SINGAPORE: A variety of traditional Indian sweets were distributed to foreign workers to celebrate the Tamil and Bengali New Year on Tuesday (Apr 14).
The initiative by the Inter-Agency Taskforce and the Hindu Endowments Board was to “give workers some comfort during this difficult period”, the manpower ministry said in a news release.
Workers at Westlite Toh Guan. (Photo: MOM)
A worker receiving sweets at Toh Guan Dormitory. (Photo: MOM)
The COVID-19 situation in Singapore has made it worse for the workers who already come to Singapore with a “certain level of trepidation” after leaving their families behind, said T Raja Segar, CEO of the Hindu Endowments Board.
“It is very difficult even for us to imagine how they feel. It’s quite scary for them,” he said.
“The only thing that is actually bright for the workers are all these festivals. They look towards Deepavali, they look towards Pongal, they look towards the New Year. These are the high points in their lives in the year.
“Now that the New Year has come, they are not able to enjoy as they did over the last few years. Their families are not here. The only way they can enjoy is to come out, be with friends, have a good meal, go to the temple, pray and so on.
“They can’t do any of those things. The least we can do is to cheer them up a little bit.”
Sweets distributed at Westlite Toh Guan. (Photo: MOM)
A total of 123,000 traditional Indian sweets, including laddu, mysore pauk, paal gova were prepared by 24 Hindu temples. These were then distributed to foreign workers across 22 locations.
“This is a first of its kind effort by the Hindu Endowments Board, bringing temples together to produce traditional sweets on this scale,” the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) added.
Workers also received fast food like KFC and vegetarian pizza on top of their daily meals, the Inter-Agency Taskforce said, adding more than 90,000 such meals were distributed.
“We hope that these festive goodies will help to lift the spirits of the foreign workers as they celebrate this festive occasion,” MOM said.
SINGAPORE: With a “significant drop” in the number of people taking public buses and trains during the COVID-19 circuit breaker period, train frequencies will be reduced and selected bus services will be suspended, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a news release on Tuesday (Apr 14).
“Compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, daily bus and rail ridership has fallen by more than 71 per cent and 75 per cent respectively,” LTA said.
“These adjustments will help to mitigate the significant financial impact caused by the reduced riderships, and help keep public transport operations financially sustainable.”
The changes for bus services will take effect from Wednesday, and adjustments to MRT services will kick in on Friday.
BUS SERVICES
Selected bus services serving the Central Business District or recreational places will be suspended as trips to these destinations have decreased the most, LTA said.
These are the affected services:
(Table: LTA)
TRAIN SERVICES
The frequencies for trains operating on the North-South, East-West, North East, Circle and Downtown Lines will be reduced to no more than five minutes during peak periods and around 10 minutes during off-peak periods.
They currently operate at frequencies of no more than three minutes during peak hours and around five minutes during off-peak periods.
Operating hours will also be shortened, ending about 30 minutes earlier.
The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) will see its hours further shortened to operate between 6.30am and 8pm. It currently operates on shorter hours to facilitate system integration works for TEL Phase 2.
It will continue to operate at frequencies of around seven minutes during peak periods, and 12 minutes during off-peak hours.
The Sengkang-Punggol LRT will operate a single loop service during off-peak periods and end train service about 30 minutes earlier, given reduced ridership, LTA added.
There are no changes to the Bukit Panjang LRT service, which is already operating a single loop service during off-peak periods.
(Table: LTA)
With these changes in place, LTA said operators will also ensure that there is sufficient space for commuters to maintain safe distancing from one another.
SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) has designed an adjustable, reusable face shield to protect the country’s frontline workers from COVID-19, amid a global shortage of protective equipment.
Called FaceProtect+, the shield has an adjustable frame that caters to different face sizes and people who wear spectacles, said DSTA in a news release on Tuesday (Apr 14).
