As unwelcome as the current circumstances may be, Covid-19 has offered a chance for folks stuck at home to catch up on personal projects they might not have time to work on during normalcy.
Such is the case for local Redditor u/Ateo88, who now has the time to sink his teeth into a video game he’s been slowly developing for years. Plus, it’s helping to take his mind off everything that’s going on in the world right now.
Dubbed ‘Ghostlore’, Andrew Teo shared a sneak preview of his game on the Singapore subreddit last Saturday (May 16). It’s a fantasy action-role playing game, said the developer, reminiscent of Diablo and its playable character classes.
SINGAPORE: Schools reopened for small groups of classes on Tuesday (May 19), with students who did so saying that they were glad to be able to receive face-to-face feedback and coaching from their teachers after almost six weeks of “circuit breaker” measures.
Farisah Sajidah, a 15-year-old student in Secondary 4 at Dunearn Secondary School, told CNA that she was keen to work on her exam coursework for Art in the presence of her teachers.
“I don’t have much paint at home, I don’t have much paper or even brushes. It’s definitely very challenging for me to work on my coursework with such limited items,” she said, adding that she much prefers the school environment where she has access to the necessary resources.
Adding that she is “especially stressed” about completing her revision and coursework amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Farisah said she had told her teachers multiple times that wanted to go back to school.
“HBL (home-based learning) was very hard and challenging for me and I didn’t want to do it anymore,” she said, adding that she faced challenges across all her subjects, but felt the most stressed about Art and Elementary Math.
“I didn’t understand a lot in math (classes), so it was definitely harder for me to just do HBL work online. It was definitely challenging.”
Secondary 4 student Farisah Sajidah (right) working on her Art coursework in school. (Photo: Dunearn Secondary School)
As part of the gradual easing of “circuit breaker” measures, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong announced on May 2 that schools would be allowed to reopen for students in small groups for face-to-face lessons from May 19.
Priority would be given to graduating cohorts and those who needed additional support or school facilities for coursework and practical sessions during the school holidays, which was brought forward this year to May instead of June.
About 70 graduating N-Level and O-Level students returned to Dunearn Secondary school on Tuesday for Design and Technology, Home Economics and Art classes.
Eight teachers and several other technical staff were in school to guide them.
“Our priority is for the Secondary 4 and 5 (students), particularly for the coursework. Because during home-based learning there is really this element that cannot be done at home. It has to be conducted under the guidance of the teacher and of course the facility and the equipment is necessary for the students,” said Dunearn Secondary principal Tan Miao Ling.
Noting that the Mother Tongue departments are also looking into allowing students to come back to practise for the approaching oral examinations, she added: “Certainly there will be many more subjects as well. We will also have plans in Term 3 in our timetable to support our students further.”
At CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, teachers identified students that needed more support during home-based learning and invited them back for classes during the holidays.
About 16 students, all from one Primary 6 class, returned to school on Tuesday for English, Mathematics, Science and Mother Tongue lessons, said principal Karen Tan.
“During the HBL, when they submitted their work and teachers were looking through the work, students who had doubts and needed more clarifications or one-to-one time with the teachers, we actually got these children back today,” she added.
ADDITIONAL SAFE DISTANCING MEASURES IN PLACE
Students who came to school on Tuesday were “very cooperative” and all arrived wearing their masks, said Mrs Tan.
“One of the things we did have concerns about is whether teachers would be teaching too long, because the girls are in school from 8am to about 1.30pm,” she added.
The school has arranged for other teachers to take over some classes to ensure that teachers also get breaks.
At both Dunearn Secondary and CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, students were instructed to check in and check out when they entered and left school at staggered timings.
They also had their temperature taken, and sat apart from each other in class and during recess.
Students taking their temperature after returning to school amid the circuit breaker period. (Photo: Dunearn Secondary School)
In response to questions about whether teachers and students will be swabbed before school reopens officially, a Ministry of Education (MOE) spokesperson said that “there is no need to test everyone who has to leave their home, including students and teachers”, because the risk of transmission is significantly lower now, as compared to before the circuit breaker period.
“Testing is a limited resource and should be prioritised for individuals deemed to be of higher risk or who have close and constant contact with more vulnerable populations such as the elderly and young children,” said the spokesperson.
