SINGAPORE: After nearly eight years of trying to have a child, and finally conceiving last year, Vivien Heng should have been looking forward to welcoming her baby with nothing but joy.
Now 39 weeks pregnant, she is due anytime and full of worry.
In a world of COVID-19 “circuit breakers”, lockdowns and movement control orders (MCO), the first-time mum faces the prospect of having no post-partum support.
“Taking care of a baby is something we are not familiar with. How am I going to handle it?” she asked.
Her husband, who is in an essential service, will return to work after his two weeks of paternity leave are up.
Her Malaysian parents are not allowed to travel out of their country because of the extended MCO. Vivien tried hiring a confinement nanny, but many are from Malaysia too.
Even the domestic helper that she had hired from the Philippines is stuck in her home country because of a lockdown there since last month.
Her remaining option was to get her mother-in-law to help, but under Singapore’s enhanced safe distancing rules, grandparents can care for their grandchildren only if they live under the same roof throughout the “circuit breaker” period.
Stock image. (Photo: Pexels/Kristina Paukshtite)
FEELING ISOLATED
Indeed, the pandemic has spawned more than the usual uncertainty for new and expectant mothers.
On top of the normal anxieties of pregnancy and new parenthood, some now grapple with the fear of the virus, disrupted caregiver options, even occasional diapers shortages.
New mother Chanelle Wang is increasingly feeling the strain of isolation. She has been largely managing one-month-old Clarice on her own, as her husband is at work for the duration of the ‘circuit breaker’.
“I feel like every day is testing my emotional and physical limits,” said the 30-year-old IT analyst. While Chanelle lives with her father, he is 80 and can provide only limited help. She has had to feed, bath and burp her child, while recovering from childbirth.
File photo. (Photo: AFP/Peter Parks)
Thankfully, she had a confinement nanny initially to teach her those skills. “I thought we could handle it after that.
“But the (COVID-19) situation worsened and my husband had to go away. It’s too late to get a maid now,” said Wang, whose parents-in-law are unable to help because of safe distancing.
New mother Sharon Lim, whose baby girl Emma Rose was born on Apr 1, had considered herself lucky to secure the services of a confinement nanny – only to have the latter to quit after three days, when the nanny found out that Sharon’s husband was a hospital doctor.
“I was very distressed and worried that I wouldn’t know what to do. I haven’t recovered fully, and suddenly this thing…. even implying my husband had germs,” recounted Sharon, 29. “It didn’t feel nice.”
Sharon Lim’s baby girl Emma Rose (Source: Sharon Lim)
The confinement agency was unable to find her a replacement nanny. Fortunately, her supportive husband stepped up and helped with Emma Rose’s night feeds. They are also living with his parents, and Sharon is grateful for their additional support.
For another first-time mom Yvonne Yeo, her parents and in-laws are practising safe distancing, which means the entrepreneur must juggle her work duties and the demands of her two-month-old baby boy without their extra help.
Yvonne, who is married to a physiotherapist, said: “It has been difficult. When there are video calls, one parent has to make sure the baby is not crying.”
Still, the 32-year-old feels she’s lucky to have her husband’s help: “I’ve read that some of the mothers on online forums can’t get a confinement nanny and parents (to help). And they have another child to take care of too.”
Yvonne Yeo and her baby boy Eli (Source: Yvonne Yeo)
HOSPITALS TAKING PRECAUTIONS
But what really scares expectant mothers like Vivien is the thought of catching the virus and passing it to her unborn child.
When she goes to the hospital for her routine scan, she opts for a Grab ride instead of taking public transport.
“It (COVID-19) has spoilt the atmosphere, the whole experience,” said her husband Alex Tan. “It’s more taxing for us and it adds on more worries.”
Vivien is also not clear whether the grandparents will be able to visit and carry her baby at the hospital after she delivers, because of the stricter visitation policies.
“If so, both our parents will not be able to hold the baby until the ‘circuit breaker’ ends,” she said.
Vivien Heng and husband Alex Tan. (Source: Vivien Heng)
Before her baby was born, Sharon, a public servant, had to go for routine scans at the hospital, which she described as akin to “going to a warzone” with multiple security checks and that constant fear of infection.
Her birth plan was also upended when a month before her delivery date, she was told to switch hospitals as her doctor was restricted to working within one hospital so as to prevent cross-institutional transmission.
Since Emma was born, Sharon’s own parents have hugged their grandchild just once. “They have to make do with videos and photos every day. It’s a bit sad, practising social distancing with babies,” she said.
