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As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wear on and taxi drivers and private-hire drivers face falling takings, some are even camping out in parking lots, incurring losses before even securing passengers.

Chow Minyang, a doctor at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, shone the spotlight on the hardships that these drivers face in a Facebook post on May 5, recounting his heartrending encounter with a Grab driver.

Dr Chow had observed a “strange phenomenon” in the past few weeks, he wrote, describing how his Grab driver would often take less than 20 seconds to reach him whenever he made a booking from the hospital.

Eager to get to the bottom of the matter, Dr Chow struck up a conversation with his driver and finally discovered the reason for their speedy arrivals.

The drivers were all waiting in the hospital’s parking lots — and racking up parking fees — in order to secure bookings from passengers, Dr Chow’s driver revealed.

“If not, how can I get a passenger? I have to be the nearest to the passenger to get the job mah. Nearest place to you all is parking lot lah,” he told Dr Chow.

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SINGAPORE – Billionaire Peter Lim is picking up the tab for $1 million worth of meals hospital staff can enjoy in a show of appreciation and support for their work.

At least 20,000 workers will receive food vouchers which can be used at more than 160 participating food outlets, including Kopitiam, Foodfare and Fei Siong.

Priority will be given to, among others, housekeeping staff, patient care assistants and ambulance drivers, people Mr Lim described as unsung heroes.

In a statement his private office released on Friday (May 8), he said their work is often less visible, but no less important to the front-line response.

“He hopes that these meals will boost the morale of these front-line healthcare workers and bring them some comfort in this difficult period,” the statement read.

They can redeem meals at their own convenience.

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SINGAPORE – A 38-year-old man who is said to have left his home to attend a social gathering at a woman’s flat was later served an invite he could not refuse – a day in court.

Francis Soh Seng Chye was charged on Friday (May 8) with unlawfully attending a social gathering amid the coronavirus outbreak, an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures Act) 2020.

The Singaporean is said to have left his home between 7pm and 8pm on April 8 to meet Ms Lye Bao Ru in a Circuit Road flat.

Other details about the woman were not revealed in court documents.

The gathering, which lasted about an hour, involved six people from Ms Lye’s household and Soh, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Social gatherings across different households are prohibited from April 7 to June 1.

Soh, who will be back in court on May 20, said he intends to plead guilty.

MOH said it “will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those who fail to comply with the Covid-19 regulations”.

There was no mention if Ms Lye and the five others from her household had committed an offence.

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Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today.

1. Easy-bake recipes to try during Circuit Breaker

Whether you’re into brownies, cookies or cakes, these recipes will be sure to satisfy your confectionary cravings and boost your confidence, whether you’re a rookie or a whiz in the kitchen…. » READ MORE

2. Here are the pros and cons of making voluntary CPF top-ups in 2020

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The chief executive officer of a tech company who was wrongly identified and doxxed has thanked people who defended her and her company.

Ms Tuhina Singh, the CEO of digital securities firm Propine, was initially identified on Tuesday as the woman who made headlines for claiming to be a “sovereign”.

The woman was later identified as Paramjeet Kaur, a 40-year-old who has been charged with breaching safe distancing regulations and being a public nuisance.

The physiotherapist was caught on video on Sunday at Shunfu Mart refusing to put on a mask and claiming she is a “sovereign” who is not subject to laws here.

The videos went viral, and she was arrested. She has been remanded at the Institute of Mental Health to be assessed.

Between her arrest on Monday night and her being charged on Tuesday afternoon, doxxers wrongly identified Ms Singh as the woman involved.

Mistaken identity

They posted her personal details online, including her photos and names of her colleagues, prompting a string of racist and xenophobic comments against her.

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