Month: April 2020
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
MOM says working to improve conditions for S11 Dormitory, Westlite Toh Guan residents
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SINGAPORE: Gazetting two dormitories as isolation areas is an “enormous undertaking”, but the authorities are working hard to ensure the well-being of affected workers, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a media release on Monday (Apr 6). This comes a day after the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol and Westlite Toh Guan Dormitory were gazetted as isolation
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
MPs support ‘unprecedented’ Budget amid COVID-19 outbreak
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SINGAPORE: Members of Parliament rose in support of budgets that will draw an unprecedented S$21 billion from Singapore’s past reserves, even as some called for prudence in marshalling the nation’s financial resources. Singapore could roll out support measures in quick succession amid the COVID-19 outbreak due to the foresight and diligence of earlier generations, who built up
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
COVID-19: Enforcement officers in HDB estates to ensure compliance of safe distancing measures
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SINGAPORE: Officers will be deployed in HDB estates to enforce safe distancing measures during the month-long “circuit breaker” period, said the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) on Monday (Apr 6). From Tuesday, the Government will deploy enforcement officers to discourage loitering and gatherings in public places, and to ensure there is no consumption of food and
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
COVID-19: SAF suspends Basic Military Training until May 4
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will suspend Basic Military Training (BMT) from Apr 7 to May 4, in line with the nationwide COVID-19 safe distancing measures. “With the increase in transmission of local cases, the SAF reviewed the impact of suspension and concluded that there would be little impact on operations as active units would be
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
WP’s Pritam Singh calls for ‘thorough review’ of Singaporean living wage following ‘useful lessons’ from COVID-19
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SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh called for “a thorough review of what a living wage in Singapore ought to be” for Singaporeans, following the announcement of the Solidarity Budget on Monday (Apr 6) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking in Parliament, Mr Singh and other WP Members of Parliament (MPs) expressed their support
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
COVID-19: All pre-school operators to provide 50% off school fees for one month for Singaporean children
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SINGAPORE: Parents of Singaporean pre-schoolers will get 50 per cent off their nett school fees for a month, for children who are not attending classes during the “circuit breaker” period. “The offset will be effected from the May 2020 invoice for parents,” said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Education
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
Malaysia identifies 2 new COVID-19 clusters resulting from mass gathering events
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has identified two COVID-19 clusters as a result of mass gathering events, health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said at a press conference on Monday (Apr 6). The clusters were from a church gathering at Kuching, Sarawak and a wedding held in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor. Advertisement Advertisement Dr Noor Hisham said that
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
‘Severely overcrowded’ Serangoon Road electronics shop ordered to close amid concerns of COVID-19 transmission
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SINGAPORE: An overcrowded electronics shop along Serangoon Road was ordered to close on Monday (Apr 6) for violations under the Infectious Diseases Act, as Singapore fights to contain the spread of COVID-19. In a news release, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said officers from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) conducted safe distancing checks on UniverCell
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
Spain to widen coronavirus tests as hopes rise for easing lockdown
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MADRID: Spain said on Monday (Apr 6) that it plans to widen coronavirus testing to include people without symptoms as a first step towards slowly easing a lockdown in the nation with the second-highest death toll from the global pandemic. As with worst-hit Italy, Spain has seen the rate of new infections and deaths slow in
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
ComfortDelGro board, top management to take pay cuts amid COVID-19 outbreak
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SINGAPORE: ComfortDelGro Group on Monday (Apr 6) announced that its board of directors and senior management would be taking voluntary fee and pay reductions amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Directors of the group’s three listed companies – ComfortDelGro, SBS Transit and VICOM – will take a voluntary 20 per cent cut in directors’ fees until
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
Maid who stabbed employer almost 100 times convicted of lesser murder charge
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SINGAPORE: A maid on trial for stabbing her employer to death was convicted on Monday (Apr 6) of a lesser murder charge, and might escape the death penalty. Indonesian Daryati, now 27, was convicted of one charge of slashing 59-year-old Seow Kim Choo multiple times with the intention of injuring her in a manner sufficient to
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
More aid for Malaysian SMEs as Muhyiddin unveils additional RM10 billion package amid COVID-19
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KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government on Monday (Apr 6) announced an additional stimulus package worth RM10 billion (US$2.3 billion) to help struggling small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. In a live televised address, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin noted that SMEs contributed to 40 per cent of the economy, adding that it
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
Japan to declare state of emergency for about a month: PM Abe
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TOKYO: Japan is to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures as early as Tuesday (Apr 7) in a bid to stop the coronavirus, the prime minister said, with the government preparing a stimulus package to soften the economic blow. More than 3,500 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in
Written by Gabriel HerveyApril 6, 2020
Highlights: Heng Swee Keat announces third round of COVID-19 support measures in new ‘Solidarity Budget’
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SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced on Monday (Apr 6) a third round of support measures to help tide businesses, workers and households through the COVID-19 outbreak. The new “Solidarity Budget” follows the Unity Budget announced on Feb 18 and the Resilience Budget of Mar 26, and comes amid what Mr Heng