Meanwhile Gwendolin Mah, 32, chose to have her two-month-old girl vaccinated at a private pediatric clinic instead of a polyclinic. Most childhood vaccinations for Singaporeans are subsidised at polyclinics.
Gwendolin Mah with husband Koh Eu Jin and Gemma. (Source: Gwendolin Mah)
“The polyclinic is too crowded and even though there are separate sections for kids, there’s still a lot of interaction,” she said, adding that she would rather pay extra to minimise the risk at a quieter private clinic.
FROM DIAPERS TO CANCELLED SHOWERS
Then there’s shopping for groceries, which has become another source of worry for Chanelle.
As she’s the primary caregiver for her baby, her elderly father has to leave the house to get the groceries when delivery slots on online supermarket platforms are full.
And thanks to panic buying, some popular brands of newborn diapers are in short supply, said Chanelle, who is down to her last few pieces.
“We just grab any brand (these days). I have to plan ahead and order online,” she said.
Yvonne has resorted to buying her groceries and baby supplies online to reduce the frequency of going out, even though it can be stressful when there are no delivery slots.
“I am tired, I don’t want to think about being short of diapers… Adults can make do without certain things, but not babies,” said Yvonne, who has taken to ordering online at 3am when she’s nursing her child, just to be able to secure a delivery slot.
File photo of a person shopping online. (Photo: Christy Yip)
For most new parents, safe distancing also means that baby showers have to be scrapped.
Yvonne had already sent out the invitations for a celebration in May, with the catering all planned for her son’s big party.
“When the ‘circuit breaker’ happened, we notified our guests it would be postponed,” she said. “The grandparents had been looking forward to it. A lot of my family members haven’t had the chance to meet him. But as parents, it’s better to be responsible.”
While Sharon too cancelled her baby shower, she’s thankful for friends who send her packages to cheer her up.
“I haven’t really hung out with people since February. There’s some cabin fever of course,” she said. “I keep telling myself it is for the greater good.”
BECOMING STRONGER, TOGETHER
Despite the anxieties of bringing up baby in these trying times, the mothers are taking it as a learning experience and character-building exercise.
“With so many last-minutes changes, we learn to be emotional stronger,” said Sharon. “Pregnancy is not easy, (one) gets hormonal; but we have to be strong for the baby. This kind of circumstances is very exceptional.”
Yvonne appreciates that her husband, who works from home now, has more time with the family. “And I have the excuse to extend my maternity leave,” she added.
“As new parents, we get more time with the baby and learn to cope with no support. It used to be easy to call for help; now, we’re better at multi-tasking.”
For teacher Kanages Kuma, mother of twin three-month-old boys, this ‘circuit breaker’ period has also resulted in more family time as everyone’s forced to be at home.
Santhosh Kuma, Kanages and their twin boys (Courtesy: Kanages Kuma)
This 34-year-old who’s still on maternity leave lives with her in-laws, and there’s plenty of support from the family of 11. “Having twins is double the joy and double the fatigue – our heart and hands are always full,” she quipped.
Her husband, who is in IT, is never far away – the twins nap in the same room where he works.
“In a way it’s good, there’s more family time and the focus is always about the kids,” said Kanages, a first-time mother. “There’s more time to do things as a family.”
SINGAPORE: It has been more than 12 weeks since Singapore reported its first COVID-case on Jan 23 – a 66-year-old Chinese national who came to Singapore three days earlier.
Since then, there have been more than 5,000 cases and 11 deaths in Singapore from the disease, which was first detected in Wuhan, China.
This is how the outbreak has evolved in Singapore so far:
Dec 31, 2019: A cluster of severe pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China is reported to the World Health Organization. Doctors do not yet know its cause.
JANUARY
Jan 2, 2020: Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) says it is aware of the cases in Wuhan and will screen all inbound travellers from Wuhan from the evening of Jan 3.
There are no cases in Singapore.
Temperature screening being carried out at Changi Airport for travellers arriving from Wuhan on Jan 4, 2020. (Photo: Khaw Boon Wan/Facebook)
The next day, she tests negative for SARS and MERS-CoV and is diagnosed as having Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a common cause for childhood respiratory infection.
Jan 20: MOH announces it will expand temperature screening to all travellers coming in from China from Jan 22, in light of the Chinese New Year holidays and expected influx of Chinese travellers.