Compared to commercial off-the-shelf shields, the DSTA version has a wider, longer and thicker visor. It also covers a larger portion of the face and can be reused after it is washed with soap and water, said DSTA.
Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) has designed an adjustable, reusable face shield to protect the country’s frontline workers from COVID-19, amid a global shortage of protective equipment. (Photo: Defence Science and Technology Agency)
Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) has designed an adjustable, reusable face shield to protect the country’s frontline workers from COVID-19, amid a global shortage of protective equipment. (Photo: Defence Science and Technology Agency)
“With the heightened demand for PPE, our engineers started to design and prototype a cost-effective, lightweight and reusable face shield that offers an extra layer of protection for our frontline workers,” said Mr Shawn Chew, a senior engineer from the National Security Programme Centre in DSTA.
DSTA, a statutory board under the Ministry of Defence, is working with Racer Technology to locally manufacture the face shields, which will be supplied to public agencies, including the Ministry of Defence and the Singapore Armed Forces, the Ministry of Manpower and the Land Transport Authority.
SINGAPORE: To build resilience for future economic shocks, countries in the region should have common criteria on travel and trade restrictions, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (Apr 14).
“It would be useful for ASEAN to have a set of common criteria or guidelines on when to impose travel or trade restrictions, and when and how we can relax them and with what appropriate safeguards,” he said at a virtual Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19.
“We each have our own domestic considerations, but clear guidelines would help us take a balanced, rational approach that takes into account both health and economic considerations.”
The ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies should study this issue, he added.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks to leaders in the region via video conference during a Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 on Apr 14, 2020. (Photo: MCI)
Mr Lee and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan joined the summit via video conference on Tuesday morning. The summit convened by Vietnam, the ASEAN chair for 2020, was chaired by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Mr Lee said that the crisis will “fundamentally change globalisation”, as he predicted controls on movement of people across borders and that governments will intervene to prevent over-dependency on other countries for food, medical products and other essential goods.
ASEAN countries should therefore do their best to build cooperation and trust with one another, he said.
“We must resist the temptation to turn inwards and away from one another.”
The 10 ASEAN countries have reported at least 20,000 COVID-19 cases in total, but the number is likely to be higher given the lack of testing capability in some areas. Countries have imposed measures to restrict the movement of residents, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“Many of us also export goods and agricultural products overseas. Closing our borders completely would therefore only deprive us all of goods and products that we can produce together, hurting our economies and worsening unemployment,” he said.
He proposed that the regional bloc should still aim to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) this year and should also continue pursuing the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement with the European Union.
“Dealing with the immediate crises, while not losing sight of the longer-term objectives is the best way to enable our economies to survive this crisis, and to bounce back after COVID-19 passes,” he said.
At the summit, leaders of the ASEAN nations shared information about their states’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and discussed ways in which ASEAN could strengthen cooperation on COVID-19, Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information said in a media release.
Regional leaders in a video conference during a Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 on Apr 14, 2020. (Photo: MCI)
They also emphasised the importance of keeping trade routes open and preserving supply chain connectivity especially for essential goods such as medical supplies and food.
The leaders also adopted a joint declaration of the Special ASEAN Summit on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Lee said that it was critical for ASEAN to mount a united response, because of how connected and interdependent the countries are.
Four of the world’s 10 busiest air routes are between ASEAN member states and it has the world’s busiest land crossing – the Causeway between Johor Bahru and Singapore.
“None of us in ASEAN can be truly safe unless the entire region is safe,” he said.
By sharing information and keeping each other updated on the situations in each member state, the countries may learn from each other as well as co-operate on issues such as the repatriation of citizens from other countries back home, he added.
SINGAPORE: SMRT bus captain Shandran Shederen Raman, 53, was taking the train to work last Tuesday afternoon (Apr 7) when a boy wearing a green-and-blue Pathlight School uniform hopped over to sit next to him.
