SINGAPORE: A man was arrested for his suspected involvement in a rash act and possessing 18 airsoft guns, after a victim reported being hit by a plastic pellet in Kembangan, said the police on Monday (Apr 13).

At about 7.30pm on Apr 7, police were alerted to the incident which had happened along Lorong Melayu, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a news release.

Officers from Bedok Police Division established the 47-year-old man’s identity through ground enquiries, and arrested him on Apr 9, it added.

They also seized 18 airsoft guns with pellets, SPF said, adding that investigations are ongoing.

READ: 2 men charged over loaded pistol found in Jurong West flat, first such case in a decade

Airsoft guns or any other guns that shoot pellets using compressed gas are regulated as arms in Singapore, and a licence is required for the possession of such arms.

Anyone found guilty of possessing a gun without licence may be jailed up to three years and fined up to S$5,000.

For importing or exporting arms or explosives, an offender may be jailed up to three years and fined up to S$10,000.

Committing a rash act can land an offender in jail for up to six months or a fine of up to S$2,500, or both.

BELGRADE: Last month, six Chinese medical professionals stepped off an Air Serbia jet in Belgrade to a red-carpet welcome from President Aleksandar Vucic and an array of cabinet ministers. After elbow-bump greetings, Vucic kissed Serbia’s flag, then China’s. 

In Serbia, one of Beijing’s closest European allies, and a handful of other friendly countries, China is providing on-the-ground guidance to help battle the coronavirus that has swept around the world.

The outreach is part of a wider push by Beijing to assert global leadership in battling COVID-19 after facing criticism from Washington and elsewhere that it fumbled its early response to the outbreak, believed to have originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

READ: China’s new coronavirus cases near 6-week high; Russian border new battleground

These efforts by Beijing come as western governments, already wary of China’s rising influence around the world, including through its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, are struggling with their own mounting coronavirus death tolls.

They are part of a long-running effort by China to strike a benevolent posture abroad to offset worries about its growing economic and military might, while presenting alternatives – such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank it set up in 2016 – to Western dominance of global institutions.

“There is no doubt that China will use the COVID-19 outbreak to further what China views as acting in its own national interest,” said Gordon Houlden, a former Canadian diplomat and the director of the University of Alberta’s China Institute.

“That will include pushing its own governance model, in this case its methodology of epidemiology,” he said.

That methodology is based on the aggressive and comprehensive approach China took to combat the virus, including the lockdown of Wuhan, and the know-how it has built as the first country to suffer an outbreak of the disease.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, at a press conference on Thursday (Apr 9), said the aim of sending medical teams was to share China’s experiences combatting the virus, not to export its governance model abroad.

In addition to Serbia, Beijing has sent medical teams to Cambodia, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Pakistan, Venezuela and Italy, the only G7 nation to join the Belt and Road Initiative and which has been devastated by the coronavirus. Last week, a 12-member Chinese medical team arrived in the Philippines to aid in the fight against the virus.

The outreach is on top of the donation or sale of supplies to some 90 countries, including rivals such as the United States, as well as numerous video conferences with countries and international organisations to share its know-how, according to the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

“We hope that other countries will not repeat China’s tragedies,” Peng Zhiqiang, a specialist from the Guangdong Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and head of the Chinese team in Serbia, said by phone from Belgrade.

“TRUST CHINESE EXPERTS”

Chinese medical teams are advising some host countries on building makeshift hospitals – evoking the 1,000 bed hospital China built from scratch in eight days in Wuhan – and rolling out virus management measures similar to those that helped it slash new infections at home, according to Peng and Liang Wenbin, a member of a Chinese team sent to Cambodia last month.

Those practices include the quarantine or isolation of people with mild symptoms to curb the early spread of the virus, methods of treating complications and widespread temperature checking for entry into public places.

READ: China steps up scrutiny of inbound travellers as imported COVID-19 cases hit record

On the Chinese team’s advice, Serbia began quarantining people with mild symptoms and deploying troops to build field hospitals for patients with mild symptoms.

Serbian officials said they welcomed the input, which they say has helped slow the spread of the virus.

“We changed our approach, and with the support of Chinese experts, we went for more widespread testing,” said a source close to the Serbian presidency, who was not authorised to speak with media and declined to be named.

“Chinese doctors have welcomed the measures taken by Serbia, and we have embraced the Chinese model, which is to reach and treat as many people as possible – all who are infected,” the person said.

QUARANTINES AND VISA CURBS

In Cambodia, which has been a loyal supporter of Beijing in Southeast Asia, the issuance of visas for international visitors was sharply curtailed at the suggestion of the team. The country is bracing for an influx of returnees for the Khmer new year this month.

Cambodia is also considering the team’s advice to refit hotels and schools for possible quarantine of returnees, said Liang, the member of the Chinese team.