There have been several suspect cases in the days leading up to the announcement, but so far, everyone has tested negative.
Jan 22: Anyone with pneumonia and travel history to China within 14 days will be isolated. Anyone with acute respiratory infection who had been to any hospital in China with 14 days will also be isolated in hospital in Singapore.
A multi-ministry task force, chaired by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong and National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, is formed.
Jan 23: FIRST CONFIRMED CASE IN SINGAPORE
A 66-year-old Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore two days earlier. He is warded at the Singapore General Hospital and tests positive for the yet unnamed novel coronavirus. Contact tracing begins.
Temperature screening is implemented at all sea and land checkpoints, it is announced.
Jan 28: There are now seven cases of the coronavirus in Singapore, all Chinese nationals from Hubei.
New measures are put in by the task force. From noon on Jan 29, all visitors with recent travel history to Hubei or with passports issued in Hubei will not be allowed to enter or transit in Singapore.
Jan 30: Reports have emerged of shops hiking up the price of surgical masks. There are long queues at pharmacies and retail stores, and the Price Controller is called in to look at the issue.
“Profiteering is highly irresponsible and damaging in these uncertain times,” the Ministry of Trade and Industry said.
There are now 13 cases in Singapore, all imported.
Jan 31: More correction directions are issued for posts on social media about the novel coronavirus. The first scams also emerge of people leveraging on the situation to cheat others.
92 Singaporeans are evacuated from Wuhan.
FEBRUARY
Feb 1: Four masks per household are handed out by the Government, with advice to wear the masks only when unwell and visiting a doctor.
There are 18 cases in Singapore and no evidence yet of community spread, says the health ministry.
After two days without any new cases, Singapore reports six more novel coronavirus cases, with four involving human-to-human transmission.
The first cluster emerges – a Chinese medical hall that primarily serves tourists from China. Four cases are linked to the hall, including family members of employees.
There are now 24 cases in Singapore. More precautionary measures are put in place.
View of Yong Thai Hang 24 Cavan Road. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
FEB 7: DORSCON ORANGE
The Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level is raised from Yellow to Orange, with a few local cases emerging without links to previous cases or travel history to China.
Organisers are advised to cancel or defer non-essential large-scale events and people who are unwell, on leave of absence, or with recent travel history to China should not attend any events.
Workplaces should carry out temperature screening and schools will suspend inter-school and external activities till the end of the March school holidays.
There are now 33 cases in Singapore.
Feb 8: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addresses the nation, explaining that the novel coronavirus is more infectious than SARS, but much less dangerous, adding that the situation is evolving.
“Every day brings new developments, and we have to respond promptly and dynamically.” He says Singapore is thinking ahead and “anticipating the next few steps”.
There are seven more cases, bringing the total to 40.
A new cluster at The Life Church and Missions Singapore is discovered, as is a cluster linked to a business meeting at Grand Hyatt Hotel.
There are now three active clusters. Two people have made a full recovery and have been discharged from hospital – the first time since the first case on Jan 23.
Feb 9: Panic buying in the supermarkets. Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing has reassured people that there is enough stock and asks people to stop panic buying.
174 Singaporeans and their family members are flown home from Wuhan.
Four more people are discharged from hospital. There are now 43 confirmed cases.
Bare shelves seen at a Sheng Siong store in Boon Keng on Feb 7, 2020. (Photo: CNA reader)
Feb 10: The Ministry of Manpower orders all dormitories to step up cleaning and precautionary measures.
All mass activities should be suspended and the use of common dormitory facilities should be staggered.
Feb 11: The coronavirus is named by the World Health Organization as SARS-CoV-2, and the virus causes the disease COVID-19.
Feb 12: TWO NEW CLUSTERS ANNOUNCED
Two new clusters – at the Grace Assembly of God church and Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site – emerge.
There are now 50 cases of COVID-19.
Six more cases are discharged, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 15.
Grace Assembly of God in Tanglin. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
Feb 17: A new stay-home notice is introduced. More strict than a leave of absence, a person on a stay-home notice cannot leave their residence for 14 days.
All Singapore residents and pass holders returning from China must complete a 14-day stay-home notice.
Two new cases are announced, bringing the total to 77 cases. Twenty-four people have been discharged from hospital.
Feb 25: A breakthrough, as the contact tracing team finds a link between the Life Church and Missions and the Grace Assembly of God clusters.
It is also the first time serological testing has been used to uncover a COVID-19 patient, who recovered before he/she was tested for the disease.