The student, 12-year-old Theodore Tan, didn’t bother that the Downtown Line train was mostly empty. He had a question for Mr Shandran, who was wearing an SMRT uniform: Did he drive trains?
When Mr Shandran said he was a bus driver, the queries came flooding in: Which bus service? Is it an old or new bus? What does he feel about it?
Mr Shandran didn’t think Theodore was being a nuisance. The Malaysian has grown fond of buses after driving them for more than 10 years on either side of the Causeway, so he didn’t mind chatting about his job.
“It’s my duty to handle the bus every day, so I was very interested to answer his questions,” he told CNA at the Ang Mo Kio bus depot on a sticky Monday afternoon. “I didn’t feel that he was being irritating. It was so nice of him.”
The conversation soon turned technical. What about the different bus models, engines and emission standards, Theodore asked. Mr Shandran wondered about his inquisitive mind and how he could possibly know so much.
“I doubt that many people will ask about bus engines and all that, so this guy is really good,” he said. “Normally people would ask: ‘Are you a bus captain?’ That’s it.”
Mr Shandran making his way around the depot in Ang Mo Kio. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
Theodore’s passion for buses started when he was four years old, his father Ernest Tan, 44, told CNA in an email interview.
The project manager at an engineering firm said his son enjoys surfing bus information websites, watching bus videos on YouTube and playing bus simulator games. He can even memorise bus licence plates.
So it was only natural that Mr Shandran answered all of Theodore’s questions. He showed Theodore photos of the newer buses on his phone when asked. He said the newer buses could go faster, but the older buses were more solid.
The man gestured to make a point, and the boy turned his hip to listen closely. The 15-minute conversation went so well that it didn’t really occur to Mr Shandran that Theodore has special needs.
Mr Tan said Theodore was diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum when he was two-and-a-half years old.
Teachers at the Rainbow Centre in Yishun, which conducts practical education for people with disabilities, helped develop his speech and other skills before he started attending primary school at Pathlight.
File photo of special education students from Pathlight School. (Photo: TODAY/Koh Mui Fong)
Pathlight caters to students with autism by giving them mainstream education with trained teachers and smaller classes.
Theodore is taking the Primary School Leaving Examination this year, Mr Tan said. “My son is just like any other growing boy,” he added. “He struggles socially and academically, and is starting to have teenage challenges.”
But Theodore has a bright future, if Mr Shandran’s comments are anything to go by. “I was thinking that this guy has a high IQ,” he said of his conversation with the boy.
The two parted ways after what seemed like a normal chat between bus enthusiasts. However, what happened next was far from normal.
Mr Shandran would have his meals in between trips at canteens like this, surrounded by colleagues. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
When Mr Shandran arrived at Tampines interchange to take the wheel of his usual 969 bus heading to Woodlands, his colleagues started teasing him.
“What did you do with the boy on the train?” they questioned. “Somebody wrote (on social media) that you were trying to kidnap the boy.”
Mr Shandran insisted he was only having a chat. It was then that he saw pictures of their exchange and a long accompanying post uploaded on Facebook.
“Clearly there is a place in our society for people with special needs. These individuals are talented! They can learn quickly, and they can even grasp technical concepts,” Kelvin Ang wrote in his Facebook post.
“This SMRT staff is an amazing human being. He treated the boy kindly, and he made the boy feel comfortable. He did not belittle the boy, and instead, spoke to the boy with patience and respect.”
Mr Shandran said he usually stands on the crowded trains to give way to passengers. It was different the day he met Theodore. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
Mr Shandran said he didn’t realise that someone was taking photos of them and listening to their conversation. “It shows that I am more interested in talking to the boy,” he said with a smile.
The post had received more than 27,000 reactions and 12,000 shares as of Monday, with numerous comments expressing appreciation for Mr Shandran. “Nice post in such challenging times,” wrote one commentator.
CHALLENGING TIMES
The heartwarming account of Mr Shandran’s encounter with Theodore came as Singapore faces unprecedented challenges.