“The latest restrictions to limit the mobility of personnel and to ban foreigners from coming to the country are the control measures China used,” she said.

The Cambodian government did not reply to requests for comment.

“THANK YOU, BIG BROTHER XI”

Despite its medical outreach efforts, China has faced sharp criticism in Washington and elsewhere for suppressing early information on the virus and downplaying its risks.

“I am sceptical that many countries will soon forget China’s early missteps that contributed to the global spread of the virus,” said Ryan Hass, a senior Asia director in the Obama administration’s National Security Council who is now at the Brookings Institution.

The response to the outreach from China in countries like Serbia, however, has so far been positive.

In Belgrade, the Chinese team visited a memorial to those killed in 1999 when American bombs hit China’s embassy there in what Washington apologised for as an accident.

After the team’s arrival, a placard was mounted on a central Belgrade street with a picture of China’s leader and big letters in Chinese and Serbian: “Thank you, big brother Xi”.

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SINGAPORE: In the past month, Singapore has fast-tracked a slew of regulations and laws aimed at limiting the number COVID-19 cases, which crossed the 2,000 figure on Friday (Apr 10).

Some of the measures are also designed to help cushion the financial impact of the global pandemic on local businesses and members of the public.

Lawyers told CNA that some of these laws have been passed at uncommon speed, in a single day compared with the usual months-long period. 

While the situation bears some resemblances to the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, the current crisis is unique in its severity, and the legal steps taken are necessary to combat the situation, they said. 

The Bill for the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, a set of laws imposing restrictions on the movement of people and the conducting of business during the circuit breaker period between Apr 7 and May 4, was read and debated on on Apr 7 before being passed on the same day.

READ: COVID-19: Social gatherings of any size in both private and public spaces prohibited under new Bill

Under the Act, gatherings of any size are not allowed whether outside or at home, and only those in essential services are allowed to continue working. Penalties listed in the Act go up to a maximum six-month jail term, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.

Before this, the Ministry of Health (MOH) put the Infectious Diseases (COVID-19 – Stay Orders) Regulations 2020 into effect from Mar 26, to give legal force to safe distancing measures and provide enhanced enforcement for breaches of stay-home notices.

Already, some have been charged under the new laws – for breaching stay-home notices and for organising a gathering of more than 10 people for an illegal car race.

READ: COVID-19: Suspect behind illegal car race charged with organising event with more than 10 attendees

That a few people have already been charged under the new laws signals the need for authorities to have the requisite powers to deal with a variety of issues arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, which is not only the severest public health threat Singapore has faced but has also wreaked havoc on the economy, said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan.

THE SPEED AND URGENCY OF CORONAVIRUS-RELATED LAWS

Laws typically take at least a few months to come into force, and the speed at which these COVID-19-related regulations have been introduced is “fairly unprecedented”, said Mr Chooi Jing Yen, partner at Eugene Thuraisingam LLP.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the introduction of circuit breaker measures on Apr 3, so it became necessary to introduce additional regulations to give these the force of law, said Mr Chooi.

He said the introduction and passing into law occurred “at breakneck speed in relative terms to the timeframe in which laws are usually passed”.

“Before a Bill is tabled in Parliament, there is usually a consultative process that can last several months, where relevant stakeholders are invited to give their input,” he said, adding that this process can take years for complex legislation.

“In contrast, the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Bill came into force almost immediately after being read in Parliament, without the usual gap between time of passing and time of commencement,” he said.

Ms Diana Ngiam, associate director at Quahe Woo & Palmer, said the passing of the laws was “intentionally expedited because of the severity of the situation”.

“It is not common, to my knowledge, that laws are passed so expeditiously,” she said, adding that she found it a necessary move given the unprecedented situation Singapore is in.

“Typically, a Bill can be read a second time after at least 10 days have passed after it has been printed and circulated to Members of Parliament. Thereafter, there will be a third reading of the Bill, before it is subsequently passed by Parliament and then assented by the President before it becomes law.”

Lawyer Josephus Tan, managing director at Invictus Law, said the COVID-19-related laws are urgent as they concern public safety and any delay in enactment “could lead to a persistent large increase in COVID-19 cases in Singapore”.

Agreeing, Withers KhattarWong partner P E Ashokan added that “these are extraordinary times, and there was a dire need for Singapore to respond swiftly to the threat which the outbreak poses to Singapore’s public health, economy and society”.

LAWS PASSED QUICKLY, BUT IT HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE

However, while the laws tackling the coronavirus spread were passed exceptionally quickly, it has been done before and shares similarities with how the Singapore government tackled SARS in 2003.

Mr Tan pointed to how the Government amended the Infectious Diseases Act in 2003 during the SARS outbreak under a Certificate of Urgency.