More measures for employees returning from affected areas are introduced.
Feb 26: Two Chinese nationals will be charged under the Infectious Diseases Act for giving false information to MOH. A Singapore PR loses his permanent residence status and is barred from re-entering Singapore after breaching his stay-home notice.
Feb 27: A 12-year-old Raffles Institution student tests positive for COVID-19. RI is and MOE Learning Centre in Bishan close for disinfection.
There are now 96 cases in Singapore.
Feb 29: There are more than 100 COVID-19 cases in Singapore, including the announcement of another cluster at Wizlearn Technologies at Science Park.
MARCH
Mar 3: There are more than 90,000 cases around the world. Travellers from Iran, Northern Italy, Korea are not allowed to transit or enter Singapore, with outbreaks starting in those countries.
Mosques in Singapore are closed temporarily, after 90 Singaporeans attended a mass religious event in Kuala Lumpur that has been linked to dozens of cases in other countries.
Tourists walking along the Cavenagh Bridge (Photo: Jeremy Long)
Mar 13: Safe distancing measures are announced.
Mar 15: The number of local cases accelerates. There are now 226 COVID-19 cases in Singapore, and contact tracing reveals new clusters. The number of imported cases rises slightly, as Singapore residents return from abroad.
Mar 17: Students overseas are advised to come home to Singapore, as countries around the world go on lock down.
Two days later, flights from the UK are offered to students first, then Singaporeans living overseas who might want to come home.
There are 23 new cases, bringing the total to 266 cases.
Mar 18: A movement control order starts in Malaysia, leading to some people to panic buy in Singaporeon concerns that produce from across the Causeway will be cut off. Mr Chan assures people that the supply chain remains intact.
All new and present work pass holders must gain MOM approval before coming back to Singapore. Upon arrival they must undergo a stay-home notice.
MOH announces 47 new cases, a record. Of the new cases, 33 are imported, as more Singaporeans rush home.
The Causeway early in the morning at around 7.20am on Mar 18, 2020. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
Mar 20: RISE IN IMPORTED CASES
There are 40 new cases, with 30 imported. Local transmission has come down slightly, but with more Singaporeans rushing home, the number of imported cases remain in the 30s.
COVID-19 is becoming a global challenge with infections across Europe and in the US increasing at a rapid rate.
Stricter safe-distancing measures are introduced in Singapore by the task force, including the suspension of all events with 250 people or more. New measures for F&B outlets are also included.
Mar 24: Safe-distancing measures are ramped up. All entertainment venues are closed, and restrictions are put in place at malls, museums and attractions.
F&B outlets must ensure sufficient separation of dine-in areas.
All religious gatherings must be cancelled. Tuition centres are to close.
Those coming back from US and the UK have to undergo their stay-home notice in dedicated facilities.
MOH announces 32 new imported and 17 new local COVID-19 cases. Local cases start to climb.
Mar 27: Mr Lee gives a wide-ranging interview to reporters about COVID-19, touching on the Resilience Budget and how Singapore plans to tackle COVID-19.
There are 49 new cases, of which 22 are imported, 18 are linked to previous clusters and nine cases are unlinked.
There are several new clusters by this time, and 732 cases in total.
A 70-year-old Singaporean man becomes the third person to die from complications due to the disease in Singapore. He had a history of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.
Mar 31: Imported cases start to drop, but local transmission cases rise.
Singapore announces 47 new COVID-19 cases, of which only 16 are imported. Of the rest, 13 are linked, and 18 are unlinked.
Lawrence Wong says: “Our focus now has to be on our locally transmitted cases, especially the cases that are still popping up; particularly worrying are the unlinked cases.”
People are urged to stay at home as much as possible.
There are now 926 COVID-19 cases in Singapore, and another cluster in a dormitory is discovered.
APRIL
Apr 2: Fourth person dies from COVID-19, a 68-year-old Indonesian national who was a Singapore work pass holder. He had a history of diabetes and hypertension and had spent seven days in ICU.
Safe distancing measures are introduced at markets.
Apr 3: Fifth person dies from COVID-19, an 86-year-old Singaporean woman from Lee Ah Mooi nursing home, where a cluster has formed.
There are 65 new cases, of which nine are imported. Forty cases are linked to previous cases, while 16 are unlinked.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announces a “circuit breaker” will run from Apr 7 to May 4. Only essential services can continue to keep their premises open, and all schools will close and students shift to home-based learning.