The Government has urged people to stay home unless absolutely necessary in the battle against COVID-19, and its circuit breaker measures mean most places are closed anyway.
People who don’t live in the same house, including family members, are encouraged not to meet. For Mr Shandran, whose wife and two children live in Malaysia, it is a double whammy.
Mr Shandran had left them behind after Malaysia announced on Mar 16 that it would stop citizens from leaving the country from Mar 18 to Mar 31 to curb the pandemic. As an essential worker in Singapore, Mr Shandran knew he could not go home.
“When they first decided to lock the country down, I was worried about what would happen and how I was going to see my kids,” he said. “Then I realised it’s for the best, and we just follow whatever they say.”
Mr Shandran was thankful when SMRT said it would put its drivers up in hotels for the duration of the lockdown. It was a welcome respite after he’d been commuting between his home in Johor Bahru and Singapore on his motorcycle every day.
Before driving off from the depot, Mr Shandran would inspect the tires and engine on his bus. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
Before the lockdown, a typical day on the morning shift starts when he leaves home at 3am to beat the Causeway jam. He picks up the bus from the depot at 5am, finishes his duty at 2pm, then braves another jam before getting back at 6pm.
For the afternoon shift, he leaves home at 11am. After he’s done with his rounds, he sends the bus back to the depot, refuels it and returns the logbook. By then, it would already be about 2am.
During the first week of his hotel stay, Mr Shandran said he didn’t really miss his children. But on Mar 25, Malaysia said it would extend the lockdown until Apr 14. Then on Friday, it was further extended to Apr 28.
Mr Shandran grew worried. “After three weeks (of lockdown), I thought, what’s going on?” he said. “That’s when I realised I miss the kids. That’s also when I met the boy (on the train).”
MISSING HOME
Mr Shandran admitted that speaking to Theodore helped ease the pain of not seeing his 17-year-old son for about a month now.
After all, he had started working as a bus driver in Singapore four years ago to earn a better salary, so his daughter could study medicine. She’s now 27 and training as a junior doctor in a hospital.
But the job was more than a means to an end. Mr Shandran said it allows him to speak with people from different backgrounds, something that the self-confessed chatterbox loves doing, especially when it comes to his hobbies.
Mr Shandran said he prefers driving buses in Singapore as compared to Malaysia, where many own cars and rarely take the bus. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
He appreciates it when passengers come up to ask how he’s doing. He also takes it on the chin when the comments are not so pleasant.
“Sometimes I get angry,” he said with a laugh. “But we shouldn’t talk back to passengers. You just say: ‘Yes, sorry.’ What to do? This is my job, it’s not easy.”
Still, Mr Shandran feels sad after COVID-19 reduced the normally bustling 969 service, popular with office workers and students, to a lonely bus carrying barely 10 passengers.
“I was thinking what is this,” he lamented, highlighting that he thrives on driving noisy and crowded buses. “I was driving from Tampines to Yishun on a highway, and it almost made me sleepy.”
Jokes aside, Mr Shandran said he hopes Malaysia’s lockdown ends soon so he can see his family again. The hotel stay has been comfortable, but he’s growing tired of doing the laundry by himself and only hearing their voices over the phone every day.
“We wait because it’s for the best,” he stated. “But if you ask me to go home tomorrow, I’ll go.”
KIND WORDS
Until then, Mr Shandran said he’ll continue driving buses feeling that much happier knowing he made Theodore’s day – and afterwards, the days of many others.
“Thank you Mr Shandran, for being so kind and patient with my son and to engage him on his interest,” Mr Tan said, adding that his other interests include fans and 3D modelling.
Mr Shandran would grab at the next opportunity to ride across the Causeway back to his family. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
Mr Tan advised people to be patient if they meet others with special needs in public, even though they might “spontaneously talk about their favourite topics or behave in ways you might think are socially awkward”.
