Month: April 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 8, 2020
COVID-19: More than 7,000 breaches of elevated safe-distancing measures on Day 1 of ‘circuit breaker’
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SINGAPORE: More than 7,000 written advisories were issued on the first day of a nationwide “circuit-breaker”, a month-long period of enhanced safe-distancing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. Most of these advisories were issued to members of the public in hawker centres and markets, said the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) in a media release
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 8, 2020
British PM in intensive care as UK, New York see record deaths
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LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson battled the coronavirus in intensive care on Tuesday (Apr 7) as his country and New York state recorded their highest number of deaths to date in the global pandemic. The shocking hospitalisation of a major world leader has underscored the global reach of COVID-19, which has put more than
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 8, 2020
Thousands flock to leave Wuhan as outbound travel ban ends
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WUHAN, China: Thousands of travellers flocked to catch trains leaving Wuhan early on Wednesday (Apr 8) as authorities lifted a more than two-month ban on outbound travel from the hard-hit Chinese city where the global coronavirus pandemic first emerged. The removal of the ban at midnight (1600 GMT Tuesday) ends an isolation that began when
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Trump says WHO is China-centric, ‘really blew it’ on coronavirus
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WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump sharply criticised the World Health Organization on Tuesday (Apr 7), accusing it of being too focused on China and issuing bad advice during the coronavirus outbreak. “The W.H.O. really blew it,” Trump said in a Twitter post. “For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Indonesian capital Jakarta to close schools, workplaces to curb coronavirus outbreak
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JAKARTA: Authorities in the Indonesian capital Jakarta will impose large-scale social restrictions including closures of schools and workplaces to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in the hardest hit area of the country. President Joko Widodo has sought to limit transmission of the highly contagious COVID-19 respiratory disease through social-distancing policies but has resisted
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
UK PM Johnson listened to his scientists about coronavirus – but they were slow to sound the alarm
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LONDON: It was early spring when British scientists laid out the bald truth to their government. It was “highly likely”, they said, that there was now “sustained transmission” of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. Advertisement Advertisement If unconstrained and if the virus behaved as in China, up to four-fifths of Britons could be infected and
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Inter-agency task force to help migrant workers living in dorms affected by COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: An inter-agency task force will help migrant workers staying at three dormitories affected by the COVID-19 outbreak as “circuit breaker” measures kick in, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a news release on Tuesday (Apr 7). With restrictions in place to contain the spread of COVID-19, foreign workers will not be able to go
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Solidarity Budget: Adult permanent residents with Singaporean family members to receive S$300 cash payout
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SINGAPORE: All adult permanent residents with Singaporean parents, spouses or children will be able to apply for a one-off Solidarity Payment of S$300, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat announced on Tuesday (Apr 7). Long-term visit pass-plus, or LTVP+, holders who have Singaporean spouses will also receive similar benefits, Mr Heng said in Parliament, adding that more details
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Sweden reports over 100 coronavirus deaths
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STOCKHOLM: Sweden on Tuesday (Apr 7) reported another 114 coronavirus deaths, bringing the total to 591 in a country that has adopted a softer approach to containing the outbreak than some of its European neighbours. Sweden’s Public Health Agency said it had recorded a total of 7,693 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country of around
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
‘Circuit breaker’ rules to incur more pain for Singapore economy, job market: Experts
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SINGAPORE: The month-long enhanced safe distancing measures, dubbed the “circuit breaker” by authorities here, could bring about more pain for an already-stalling Singapore economy, economists said. Even with an unprecedented third support package now on the table, it may not be enough to nurse the fallout from temporary business closures and disruptions, and prevent further
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Japan declares COVID-19 emergency, prepares nearly US$1 trillion stimulus
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TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday (Apr 7) declared a state of emergency to fight new COVID-19 infections in major population centres and unveiled a stimulus package he described as among the world’s biggest to soften the economic blow. Abe announced the state of emergency targeting the capital Tokyo and six other prefectures – accounting
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Malaysia announces 170 new COVID-19 cases and one more death
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia announced 170 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday (Apr 7), bringing the total number in the country to 3,963. One more death was announced – a 71-year-old man from Perlis. He had attended a mass religious gathering in Sulawesi, Indonesia from Mar 17 to 24. Advertisement Advertisement A total of 63 people have now died of
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
COVID-19: Cleaning fees to be subsidised by NEA in support for stallholders at hawker centres
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SINGAPORE: More than 6,000 cooked food stallholders across 114 hawker centres in Singapore will not have to pay for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday (Apr 7). This move is made in support for hawkers during the nationwide safe-distancing measures to guard against COVID-19, the agency said in a
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 7, 2020
Trainee doctors in Tokyo test positive for COVID-19 after party
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TOKYO: One of Japan’s most prestigious hospitals apologised for an “unforgivable blunder” after 40 trainee doctors attended a drinking party and 18 subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus. Keio University Hospital said on Monday (Apr 6) that one trainee doctor tested positive for the virus last week, and that tests on another 98 found 17