“As for schools, we may do selective testing taking a risk-based approach, for individuals who may have a higher risk of infection, as part of our overall strategy to keep schools safe.”
The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) had said on May 14 that all teaching and non-teaching staff at pre-schools will be tested by May 26, to reduce the risk of transmission when centres resume full services.
About 30,000 pre-school and early intervention staff, including teachers, principals, programme staff, administrative staff, cooks and cleaners, are scheduled to take the one-time swab tests.
Both principals told CNA that some parents have chosen not to have their children return to school for the small group lessons.
At CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, about one-third of the Primary 6 cohort, or 50 students, will not be returning to school either because their parents have opted out or they do not need to come back for academic reasons.
“Some of them would be being cautious and not wanting their children to come back, that would be the main reason we see. Because if we talk about the situation before home-based learning and before the holidays, we already had parents who did not want to send their children to school because they wanted to protect their kids and keep them at home,” said Mrs Tan.
Primary 6 student Erica Seah said that while her mother was not so worried about her going back to school, she reminded her to remember to wear her mask at all times and wash her hands often.
“She knew that I would want to go back as I did tell her that I was nervous about PSLE (primary school leaving examination) and studying for it on my own for the past month,” said the 12-year-old.
“I was extremely excited to come back to school as I could not wait to see my friends and talk to them face-to-face. Over the past month of talking to my friends through social media, texting and video calls, I felt that talking face-to-face was better,
“Also it felt really good to be back in school as I was reminded of how much school meant to me and how much I love going to school to see my teachers and friends and catch up on work and revision.”
SINGAPORE – Some 357 patients who had previously been diagnosed with Covid-19 received an SMS message wrongly sent by the Ministry of Health (MOH) last Saturday (May 16) informing them that they had once again tested positive.
The ministry said this was caused by an IT system testing glitch during its efforts to increase the system’s efficiency. It sent a follow-up message to all recipients within three hours, clarifying the mistake and apologising for the inconvenience and anxiety caused.
“We have since reviewed our processes to ensure that a similar error will not recur,” it said.
The ministry was referring to screenshots of the erroneous messages posted in a CNA report. In the messages, MOH told the recipients to wear a mask and isolate themselves from their household, upload their TraceTogether data, and contact their doctor for medical queries.
A later message then told them to ignore the previous SMS that was sent.
Wallet, keys, face mask — these are the items we can’t leave our homes without these days.
A 43-year-old woman, however, says she has been excused from wearing a mask because of chronic asthma.
Since last month, she’s been showing a doctor’s memo to those who are curious why she isn’t wearing one in public, Lianhe Wanbao reported.
According to the note written by a general practitioner, the woman was treated for asthma at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on April 13.
It read: “In view of her asthma exacerbation on April 13, and that she is undergoing treatment and monitoring, I would state that she be excused from wearing a face mask for the period from April 20 till May 10.”
SINGAPORE: Infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong has refuted online allegations that it is “profiteering” from the setting up and running of Community Care Facilities (CCFs) for COVID-19 isolation, including a facility at the Singapore Expo.
“Our involvement in Singapore Expo has been most unfairly subjected to unfounded accusations of profiteering and corruption in some social media posts,” it said in a statement on Tuesday (May 19). It did not specify which social media posts it was referring to.
“These allegations are not only untrue, they are disrespectful of our colleagues who have made enormous sacrifices, including putting their health at risk, to deliver the projects under challenging conditions.”
The company added: “We absolutely refute the allegations and will not hesitate to take legal action against any perpetrator who continues to make scurrilous attacks against our company.”
The company, which is owned by Temasek Holdings, said its parent company engaged Surbana, as well as other portfolio companies, to help government agencies house COVID-19 patients.
CCFs house COVID-19 patients who are clinically well and no longer require acute care, as well as newly-confirmed cases with mild symptoms who do not require extensive medical treatment. These facilities include D’Resort, Singapore Expo and Changi Exhibition Centre.
Surbana said it has been providing technical services as an urban and infrastructure consulting firm to various government agencies involved in the setting up and running of CCFs in Singapore in the last two months.
“As part of its efforts to support the community during this time, our shareholder Temasek engaged some of its portfolio companies that could provide specialist support, and all readily stepped up to support,” it said.
