While Singaporeans were busy queuing for their last bubble tea at their favourite shops last night, small business owners of bakeries and confectionery shops were up in arms trying to figure out what the new tightened list of essential services announced by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) meant for their businesses.
Many of them had applied and were granted exemptions to continue operating when the circuit breaker was first announced. Hence, yesterday’s announcement took them by surprise as many had taken in orders all the way till May 4 and stocked up on supplies accordingly.
As shared through social media by many businesses, they were inundated by customers who were worried about their orders while trying to wrap their head around what this meant for their business operations.
SINGAPORE: Singapore has received a shipment of bedding items from Indonesia, to be used at facilities set up to house COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms.
The 4,500 items comprise bed frames, mattresses, mattress covers, bed sheets, pillows, pillow cases and blankets, said Temasek Foundation in a media statement on Wednesday (Apr 22).
“Over the past weeks, Temasek Foundation has been working in close partnership with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore to support the response to managing the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said.
Infrastructure and consultancy firm Surbana Jurong, which played an “integral role” in setting up the COVID-19 community care facility at Singapore Expo, bought the bedding items.
Ngurah Swajaya, Ambassador of Indonesia to Singapore, presenting bedding items on Apr 22, 2020, to be used in Singapore’s Singapore’s community care facilities. (Photo: Temasek Foundation)
The shipment of these items was facilitated by Indonesia’s embassy in Singapore, with more to be delivered depending on future needs, according to Temasek Foundation.
“In these challenging times faced by the global community to manage the COVID-19 situation, staying united and helping one another to emerge stronger is crucial,” the foundation said.
“Temasek Foundation is appreciative of the show of solidarity and support from Indonesia for extending a helping hand to procure bedding sets for use at Singapore’s community care facilities.”
The facility at Singapore Expo, which opened on Apr 10, is one of two set up in Singapore to cater to two types of COVID-19 patients – recovering patients and “early patients”.
As of Wednesday noon, the number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore stands at 10,141.
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s largest supermarket chain will roll out an initiative called FairPrice on Wheels, to allow residents in selected areas to buy groceries without venturing too far from home during the extended COVID-19 “circuit-breaker” period.
From Thursday (Apr 23), a FairPrice van will stop by five locations – at Commonwealth Link, Telok Blangah Crescent, Telok Blangah Rise, Kampong Glam Community Club and Jalan Kukoh – from 9am to 2pm daily.
It will be stocked with essential items such as rice, milk, cooking oil, bread, fruit, vegetables and toiletries.
Only cash payments will be accepted, and the usual purchase limits apply.
According to FairPrice on its website, the locations were selected based on several criteria, including the number of seniors living in the area and the walking distance to the nearest supermarket.
“This initiative will last as long as there is sizeable consumer demand for the service,” FairPrice said, adding that it would expand the service to cover more locations if required.
FairPrice is also trying out another new initiative that allows customers to pre-order groceries via WhatsApp, then pick them up at FairPrice Xpress stores at Esso petrol stations.
This is for residents who live near the petrol stations at East Coast, Upper Changi, Lorong Chuan, Jurong East and Yishun Avenue 9, said FairPrice Group CEO Seah Kian Peng in a Facebook post.
“Consider this option and let us have your feedback,” he added.
The supermarket chain has been trying to cope with a surge in online orders, as people were urged to stay home as much as possible to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday that the circuit breaker period will be extended by four weeks until Jun 1. Tighter measures, such as closing more workplaces and imposing entry restrictions at popular markets, were also announced.
Singapore reported 1,016 new cases of COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, the vast majority of which are work permit holders residing in foreign worker dormitories.
Standalone shops that sell only beverages, packaged snacks, confectioneries or desserts will have to close. Hairdressers and barbers will also have to shut.
SINGAPORE: The creator of a fictional COVID-19 fighting superhero team has stepped down from the art collective he founded, following controversy over the short-lived group.
The Ministry for Communications and Information (MCI), which is responsible for the Gov.sg portal, said at the time that the five-member team – which it noted was part of a collaboration with art collective Band of Doodlers (BOD) – was “undergoing a review”.
