
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SINGAPORE: A multi-agency task force has been formed to step up public hygiene standards in Singapore beyond the COVID-19 outbreak. The new SG Clean Taskforce was announced on Friday (Mar 6) by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR). Advertisement Advertisement It will be chaired by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
South Korea protests Japan’s quarantine plans over COVID-19
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SEOUL: Seoul will summon Japan’s ambassador to protest over “irrational” plans to impose coronavirus quarantine on arrivals from South Korea, it said Friday (Mar 6), accusing Tokyo of ulterior motives. The two countries have close economic ties and are both major US allies, democracies and market economies faced with a rising China and nuclear-armed North Korea.
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
Malaysia’s graft-buster chief Latheefa Koya resigns
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KUALA LUMPUR: Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Latheefa Koya has tendered her resignation, as the country sees a switch in federal power that ousted the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. In a statement on Friday (Mar 6), Ms Latheefa said she was not pressured to vacate the office. Advertisement Advertisement “It was my
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
First man charged for cheating mask buyers gets more charges, S$185,000 and 6 victims now involved
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SINGAPORE: The first person in Singapore to be charged for cheating mask buyers amid the current coronavirus outbreak was given three more charges on Friday (Mar 6). Daryl Cheong Zhi Yong, 21, is now accused of cheating a total of six victims of about S$185,000 for more than 900 boxes of surgical face masks. Advertisement Advertisement On
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
Muay Thai gym co-founder gets jail and caning for sexually assaulting woman after trial class
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SINGAPORE: The co-founder of a Muay Thai gym was sentenced to seven years and four months’ jail and four strokes of the cane on Friday (Mar 6) for sexually assaulting a woman after a trial class. Tan Wai Luen, 31, had been convicted after a trial of one count of sexual penetration of the 33-year-old
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
SAFRA Jurong COVID-19 cluster: Confirmed cases cleared mandatory temperature checks
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SINGAPORE: The individuals who visited SAFRA Jurong for a private dinner function on Feb 15 and later tested positive for COVID-19 had cleared mandatory temperature checks, SAFRA said on Thursday (Mar 5). “They did not have fever, nor exhibited any flu-like symptoms,” said SAFRA on its website, after it emerged that the dinner was linked
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
South Korea reports 196 new COVID-19 infections as death toll rises
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SEOUL: South Korea reported 196 new coronavirus cases on Friday (Mar 6), bringing the country’s total to 6,284, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The agency added that seven more deaths from the virus were reported, bringing the total to 42. On Thursday, as the number of cases continued to rise in the country, South Korea
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
‘Theoretical possibility’ that COVID-19 can spread from pets to humans: MOH
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SINGAPORE: There is a “theoretical possibility” that COVID-19 could spread from animals to humans, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Mar 6), although it assessed that pets are not a “serious vector” of transmission. MOH’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak said while scientific evidence did not point to the infection spreading either
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
China reports 30 COVID-19 deaths, rise in new infections and imported cases
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BEIJING: China reported 30 more deaths from the new coronavirus outbreak on Friday (Mar 6), with fresh infections rising for a second straight day and 16 new cases imported from overseas. In total 3,042 people have died from the disease in China, the National Health Commission said, with another 143 cases, up from 139 in
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
Australia orders first school closure after pupil contracts COVID-19
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SYDNEY: Australia ordered its first school closure on Friday (Mar 6) after a 16-year-old pupil tested positive for the coronavirus, as authorities struggle to contain the outbreak in the country. Australia has recorded 60 cases of infection and two elderly people have died from the virus. Advertisement Advertisement While the majority of people contracted the
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
COVID-19 death toll hits 12 in US, helicopter flies test kits to cruise ship
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WASHINGTON: The death toll from coronavirus in the United States rose to 12 on Thursday (Mar 5) with the latest fatality recorded in King County, Washington, and 53 new cases broke out across the country, striking for the first time in Colorado, Tennessee, Texas and San Francisco. A helicopter flew testing kits to a cruise
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
Twitter bans posts that ‘dehumanise’ people in connection with diseases
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SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter Inc said on Thursday (Mar 5) it is banning posts that “dehumanise” people because they have a disease or disability or because of their age, a step that happens to correspond to an explosion of tweets about the spreading coronavirus. The company told Reuters that the policy change was not a reaction
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
Facebook decides to take down Trump 2020 campaign’s ‘census’ ads
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SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook Inc on Thursday (Mar 5) removed ads by President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign that asked users to fill out an “Official 2020 Congressional District Census” because the ads violate the company’s policy against misinformation on the government’s census. The ads, which come from the pages of the Republican president and Vice President
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 6, 2020
Starbucks bans personal cups in US, Canada stores over coronavirus
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WASHINGTON: Reusable cups are in vogue for reducing waste but are no longer welcome at Starbucks cafes over fears of the coronavirus, the coffee chain announced. “We are pausing the use of personal cups and ‘for here’ ware in our stores,” said Rossann Williams, executive vice president and president of US company-operated business and Canada, in a statement