“There is always a reason for their behaviour,” he added.
Mr Shandran said he didn’t expect his act to go viral, noting that many commentators also praised Theodore and urged more people to engage those with special needs.
“All credit must go to Kelvin (Ang) for showing the world,” he said. “I was very happy going through the comments. They really touched my heart.”
SINGAPORE: An eighth foreign worker dormitory, Cochrane Lodge 2, has been gazetted as an isolation area to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The dormitory in Sembawang was declared an isolation area under the Infectious Diseases Act, according to a notice by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the Government Gazette.
The notice came into effect on Monday (Apr 13).
The premises under isolation at Cochrane Lodge 2 are Blocks A, B, C, D, and E at 49 Admiralty Road West.
On Monday, eight more COVID-19 cases were linked to the cluster at Cochrane Lodge 2, which now has 25 cases.
Cochrane Lodge 2 is the latest dormitory to be declared an isolation area, after Singapore saw a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases linked to dormitories recently.
View of Cochrane Lodge One dormitory. (Screengrab: Google Maps)
On Apr 5, two foreign worker dormitories – S11 Dormitory @ Punggol and Westlite Toh Guan dormitory – were gazetted as isolation areas.
On Monday, 222 new cases were linked to the cluster at the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol, which now has a total of 586 cases.
Eight additional cases were linked to the cluster at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory on Monday, which has a total of 84 confirmed cases.
Toh Guan Dormitory was declared an isolation area on Apr 7. It houses about 4,500 foreign workers. As of Monday, Toh Guan Dormitory has 67 confirmed cases, with 22 new cases linked to the facility.
On Apr 9, two blocks at Sungei Tengah Lodge at Old Choa Chu Kang Road were declared isolation areas. Eight more blocks were added to the notice shortly after.
The dormitory, which has 10 residential blocks and can house up to 25,000 workers, is one of Singapore’s largest workers’ dormitories.
In total, Sungei Tengah Lodge has 157 COVID-19 cases, after 77 more cases were linked to the cluster on Monday.
Worker dormitory Sungei Tengah Lodge at Old Choa Chu Kang Road was declared an isolation area after a spike of COVID-19 cases there.
SINGAPORE: COVID-19 has been a highly disruptive period for individuals and societies the world over, as we learn to adjust to a lifestyle where social distancing and virtual communication are the norm, replacing physical intimacy and interactions.
While social media has been an integral part of our lives for the past decade, COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented surge in social media usage.
Consulting firm Kantar’s global study on media habits conducted from Mar 14 to Mar 24 found a 61 per cent increase in social media engagement over normal usage rates. As more countries have gone into partial or full lockdown mode since then, this figure is likely to have increased.
Millions of people worldwide have turned to social media to connect with family, friends, and colleagues, as well as to stay abreast of the latest developments regarding the pandemic.
In these trying times, social media has played a key role in keeping people connected and informed as well as fulfil certain human needs and wants, including social interaction, information seeking, entertainment, self-presentation, and relaxation.
THE WAY WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED
The unique nature of this crisis has also disrupted some of the usual ways in which social media is used and consumed, generating a shift away from more narcissistic and individualistic narratives to a more public-service oriented use of social media.
While selfies, wefies and images of activities conducted in lockdown abound – cooking, gardening, art and music have emerged as frontrunners – an increased public consciousness has also emerged on social media.
The social media video sharing app TikTok is contributing US$250 million toward pandemic relief efforts. (Photo: AFP/Lionel BONAVENTURE)
This is reflected in various ways, such as informative posts providing updates from governments and other credible sources; offering help, support, and (free) resources; messages of solidarity and hope; and expressing concern for and helping the less fortunate during this difficult time.
There also appears to be greater recognition of the inequalities that abound in our social systems, and how COVID-19 is impacting vulnerable communities, such as the elderly, daily wage labourers and migrant workers, disproportionately.