Masks should be used when people leave the house for essential needs, but Singaporeans are urged to stay at home as much as possible.
There are now clusters in several dormitories, including S11 @ Punggol, Westlite Toh Guan, and Toh Guan Dormitory. The next day, additional measures are announced to contain clusters in dormitories.
There are 75 new cases, of which six are imported. Local transmission numbers continue to rise, as do unlinked cases.
Apr 5: 120 new cases are announced – the biggest spike yet. Only four of these cases are imported as countries around the world lock down air travel. Fifty of the cases are linked to previous cases, but the unlinked cases spike, from 29 the day before to 66.
View of an entrance at the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol at 2 Seletar North Link. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
Apr 7: CIRCUIT BREAKER COMMENCES
Of the 106 new cases announced, only three are imported. More clusters are found in dormitories across Singapore.
There are now 1,481 cases in the country.
Apr 8: 142 new cases are reported. Local cases continue to rise as imported cases fall again – this time to just two. A total of 72 cases are pending contact tracing, as unlinked number of cases continue to rise.
Warnings are handed out to people flouting the “circuit breaker” rules.
Apr 9: The biggest spike yet, with 287 cases.
Of these, 217 are linked to known clusters, with those linked to the dormitories continuing to grow. There are only three imported cases.
Apr 12: Stiffer penalties will be introduced for those who continue to flout the rules – there will be no more warnings and a S$300 fine for the first offence.
A total of 233 new cases are reported, with 167 pending contact tracing – 141 are work permit holders living in dormitories, work sites, or living quarters.
There are no imported cases for the third day in a row.
Apr 13: Singapore reports 386 infections, with the vast majority linked to dormitories. Eight foreign worker dormitories are declared isolation areas under the Infectious Diseases Act.
A 65-year-old male Singapore citizen dies from complications due to COVID-19 infection, MOH announced. He is the ninth person in Singapore to die from the disease.
Apr 14: A 70-year-old Singaporean man, who is linked to the SAFRA Jurong cluster, dies from COVID-19. He is the country’s 10th fatality.
Singapore reports another 334 cases.
Foreign workers are seen in a dormitory at Cochrane Lodge 2 in Singapore on Apr 14, 2020. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)
A total of 654 new cases are from foreign worker dormitories, while 26 are work permit holders residing outside dormitories. There are no new imported cases.
Of the new cases, 558 are linked to foreign workers dormitories, while 37 are work permit holders living outside dormitories.
MOH reported 27 cases in the community. It is day 11 of the circuit breaker, and the average number of cases has dropped – from an average of 40 cases per day in the week before to an average of 32 cases per day in the last week.
There is one new imported case.
A 95-year-old Singaporean man died on Apr 17 from complications due to COVID-19. He had tested positive for the infection four days before. The man is the 11th fatality in Singapore.
SINGAPORE: We are lucky Singapore is not on lockdown. But we are, or we should be, isolating ourselves in our homes.
This has made me think of the meaning of home and what the current generation of Singaporeans thinks of and experiences as home.
Do they view home as a place where they spend unusual amounts of time with people they only see late in the evening on most days? Will that change as more work from home or have to stay indoors?
And with this coronavirus outbreak, will home-cooking and eating at home with the family become the norm again?
HOME, A SAFE HAVEN
Spending more time at home and with family is bringing back childhood memories.
When I was growing up, which seems like a century ago, home was where mum waited for us, my siblings and me with a hot meal when we returned from school. Home was where all the fun things happened.
Home was also a safe place – a place the family got together, had meals together, had arguments and conversations, a refuge from the larger world, where mum and dad made the rules and operated within their own sense of time, reality and constraints.
Whatever the hardships and struggles, home was the centre of our lives. We may get into trouble in school, had many red marks in our report card and were too scared to go home but we still went home.
My family moved a few times so it wasn’t just the brick and cement walls that made where we lived a home.
A HDB block in Singapore. (Photo: Unsplash/syucyann)
The house we grew up in and the time we spent there was the most defining time in our life, defining our sense of place, our sense of identity, our experience of intimate family life and our idea of home we try to replicate in adulthood.
HOME, WITH THE KAMPONG SPIRIT
Indeed, where the simple idea of home has captured the hearts of many authors and creatives, it has also been celebrated, even immortalised.
The house that Piglet and Pooh build for their friend Eeyore in AA Milne’s popular children’s book The House at Pooh Corner represents friendship, togetherness and loyalty.