The superhero team had drawn criticism for a number of reasons, including treating the fight against the novel coronavirus with too much levity.
To date, COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, has resulted in more than 170,00 deaths worldwide.
One character, MAWA Man – whose name stands for Must Always Walk Alone, a play on Liverpool’s motto You’ll Never Walk Alone – was lambasted for playing up the rivalry between the Manchester United and Liverpool football teams.
Members of the Virus Vanguard superhero team as depicted on the Gov.sg Facebook page. (Photo: Facebook/Gov.sg)
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, artist Mas Shafreen – who had on Monday identified himself as the creator of the Virus Vanguard – said he was leaving Band of Doodlers, which he had founded in 2013,
He added that he took responsibility for the much-derided superhero group.
“As such, I hope that BOD will not be associated with it. BOD has been about inclusivity and collaboration and I am so very proud of how it has grown,” he said.
“I am forever grateful for the many artists that have contributed to the cause and hope BOD will continue to be supported, especially during these difficult times.”
Separately, on their Facebook page Band of Doodlers acknowledged that he was stepping down and thanked Mr Mas for his “years of contribution in not only creating a platform for both budding and veteran artists, but also extending the language of collaboration between the public and the local and international arts communities”.
Mr Mas, who also goes by the pen name Wanton Doodle, also addressed the claims that some of his art for the Virus Vanguard had been plagiarised from other artist works.
Band of Doodlers founder Mas Shafreen addressed concerns that his illustrations had been plagiarised from other artists, saying that the art in question was for reference only and was not meant to be “part of the paid job”. (Photo: Facebook/Mas Shafreen)
Netizens had pointed to similarities between the drawing of one of the characters, Mini Moh, and a picture of Marvel character Peni Parker, as well as that of Care-Leh Dee and an illustration of X-Men member Storm, another Marvel superhero.
“I want to clarify that I did use existing artwork as reference with some adjustments to their pose,” said Mr Mas in another post on Wednesday, adding that he had contacted the original illustrators to inform them of the situation.
On his Twitter account Korean artist Jo Cheol-hong, who drew the original picture of Peni Parker, acknowledged that he had received an apology from Mr Mas.
The character design artwork and backstories were “not part of the paid job”, and were meant for Gov.sg to “better understand the characters, before starting to work on the actual comics which were to be released later”, said Mr Mas.
“I am sorry for causing miscommunication which has led to this. It was never my intention to pass off their works as my own,” he said.
“My intention was to support the national efforts to combat COVID-19 while giving the opportunity for our local community of artists to be part of this work.”
’Twas a grim but necessary announcement made yesterday (April 21) when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong declared that the circuit breaker period would have to be extended by another month. This is to keep everyone in Singapore safe, he said, after consulting with the multi-ministry task force.
The Singapore leader was sombre but hopeful in his national address, but it’s hard for viewers not to be amused at some of the silly internet comments that popped up during the livestream.
Fuel pump prices are likely to fall in the coming days, although motorists are unlikely to see their bills shrinking by as much as the plunge in crude prices.
According to Bloomberg, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at a record low of minus US$0.76 (S$1.10) as at 5pm Singapore time, while Brent was at US$22.03 – down from US$24.49 and US$27.39 respectively a month ago, and around US$66 and US$74 respectively 12 months ago.
Despite that, pump prices here have remained stable.
According to Fuel Kaki, a Consumers Association of Singapore portal which tracks fuel prices, 92-and 95-octane petrol are listed at $2.05 and $2.09 a litre respectively across all brands.
These prices, before discounts, have remained unchanged since March 25.
A litre of 98-octane is listed at between $2.43 and $2.69, while diesel is between $1.69 and $1.72.
Oil industry consultant Ong Eng Tong said pump prices should test the $2 level by next month, with 92-octane falling below $2 – a level not seen since 2016.
With the government’s announcement yesterday (April 21) that all standalone food and beverage outlets, such as bubble tea shops, will be shut until May 4, many Singaporeans pulled out their phones to order “one last bubble tea”.
SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI – When Singapore launched the first smartphone app of its kind last month to identify and alert people who had interacted with carriers of the novel coronavirus, the city-state of roughly 5.7 million people had 385 cases of infections.