There are greater social media calls to action to provide support to such groups. One example is the effort to share information about meal deliveries by hawker centres and other eateries adversely impacted by the recent Circuit Breaker measures.
This increased public consciousness is a welcome change from the more individualistic, selfie, entertainment, lifestyle-focused, and – dare I say – somewhat frivolous content that we are used to seeing on social media.
This is not surprising as social media does perpetuate a herd behaviour – meaning that if some influential people or influencers have posted a particular message of solidarity or an appropriate social message on their pages, this is likely to influence others to follow suit.
SOCIAL MEDIA CURE FOR BOREDOM
But it is not just about causes and information. With safe distancing measures, lockdowns in some countries and the Circuit Breaker month in Singapore, social media has also become the key way in which we maintain our social engagement.
As we use social media increasingly during this period to maintain relationships and connections, the content people share has also become more interactive, often requiring the participation of one’s network. Think of all the challenges you have seen emerge on social media in recent weeks.
Apps such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype and Rave as well as Houseparty have seen increased use since virus lockdowns began. (Photo: AFP/Eric BARADAT)
During this period, we have also seen newer platforms gain a following. For instance, the sudden re-emergence and popularity of Houseparty, a “face-to-face social network” app, lies in users being able to simultaneously video chat and play games with up to eight contacts in an online “party”.
Zoom, which has traditionally been used as a video conferencing platform for work purposes has also become a tool for leisure – as friends use it to catch up with one another in real time in this stay-at-home scenario.
Similarly, the spike in viral posts and games continues as people around the world are forced to entertain themselves to stave off boredom and loneliness.
SOME THINGS WILL CHANGE
The coronavirus is an once-in-a-lifetime type of event that will reshape society in lasting ways. And with every crisis, there are opportunities.
We can use this crisis to rethink and reshape the way we use social media, moving away from our excessive consumption and unhealthy practices to a more balanced and mindful approach.
To some extent, this is already happening. Conversations on social media platforms now also focus on our fragile global ecosystem, shared futures, and the need to re-think the way we live and work beyond COVID-19.
However, this will not be a straightforward shift.
The relationship between technology and humans is a complicated one: technology is not a neutral medium, as our values and beliefs shape the way we develop and use technologies. To that extent, social media is a reflection of our true selves.
Just as hope, fear, social responsibility and moral consciousness abound in the social media landscape during this time of crisis, narcissistic behaviour, hate speech, misinformation, bullying, and crime continue to flourish online.
Much of this can be attributed to the architecture of social media platforms. Many platforms are designed in ways that perpetuate our beliefs and prejudices, creating echo chambers that seal us off to contrary opinions. Racist and xenophobic vitriol on social media during this crisis has thrived in such social media spaces.
Social media use is also driven by shares, likes, and reposts, prompting us to post content that is popular or fashionable at that time — whether it is socially conscious or not. Undoubtedly, as we get used to life under COVID-19 and as the crisis resolves itself, we will return to many of our familiar social media habits.
However, there is no denying that COVID-19 has triggered a global soul-searching, from which a greater social consciousness has emerged.
And as we share this new, frightening reality, there is no better time to introspect about our relationship with social media, and how to use it in ways that are more empowering and beneficial—not just for ourselves and our loved ones, but for the larger global community.
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Dr. Anuradha Rao is the founder of CyberCognizanz, a training and communications company that focuses on critical digital literacy and keeping people safer in cyberspace.
SINGAPORE: The conditions are functional, the rooms are basic, but COVID-19 patient Matthew’s resolve is stronger than ever – he hopes to return home to his family as soon as possible.
Matthew, a 24-year-old student who asked that his full name not be used, has been transferred around a number of locations – from a ward at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) to the D’Resort NTUC Community Facility. Now he is one of the patients currently being housed at a new community isolation facility at the Singapore Expo & MAX Atria.