In many of our local writings (Josephine Chia, David Leo and Hidayah Amin) the kampong life, they portray encapsulates and represents the idea of home and celebrates even the humblest dwelling and way of life.
That simple life has its own meaning and its own beauty. In those easier days, teenage boys could and did construct crude badminton courts and football pitches in any open area. A couple of boys from my neighbourhood did just that in our front yard.
The primary function of a house is a place for inhabiting, a dwelling. But that dwelling or a cluster of dwellings function more than just as a dwelling, as memoirs of kampong life reveals.
HOME, WHERE WE ARE
Maybe home is a collection of memories. After all, we are more likely to remember what happened inside the house we had lived in than what has happened in the outside world.
Home is in its most idyllic, even romantic, sense can be reduced to a feeling, an idea, a refuge; the people we live with and on whose love and loyalty we depend on and know to be unconditional.
I recall speaking to an expatriate couple who seem to have moved around the globe quite a few times. “Where is home?” I asked. “Home” the wife responded, “is where we are”.
That expat wife’s idea of home is the reality for many young people.
A silhouette of a family. (Photo: Pixabay)
HOME, CHANGED
The situation today in our homes is very different from the time I was growing up.
My idea of home, more relaxed, more spacious, nourishing and nurturing by a fulltime mother could not be sustained.
The call for women to enter the workforce, the rising cost of living, and the need of women for financial independence has resulted in a growing number of women entering the workforce.
Today almost 62 per cent, the highest percentage globally, of our women are in the work force. Many of them have the responsibility of home, childcare and elderly care as well.
One in five households have a foreign domestic worker (FDW). In these homes it is the FDW who feed the kids and organize their life when they get home from school. But the majority of us (almost 77 per cent) of us live in HDB housing out of which 27 per cent live in one-, two- or three-room flats, allowing very little or hardly any play space for children.
The reality of these statistics tells us that my experience of home and my idea of home have changed in dramatic ways. The idea of home I experienced as a child is now available only to a privileged few.
HOME, AS COMFORT
Ideas of home have been vague through history, ranging from “where the heart is”, to the more pragmatic sentiment defined by Robert Frost, the American poet, as “the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”
This is home as a collection of people under one roof, home as a place to escape from and to return to.
So what is home to Singaporeans? Is our home more like the Robert Frost vision of home?
Jeanette Winterson, the author of Sexing the Cherry and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, and other novels, points to a different idea of home as offering comfort when she writes about a rug offering her the comfort of home
“When I was a child,” she writes, “a hearth rug was a flying carpet. Remembering this, in my borrowed room, I saved up some money from weekend work and bought myself a rug the size of a duster, one that folded into my case as easily as it expanded in my imagination. From then on, wherever I found myself, even in a doorway, I put down my little rug, and I began to feel calm. Better than calm, I imagined myself free. My rug became my comforter.”
If home is an idea, a feeling of comfort and security can it be a café, the school, the university campus or even the hawker centre?
Lau Pa Sat food centre at mid-day during the circuit breaker. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
It can even be one’s laptop or mobile phone. I am quite happy if I have my laptop with me but I still need to come home.
If food is associated with comfort and nourishment is the hawker centre a substitute for home since many Singaporeans eat at the hawker centers?
HOME REMAINS IMPORTANT
But in spite of everything – in spite of the mobility, the individualism, and the demands of the economy – on some level, we recognise the idea and importance of home, as a physical place for a group of people who owe loyalty to each other and can comfort each other at least when we need it as we do now.
Even as I write this I am aware that home may not always be a safe refuge for some especially for the victims of domestic violence and the poor. For the 1,000 or more homeless sleeping rough in Singapore, a home is an illusion.
What will our experience of the pandemic teach us in relation to home? Can we acknowledge it is possible to organise a better work-life balance and be home more often, that productivity does not suffer from the practice of flexible work hours or work from home?
The pandemic is a health crisis but it is also an opportunity to come home.
Maya Angelou, the American poet and writer reminds us: “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home. A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body”.
SINGAPORE: For at least a year, residents living along Lorong 4 Toa Payoh have had to contend with some unwelcome visitors – pigeons.
“They’re all over the place,” said Mr Simon Lam, describing “nightmare” scenes of pigeons roosting on the ledge of his 17th floor home, finding bird feathers on his floor, and having pigeon droppings over all his ledge and air conditioning unit.
Mr Lam has lived in the estate for more than 20 years, but has only started noticing a problem with the pigeons in the past year.
