Day: April 2, 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
Dormitory operators required to adopt additional measures to minimise risk of COVID-19 transmission: MOM
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: Operators of workers’ dormitories have been required to adopt additional measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission since Wednesday (Apr 1), said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). These measures include no inter-mixing of workers between dormitory blocks, with workers “strongly advised” to stay in their rooms and minimise physical interactions, said MOM in an
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
North Korea insists it is free of coronavirus
News Business Article
SEOUL: North Korea remains totally free of the coronavirus, a senior health official in Pyongyang has insisted, despite mounting scepticism overseas as confirmed global infections near one million. The already isolated, nuclear-armed North quickly shut down its borders in January after the virus was first detected in neighbouring China, and imposed strict containment measures. Advertisement Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
COVID-19 infection rate steepens as India searches for 9,000 exposed to Delhi cluster
News Business Article
NEW DELHI: India reported its biggest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases as officials on Thursday (Apr 2) raced to track down some 9,000 people exposed to the country’s biggest infection cluster during a Muslim missionary group’s gathering in the capital last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed the world’s second most populous nation under
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
COVID-19: Jail, fines for employers who do not allow employees to work from home where possible
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: Employers who do not make facilities available for members of staff to work from home where reasonable could be jailed or fined, under changes to the Infectious Diseases Act. An addition to the Act published in the Government Gazette on Thursday (Apr 2) lays out the penalties employers face for not directing staff to work from
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
My First Skool in Fernvale ramps up disinfection after parent of 2 pre-schoolers contracts COVID-19
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: A parent of two pre-schoolers at the My First Skool campus in Fernvale Link has tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the school to ramp up cleaning and disinfection. Both children and the family members of the affected parent have been issued quarantine orders, a NTUC First Campus spokesperson said on Thursday (Apr 2) in response to
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
China reports six more COVID-19 deaths, chides US for casting doubt on numbers
News Business Article
SHANGHAI: China on Thursday (Apr 2) reported six new coronavirus deaths as of the end of Wednesday, the same number as on Tuesday. China also had 35 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, all of which were imported, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement Chinese authorities remain concerned about the risks posed by imported
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
WHO expects Malaysia’s COVID-19 cases to peak mid-April
News Business Article
KUALA LUMPUR: The number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia is expected to peak in mid-April and there are signs of a flattening of the infection curve, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday (Apr 2). Malaysia has the highest number of known infections in Southeast Asia with 2,908 confirmed cases. It has imposed travel and
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
COVID-19 cases reach 1,000; new cluster at Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: A total of 74 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Singapore on Wednesday (Apr 1), the highest daily increase to date, bringing the national total to 1,000 infections. Of the confirmed cases, 54 are local cases who have no recent travel history. Advertisement Advertisement Two new clusters have been identified – Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home at
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
COVID-19 infections growing exponentially, deaths near 50,000: WHO
News Business Article
GENEVA: The head of the World Health Organization voiced deep concern on Wednesday (Apr 1) about the rapid escalation and global spread of COVID-19 cases from the new coronavirus, which has now reached 205 countries and territories. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that his agency, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund backed
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
RedMart suspends new orders amid surge in demand over COVID-19 concerns
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: Online grocer RedMart will be suspending new orders for two days to tweak its product offerings and update its system, amid a surge in orders due to COVID-19 concerns. In a letter to customers on Thursday (Apr 2), RedMart said that it will resume taking new orders on Saturday. Advertisement Advertisement During this time, RedMart
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
Australia to test 9,000 crew members stranded on cruise ships for COVID-19
News Business Article
SYDNEY: Australian police and military will soon begin helicoptering doctors to several cruise ships stranded near Sydney to assess nearly 9,000 crew for COVID-19, officials said on Thursday (Apr 2). The military-style operation, due to begin by the weekend, is aimed at resolving a standoff between cruise line operators and authorities who fear a wave
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
102-year-old woman among those infected with COVID-19 at Lee Ah Mooi nursing home
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (Mar 31), an 86-year-old woman residing at the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home in Thomson Lane tested positive for COVID-19 – the first case found in a nursing home in Singapore. The next day, it became a cluster of 11 cases, including a 102-year-old woman who was a resident at the home.
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 2, 2020
Palm View Primary School student tests positive for COVID-19, home-based learning extended
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: Palm View Primary School in Sengkang has extended home-based learning by an extra day to Thursday (Apr 2), after a student tested positive for COVID-19. The Primary 2 student was last in school on Monday and was well, said principal Ming Kum in a memo to parents on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement The student contracted
Commentary: Three overlooked facts behind Indonesia’s high COVID-19 death rate
JAKARTA: International and local media organisations have reported that Indonesia holds one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world. Indonesia’s reported death rate is below Italy’s (10 per cent of confirmed cases), which has recorded the highest number of deaths in the world. But, Indonesia leads among countries in Southeast Asia and its