This facility at the Expo has been operational since Friday (Apr 10), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said last week. And Matthew was one of the first few patients to set foot in it.
“I didn’t know what to expect but I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it,” said Matthew, who had been told of his transfer from NCID to the Expo on Apr 10. “But I’m quite an okay person (dealing with these things) – so as long as it was liveable, I was fine with it.”
Later that evening, Matthew, along with a number of other patients, was transported to the Expo. He was not told why he was chosen to be transferred there.
Seeing the size of the hall and the number of rooms it held drove home the message how many people were affected by the virus, a stark contrast to the days of relative isolation at D’Resort and NCID, said Matthew, who had returned from his studies in the UK on Mar 20.
He had developed symptoms on Mar 24 before being warded at NCID the following day. He was later transferred to D’Resort but was readmitted to NCID for tests after exhibiting symptoms such as a cough and chest discomfort.
“I was very shocked to see that there was such a facility that was built and could hold so many people,” he explained. “It’s one thing to see the pictures, but when I saw it in real life, I was still very shocked.”
Upon arriving, Matthew and the patients were first briefed, before being given a pack containing items such as toiletries, towels, a water bottle and snacks.
Having previously staying in the relatively luxurious D’Resort, where his room had a balcony as well as a toilet shared between him and a roommate, this was a big change of environment that Matthew had to get used to.
“With the balcony at D’Resort, I could get some sunlight and fresh air, I think that was the biggest difference,” he said. “There’s also no doors (for the rooms), just curtains (in their place). So, it’s a totally different feeling … You just have to make do with it.”
The food collection point at the Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria’s community isolation facility. (Photo: Matthew)
The Expo community care facility will initially have one hall catering to about 480 patients, Health Minister Mr Gan Kim Yong said speaking at a press briefing last Thursday.
It will “progressively expand” as the demand goes up and number of cases increase, he added. The first of such facilities was initially set up in D’Resort in Pasir Ris, which can take in about 500 people.
The facility at the Singapore Expo will house two types of patients – recovering patients and “early patients”.
Recovering patients, Mr Gan said, are the ones who have been to hospital and have “more or less recovered” from the infection, but may still have the virus in them.
Early patients, Mr Gan explained, comprise confirmed COVID-19 cases who are mostly “quite well”. Some of these patients will be sent directly to community care facilities without having to go to the hospital first, and then later get sent back to the facilities.
Shower facilities at the The Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria’s community isolation facility. (Photo: Matthew)
The daily routine at the Expo facility is simple and communal. The lights go off by 11.30pm and come on before 7.30am, said Matthew.
“I was honestly expecting that the sleeping area would be a bit more comfortable,” he admitted. “But I’m used to it (now). Sleeping is not an issue for me – but I’ve been told that I’m a heavy sleeper and I can sleep quite easily.”
Meals are distributed at a collection point three times a day and while patients have to queue for their food, it takes about five minutes to reach the front of the queue, he added.
“The queues move very fast, everything is already packaged and it’s the same so we can just grab and go,” he explained.
Patients at the Expo facility are able to choose between different types of food, with the standard comparable to what was served at D’Resort, added Matthew. Patients get to choose between different types of cuisines such as Halal, Western, Chinese and Vegetarian food.
“The food is decent,” he said. “Honestly, I’ve also lost my sense of taste and smell and I’m only just getting it back … The quality of food is around the same as D’Resort.”
While the toilets are shared among users, they have been kept extremely clean, said Matthew. “It’s really, really clean, I think they clean it at least twice a day,” he explained. Cubicles on the second floor of the hall have also been repurposed into shower facilities.
While patients are allowed to move within the hall freely, most choose to stay in their rooms, he said. There is also a medical facility for patients should they wish to seek help.
A plus of staying at the Expo has been the quick WIFI, said Matthew, and this was not so much the case at D’Resort. For now, he spends most of his time chatting with friends, surfing the net and watching shows on Netflix.