“We can’t leave our clothes out, because the pigeons will leave droppings all over it. (The cleaners) come and clean frequently, but it gets dirty again within a few days,” said another resident, who only wanted to be known as Ling.
All this, residents say, is due to the presence of persistent pigeon feeders in their estate.
“It’s clearly due to the food, because you can see (a large group) of birds in one area,” said Mr Lam.
“I always see leftover bread or rice on the grass, but I’m not sure whether they throw it out of the window or they go down and feed the pigeons,” said Ms Stella Ang, who also lives in the estate.
Bird droppings on the 14th floor of an HDB flat along Toa Payoh Lorong 4. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
The familiar grey and green pigeons, or Rock Pigeons, are an invasive species in Singapore, the National Parks Board (NParks) told CNA.
“Their droppings dirty the environment, are unhygienic and cause disamenities like the soiling of clothes. Leftover food from pigeon feeding may attract other pests, like rats, that carry diseases and pose a risk to public health,” said NParks director How Choon Beng.
While NParks said that it identifies feeding hotspots to carry out engagement, enforcement and surveillance, and works with other relevant agencies including the Municipal Services Office and Town Council on feedback, residents said that such efforts have been largely ineffective in deterring persistent feeders.
Mr Lam told CNA that he had made multiple complaints to the National Environment Agency (NEA). Although the agency said that it was taking action and would issue the feeder a warning letter, “we didn’t see any improvement”, he said.
The authorities have also placed cameras and signs around the estate reminding residents not to feed the pigeons, said Ms Ang, adding that the pigeon problem had been around for the five years since she moved in.
“The problem is less when there is a camera, but once the camera is gone, then the problem comes back,” she said.
Pigeons eating rice grains thrown out by a feeder living in a block flats along Toa Payoh Lorong 4. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
“For persistent feeding cases, these efforts aim to understand the motivation behind persistent feeding behaviour, and find alternative ways to counter their motivations,” said Mr How.
“This could come in the form of alternative activities such as community gardening.”
In response to further queries on measures taken when engagement with persistent feeders fail, Mr How said deterring feeding required a “combination of methods”.
Other than surveillance, engagement, working with other relevant agencies and enforcement, NParks also carries out public education and outreach with posters, standees, videos and table-top stickers.
“Through our engagement (with persistent feeders) so far, we found that some feeders can be persuaded to reduce feeding. We are working with others to understand their motivations to plan our overall approach and collaboration with other agencies to support this change for the long-term,” said Mr How.
In addition, the Municipal Services Office (MSO) announced during the Ministry of National Development’s Committee of Supply speech that it would roll out a High-Rise Littering and Pigeon Feeding programme nationwide.
Previously, the MSO conducted a 2018 pilot in Yio Chu Kang division, and noted that there was a “significant reduction” in the volume of feedback on pigeon feeding issues.
Currently, the nationwide programme is in various stages of implementation, “depending on the scale of severity” of the issues in different locations.
“With the High-Rise Littering and Pigeon Feeding programme, over time, residents can expect greater awareness among neighbours, which would provide additional deterrence to high-rise littering and pigeon feeding in the neighbour, and more effective investigation and case resolution to reduce offences.
“At the same time, the public can help to mitigate pigeon population growth and congregation issues by not feeding birds and keeping the environment clean,” said MSO.
BIrd droppings seen on the ground floor of an HDB flat along Toa Payoh Lorong 4. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
However, for residents like Mr Lam, who continue to live with the pigeon problem, there is little else they feel they can do.
Although he has set up plastic netting to prevent pigeons from roosting on the ledge, ensure that windows are closed and food and water placed far from the windows, the pigeons continue to be a nuisance.
“I think I give up already,” Mr Lam told CNA, with a rueful shake of his head.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed 623 new coronavirus cases in Singapore today (April 17). Out of these, there are 27 cases in the community, 37 cases involving work permit holders residing outside dormitories, and 558 cases of work permit holders residing in dormitories.
Case 3145, a 95-year-old male Singaporean, died today from complications due to Covid-19. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 on April 13. Raffles Hospital has reached out to his family and is extending assistance to them.
There is one imported case who is currently serving Stay-Home Notice and 25 more cases have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities.
Four new clusters have also been announced: Tuas South Dormitory which has six cases; Avery Lodge Dormitory which also has six cases; Jurong Penjuru Dormitory with a total of 16 cases; and 4 Sungei Kadut Street 2 with a total of 16 cases.
