Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
More wage support, direct rental rebates on businesses’ wish list for second relief package
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: More wage subsidies, relief on rent and foreign worker levy, as well as broader bridging loan programmes are among the types of aid that business owners, industry groups and economists hope the Government would prescribe in its second stimulus package. Amid a deepening global spread of COVID-19, they are also hoping for help to
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
Trump urges US to halt most social activity in coronavirus fight, warns of recession
News Business Article
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump urged Americans on Monday (Mar 16) to halt most social activities for 15 days and not congregate in groups larger than 10 people in a newly aggressive effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the United States. Announcing new guidelines from his coronavirus task force, the president said people
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
EU weighs in with loan to support CureVac’s COVID-19 vaccine production
News Business Article
FRANKFURT: The European Commission said on Monday (Mar 16) it offered up to 80 million euros (US$89 million) of financial support to CureVac to scale up development and production of a coronavirus vaccine in Europe. The funding pledge comes one day after German government sources told Reuters that the Trump administration was looking in to
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
Malaysia bars citizens from going overseas, foreigners from entering country for 2 weeks to curb COVID-19 spread: PM Muhyiddin
News Business Article
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will bar citizens from going overseas and foreigners from entering the country for about two weeks starting Wednesday, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a televised address on Monday (Mar 16). The rules are part of a “restricted movement order” established by the Malaysian government to prevent further spread of the COVID-19,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
‘We are at war’: France imposes lockdown to combat COVID-19
News Business Article
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday (Mar 16) ordered stringent restrictions on people’s movement to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and said the army would be drafted in to help move the sick to hospitals. France had already shut down restaurants and bars, closed schools and put ski resorts off limits, but Macron
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
WHO chief calls for widespread coronavirus testing as Europe locks down
News Business Article
GENEVA: The head of the World Health Organization on Monday (Mar 16) called for every suspected coronavirus case to be tested, as countries across Europe tightened their lockdowns and global stock markets tumbled again. “You cannot fight a fire while blindfolded,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists. “Test, test, test. Test every suspected case.”
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
Italy reports 349 new coronavirus deaths, taking total to over 2,000
News Business Article
ROME: Italy on Monday (Mar 16) reported 349 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking its total since last month to 2,158, the most after China. The number of official COVID-19 fatalities has more than doubled since Thursday, when Italy’s toll topped 1,000 for the first time. Italy now has 27,980 infections, compared to 15,113 four
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
Coronavirus kills senior cleric as Iran toll hits 853
News Business Article
TEHRAN: The novel coronavirus killed a top Iranian cleric on Monday (Mar 16), the Islamic republic said as it reported yet another record high single-day death toll in one of the world’s worst-hit countries. The latest 129 deaths brought the overall toll to 853 fatalities among nearly 15,000 infections since Feb 19, when the government announced
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
Russia ramps up coronavirus controls, bans public events and closes schools
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MOSCOW: Russia on Monday stepped up efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus by banning major sporting events across the country and by shutting state schools and limited gatherings of people in the capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin prohibited all outdoor events and limited public indoor events to no more than 50 people until Apr 10,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 17, 2020
17 new COVID-19 infections in Singapore in largest single-day increase to date
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Monday (Mar 16), bringing the country’s total to 243. This is the largest single-day increase in novel coronavirus cases in Singapore to date and comes just one day after a daily increase of 14 was reported. Advertisement Advertisement Eleven of the new COVID-19 infections are
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 16, 2020
3 arrested for attempting to rob Liberian-flagged ship in Singapore Strait
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: Three people were arrested after they attempted to rob a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier in the Singapore Strait on Monday (Mar 16), said the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in a media release. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) Port Operations Control Centre received a report at around 5am that robbers had boarded the ship Sam Jaguar.
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 16, 2020
SMU exchange student from Spain has COVID-19, three flatmates on home quarantine
News Business Article
SINGAPORE: A exchange student from Spain with the Singapore Management University (SMU) was confirmed to have COVID-19, the university said in a statement on Monday (Mar 16). “We have been informed that one of our exchange students from Spain has been diagnosed with COVID-19 on 14 March 2020. He reported onset of symptoms on 13
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 16, 2020
UK supermarkets call for calm as coronavirus fears trigger panic buying
News Business Article
LONDON: British supermarkets have called on consumers to be more considerate and reiterated they have adequate supplies, as the coronavirus saw shelves plundered and a surge in online orders. The country’s leading groceries retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, penned a joint letter to customers, which ran in newspapers on Sunday and Monday (Mar 16) appealing
Commentary: Why Singapore is better prepared to handle COVID-19 than SARS
SINGAPORE: On Mar 1, 2003, SARS hit Singapore. Over the next four months, we witnessed its spread through public hospitals and the community, infecting 238 people with 33 succumbing to the virus. I lost a close friend, Alex, whom I had known since primary one. A visit by an overseas scientist further led to my being