Toilet facilities at the Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria’s community isolation facility. (Photo: Matthew)
For now, most of the rooms remain empty, Matthew said. A number are occupied by foreign workers, while all the patients in this particular hall seem to be men, he added.
“It’s still not super crowded yet, but I can feel that every day there are more people coming in,” he explained. “On the first day it was really empty, but now it’s starting to get filled up slowly.”
Matthew’s next swab test will be on Tuesday (Apr 14). Should that and his next test be negative, he will be discharged. And having spent 20 days in the hospital and the various community isolation facilities, he is looking forward to finally being able to leave.
“That is all that I’m hoping for right now,” he said. “I’m really really determined to get out. But that’s dependent on my body, and not up to me.”
SINGAPORE: A woman who refused to leave her meal at an Aljunied food centre and a group playing tennis were among those caught breaking elevated safe distancing measures, said the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) in a press release on Monday (Apr 13).
In all, more than 200 fines will be issued to members of the public who flouted the rules, said MEWR.
Singapore has closed non-essential businesses and introduced strict measures as part of a “circuit breaker” period to stem the spread of COVID-19.
But in spite of the tighter safe distancing measures, members of the public were still seen loitering or using facilities, playing fields and areas that had been cordoned off on Sunday and Monday, said MEWR.
A group of people were caught playing tennis at the closed Tanglin Tennis Academy, while another group was seen playing at an open field in Tanjong Rhu. Enforcement officers also caught a group playing baseball in a closed private field at Tanglin Rugby Club.
Some members of the public caught on Monday were uncooperative and the police had to be called in, said MEWR.
These included a woman who sat on a marked seat at a food centre in Block 117 Aljunied Avenue 2.
A woman refused to leave a food centre in Aljunied despite being told to do so. (Photo: Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources)
“Police assistance was required as she refused to leave, continued eating and refused to provide her particulars,” said the ministry.
More than 2,900 enforcement officers and ambassadors were deployed on Monday to ensure people were complying with the rules.
The ministry also cautioned against handing money to people who claim to be enforcement officers, saying its officers will not demand payment of fines on the spot.
“Notices will be issued to offenders in hard copy either on site, or through the mail. No immediate payment or handing over of cash is required,” said MEWR.
SINGAPORE: Two male youths were arrested this week for a series of e-commerce scams involving Nintendo Switch consoles on Carousell, said the police on Monday (Apr 13).
In a news release, the authorities said they received multiple reports on Apr 10 and Apr 12 from victims who were purportedly cheated by online sellers selling Nintendo Switch consoles on the shopping platform.
According to a screengrab provided by the police, a pre-order offer for a Nintendo Switch Gen 2 console was put up on Carousell for S$649. The advert said the item would arrive on Apr 15 but there first needed to be a deposit of S$50 put in.
Advert for Nintendo Switch Gen 2. (Image: SPF)
After payments were made for the gaming console via bank transfers, the sellers became uncontactable, said police.
The two suspects aged 19 and 20 were arrested on Monday and Sunday respectively after officers from the Commercial Affairs Department identified them through follow-up investigations and close collaboration with Carousell.
Several handphones, SIM cards and a used Nintendo Switch console were seized as case exhibits. Investigations revealed the duo could have been involved in more than 80 cases of e-commerce scams involving S$30,000.
Only one set of Nintendo Switch was found in the 20-year-old accused’s house. (Photo: SPF)
Several handphones, SIM cards and a used Nintendo Switch console were seized as case exhibits. (Photo: SPF)
The older suspect will be charged in court on Tuesday with cheating. He faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine if found guilty. Investigations against the other suspect are still ongoing.
The police advised members of the public to use payment options that only release the money to the seller upon delivery and to purchase from authorised sellers. They also cautioned people against falling for scammers who entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms by offering a better or faster deal if bank transfer payments are made directly to them.