Of the 2,113 cases who are still in hospital, most are in stable condition or improving. Twenty-two are in critical condition, while 2,218 cases who are clinically well but still test positive for Covid-19 are isolated and cared for at community facilities.
No, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is not going to announce that Singaporeans will not be allowed to travel outside of the region they live in.
The rumours that the PM would announce a partial lockdown today are false, the government said on Friday (April 17) afternoon.
“The stuff going around is pure nonsense. These actions are deliberate and it’s dangerous to play these tricks during these times,” Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin wrote in a Facebook post.
This is not the first time that such rumours have been spread — a similar rumour of Lee addressing the nation at 8pm on April 3 was proven to be false. He made an announcement about Singapore’s Covid-19 situation at 4pm that day.
The government is urging everyone to stop circulating unverified information and to refer to government sources or the Prime Minister’s official social media accounts only.
SINGAPORE: The number of abuse cases against safe distancing enforcement officers and ambassadors has gone up since elevated measures kicked in, with multiple cases of abuse reported to the police in recent days, the authorities said on Friday (Apr 17).
As of Thursday, the police have received 12 reports of members of the public physically or verbally abusing enforcement officers and ambassadors while they were carrying out their duties, said the Singapore Police Force and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in a joint release.
“We will not tolerate this, and will take offenders to task,” said the authorities.
One of these cases involved a 40-year-old man, who headbutted an enforcement officer after he was told to stop playing basketball at a cordoned-off multi-purpose hall in Khatib.
In another case on Wednesday along Havelock Road, a 79-year-old man punched an enforcement officer who told him to wear his face mask properly.
Also on Wednesday, a 72-year-old man slapped an enforcement officer who asked for his particulars after he saw the man eating food at a hawker centre along Circuit Road.
A man was seen consuming food at the cooked food section of the hawker centre at Block 89 Circuit Road on Apr 15, 2020/. (Photo: National Environment Agency)
Other cases involved verbal abuse against officers.
On Thursday, a 37-year-old man insulted a police officer who had fined his friend for not wearing a face mask outside The Cathay shopping mall.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, a 35-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman “hurled vulgarities” at three safe distancing ambassadors who had told the man not to sit on a crossed-out seat at a hawker centre along Toa Payoh Lorong 5.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Anyone found guilty of using abusive language against a public servant could be jailed for up to 12 months, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
Anyone who voluntarily causes hurt to deter a public servant from the discharge of their duty could be jailed for up to seven years, fined or caned.
Those who use criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of their duty could be jailed for up to four years, fined or both.
“The police would like to remind members of the public that it is an offence not to furnish their personal particulars and residential address when required by an enforcement officer,” added the release.
The authorities also advised members of the public to take official identification with them when they leave the house.
Since elevated safe distancing measures kicked in on Apr 7, as part of a “circuit breaker” to curb the spread of COVID-19, around 3,000 enforcement officers and ambassadors have been deployed daily to public places and Housing and Development Board estates across Singapore, said the authorities.
Under the tighter precautions, non-essential workplaces and schools have closed across the island and strict physical distancing measures have been put in place.
A forum letter published on Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao has had social media abuzz over a highly controversial perspective on Singapore’s migrant workers.
On Monday (April 13), the forum writer urged people not to point fingers at the authorities for the reportedly appalling living conditions found at migrant worker dormitories.
The cramped and unhygienic accommodations of S11 Dormitory@Punggol was reported by The Straits Times earlier this month after the announcement that it is a Covid-19 cluster and will be gazetted as an isolation area. Just last night (April 16), the Ministry of Health noted that there have been 222 additional cases linked to the cluster at the premises, which typically houses 13,000 workers within.
As the numbers for new Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Singapore, particularly amongst foreign workers in Singapore where a record 654 new patients were announced on Thursday (April 16), Singaporeans have rallied to provide help and assistance.
One GrabFood delivery rider, Twitter user @Mxhdlskandar, tweeted about a delivery he made on behalf of customer, Eve Tan.
He shared screenshots of his conversation with her on Tuesday (April 14) where she made an order of $100 worth of food to be delivered to the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, which has been gazetted as an isolation site, with a note that the order was “for the Bangladeshi quarantined there or working staff”[sic].
Mr Bean has launched their Home Delivery service so you can enjoy life’s simple pleasures while being socially conscious at home….read more @SINGPROMOS.COM