“There was an urgent need for CCFs to house patients with early symptoms of COVID-19 and those recovering from it. Surbana Jurong was called upon to help quickly develop these facilities.”
In March, it was asked to identify and study possible locations: “We explored various sites and found Singapore Expo, with its existing mechanical and electrical infrastructure and extensive indoor space, to be large enough and fit for purpose.”
A cubicle at a community care facility for COVID-19 patients at The Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria. (Photo: MOH)
As Singapore Expo is also a Temasek portfolio company and was already engaged to support this initiative, Surbana Jurong was able to immediately work on converting Singapore Expo into the first CCF, it said.
A team of 50 people set up 10 halls with 8,000 beds in four weeks, said Surbana Jurong. The team was led by Surbana Jurong’s CEO Singapore, Mr Yeo Choon Chong, and director Vincent Lee, Director, under the direct supervision of Group CEO Wong Heang Fine, it said.
It also partnered PSA, Woodlands Health Campus, Parkway Pantai, SingEx, Resorts World Sentosa and other companies.
“Homemade” media featuring some Singaporeans’ more unusual kinks have gone viral as of late, including a couple’s less-than-private escapades.
The pair, with the husband in his 40s and the wife in her 20s, filmed videos of themselves engaging in acts such as exhibitionism and “multi-player parties”, and uploaded the clips onto Twitter, Shin Min Daily News reported.
Not only that, but they also encouraged followers to join a private Telegram chat for exclusive content. Users would have to pay membership fees of $24.99 per month, of $69.99 every three months.
Their Twitter profile described their account as a “personal journey of sexual discovery and pleasures of the flesh”, including things such as “exhibitionism, group fun and gang bangs”. The page also emphasised that its content was “all authentic”.
SINGAPORE – A woman accused of repeatedly failing to wear a mask in public during the coronavirus outbreak and who was seen in a video clip claiming to be a “sovereign” was handed two additional charges on Tuesday (May 19).
Singaporean Paramjeet Kaur, 41, who wore a mask in court, is now accused of failing to wear one over her nose and mouth at an Upper Thomson Road food stall at around 7.45pm on April 26.
She is also said to have failed to report her change of home address to a registration officer within 28 days after she moved in November last year.
Court documents state that she moved from a flat at Block 34, Whampoa West to a house in Jalan Ikan Merah near Upper Thomson Road.
Kaur is now represented by lawyer Anil Singh Sandhu. Lawyer Satwant Singh is no longer representing her.
The Singapore-born woman did not state her full name when asked to do so in court on Tuesday.
Instead, Mr Anil Singh was the one who confirmed to District Judge Adam Nakhoda that she is his client.
When Kaur was later asked if she understood her additional charges, she replied: “I’m a living woman. I reserve my rights.”
Nine vehicles were spotted seemingly ‘racing’ one another along the Kallang–Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) tunnel towards the Tampines Expressway (TPE) in the early hours of Saturday morning (May 16).
Stomp contributors Ming and Mike alerted Stomp to a video of the incident circulating on social media taken from the in-car camera of another vehicle at about 1.24am.
SINGAPORE: No award was given for what would have become Singapore’s first dementia care village, after only one bid was submitted for the tender, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced on Tuesday (May 19).
The sole price bid of S$15 million for the site near Sembawang Park was deemed too low, leading to the rejection of the tender, said the URA on behalf of the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The rejected offer – at S$1,392.76 per sq m – for the Gibraltar Crescent site was made by Pre 11 and Orpea Singapore.
The tender for a 30-year lease of the site closed on Jan 15 this year.
The authorities said the Government will continue to review available options for seniors to age in the community and the viability of a dedicated residential option for dementia patients, in consultation with the public and private sectors.
The sale for the site was launched in July last year to pilot a new residential care community concept for people with varying stages of dementia.
“One of the objectives of the tender was to seek ideas from the private sector to develop new care options for persons with dementia to facilitate ageing-in-place,” said the authorities in a news release.
The 30-year leasehold site at Gibraltar Crescent comprises a cluster of 10 state bungalows. Photo: URA.
The site was to be specially designed to provide a safe, home-like environment where residents are assisted to live independently, the authorities said at its launch.
Tailored services and programmes that would help promote participation and social interactions among residents were also in the pipelines.