But even as cases in the country – which is in lockdown – have surged past 9,000, only about one in five people have downloaded the app, TraceTogether, which uses Bluetooth signals to log when people have been close to one another.
The modest numbers in a tech-savvy country where trust in government is high shows the challenges facing public health authorities and technology experts around the world who are looking to exit lockdowns and believe contact-tracing apps can play an important role in restarting economies.
A few countries, including South Korea and Israel, are using high-tech methods of contact tracing that involve tracking peoples’ location via phone networks. But such centralised, surveillance-based approaches are viewed as invasive and unacceptable in many countries for privacy reasons.
SINGAPORE: If you need to go out and buy food or groceries, go alone. If you need to go out and exercise, go alone. If you need to leave your house, go alone.
That was the message from Singapore’s leaders, ministries and agencies on Tuesday (Apr 21) night as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a four-week extension to the “circuit breaker”, aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. Originally scheduled to end on May 4, the circuit breaker period has been extended to Jun 1.
The multi-ministry task force also announced tighter measures on Tuesday, including trimming the list of essential services and introducing entry restrictions to several popular wet markets to thin out crowds.
In his remarks on Tuesday, Mr Lee urged people to stay at home as much as possible. Should they need to go out for the essentials, they should do so alone, he said.
“Go out alone, get what you need, and return home straightaway,” said Mr Lee.
“Do your marketing on weekdays rather than weekends, and don’t bring your whole family with you for grocery shopping.”
He added in his Chinese remarks that only one person from each household should be away from home at any one time.
His comments were echoed by Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the task force.
He called on people to “minimise movement” and to continue to take precautions, such as wearing a mask, practising safe distancing, and not touching their faces.
“But the best way to beat the virus is to stay home,” he added.
“So if you need to go out – buy food, buy groceries – go out alone. Do not turn this into an occasion for a family outing.”
He said the task force is mindful that some people have difficulties being isolated at home.
“It is genuinely difficult. It can lead to social, emotional difficulties, which can all impact on people’s well-being and health. That’s why we allow people to go out for essential activities,” he explained.
“What we are saying is, when you go out, go out alone. Do what you need to do – run your errands, buy your food and groceries – and then come back as soon as possible.”
Under the tighter measures, people can still go out and exercise, but should do so alone and in the area where they live.
“If you need to go out and exercise, exercise alone and in your own neighbourhood,” Mr Wong said.
“Do not travel out to exercise. We call on everyone to do this because it is the best way to protect yourselves and your family members.”
Sport Singapore (SportSG) on Tuesday advised people to workout at home instead of going out.
Exercising outdoors is not encouraged, and those who do so should not linger after their exercise but return home immediately.
“Individuals may leave home to walk, run, cycle or engage in other similar exercise, alone, and in their immediate neighbourhoods, rather than travel unnecessarily to other parts of Singapore,” SportSG said.
Safe distancing measures must also be observed and masks must be worn at all times, unless doing strenuous exercise.
(Table: SportSG)
Car parks, convenience stores, and F&B outlets in gardens, parks and nature reserves are closed.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said while everyone must follow the circuit breaker measures “strictly”, they should also observe “the spirit” of the measures.
People who leave their homes should not do so in groups. “These trips are not meant to be family outings,” the health ministry said.
“We want to minimise the number of people out and about to reduce the chances of community transmission.
“We understand that some members of the public will need to be accompanied by a caregiver, for example, frail seniors, the disabled, and young children.
“We encourage everyone to adhere to the spirit of the guidelines to minimise movement, and complete their tasks and return to their homes quickly.”
The tighter measures will be in place for a two-week period from Tuesday until May 4.
The circuit breaker period will go on for another four weeks until Jun 1, and the task force may be able to gradually ease measures if there is a “significant decline” in local transmission numbers.
“Remember, it is not just about adhering to the letter of the law. The spirit of the guidelines is to reduce movement to a minimum, and to avoid being out and about in the community,” Mr Lee said.
“This is the way to protect yourself, your family and everyone else. So I hope everyone can cooperate and do your part.”