Mr Ashokan said the related Bill was introduced on Apr 24, 2003, before being read a second time a day later and passed on Apr 25.

He also referred to how the Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill was read three times and passed on the same day in July 2010, in an urgent response to prohibit the use of sale proceeds of HDB flats as security or collateral.

Further back in 1973, the Control of Essential Supplies Bill was read thrice and passed on the same day, in order to empower the Government to respond to the fluctuating prices and supply of essential goods like rice, bread and oil at the time.

Most legislation in Singapore is written by the Cabinet as a Bill, explained Mr Ashokan. It is introduced in Parliament with a first reading, and debated in a second reading at least 10 days after this unless it is an urgent Bill.

Any amendments to the Bill will be introduced in the third reading, after which Parliament will vote on it.

After this, the Presidential Council for Minority Rights will review the Bill to ensure that it does not discriminate against any racial or religious community. The exceptions to this step are Money Bills, Bills affecting Singapore’s defence, security or public safety, and Bills certified urgent by the Prime Minister.

The President will give assent to the Bill after this and it will become law. The entire process could take weeks or months, depending on the situation.

WHAT SETS COVID-19 LAWS APART

The laws enacted in relation to COVID-19 can be distinguished from other laws in their urgency, latitude and flexibility, as well as how they are targeted and temporary, said Mr Ashokan.

Generally, other types of laws are quite specific about the type and extent of powers that the Government may wield, but the COVID-19 laws give the Government “the necessary latitude and flexibility to respond swiftly, dynamically and decisively to the COVID-19 outbreak, especially if the situation suddenly worsens or calls for an urgent intervention by the Government”, said Mr Ashokan.

While other types of laws are intended to remain in force and apply until specifically repealed, these laws are specifically targeted at the coronavirus outbreak and are meant to be temporary.

“For example, the temporary measures introduced by the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, such as temporary relief for inability to perform contracts, are intended to last for only six months,” said Mr Ashokan. “However, if the COVID-19 situation calls for it, the relevant minister may order for this six-month period to be extended or shortened.”

He added that the COVID-19 laws can be adopted, with necessary amendments, for similar situations in the future such as another disease outbreak.

SARS VERSUS COVID-19 LAWS

While the laws passed during the SARS crisis and the current outbreak are similar, one major difference is in how the COVID-19 laws are specific and temporary.

“Nevertheless, both were passed to combat new and evolving situations and the unique challenges posed by the particular pandemic and the circumstances of the time,” said Mr Ashokan.

When SARS broke out, the Infectious Diseases Act was already in force, but SARS led to several amendments to the act.

These include making it an arrestable offence to break home quarantine or refuse compliance with quarantine conditions, making it an offence to provide false or misleading information for related investigations, requiring suspected cases to submit to medical examination or treatment and requiring people suspected to have exposure to the disease to act in a socially responsible manner.

“At the time that Singapore was facing SARS, it was still working out the kinks in its policies of quarantine, surveillance, contact tracing and social distancing measures when faced with a relatively contagious and lethal disease,” said Mr Ashokan. “These amendments to the law, passed during the SARS crisis, reflect the refinement of such measures.”

The measures were general in nature and meant to remain in force and apply to all infectious diseases, in contrast to the COVID-19 laws.

Mr Chooi said that the difference in the coronavirus laws from the SARS ones “is stark”. 

“To the best of my recollection, SARS did not prompt the government to enact laws specifically to deal with it … There was certainly no enactment of a targeted parent act such as the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 which gives the health minister sweeping powers to enact subsidiary legislation to curb the movement of people,” he said.

However, Singapore is not alone in this – several emergency COVID-19 Bills have been passed very quickly in other countries too, reflecting the severity of the pandemic, said Mr Ashokan.

For example, the UK Government announced the Coronavirus Bill 2019-2021 on Mar 8 and received royal assent on Mar 26, leading to the Coronavirus Act 2020. The Act imposes restrictions and prohibitions on events and gatherings and grants the authorities powers in dealing with potentially infected people.

IMPLICATIONS OF PASSING THE LAWS SO QUICKLY

Passing the laws so quickly in Singapore could mean that the problem “gets arrested as early as possible”, said Mr Ashokan. 

“It is really anyone’s guess at this juncture, but if the COVID-19 laws were not passed so quickly, Singapore might be looking at far higher numbers of confirmed cases,” he said.

Mr Chooi said that the key implication of the new laws being passed so quickly is “public confusion over what is permitted and prohibited”.

“Nothing like this has been done in Singapore before, and there has been an urgent need to quickly educate the public,” he said. “Otherwise, the authorities would be faced with the unenviable task of bringing large numbers of ignorant offenders to court, or of having to pick and choose its prosecutions – neither of which is a desirable outcome.”

Ms Ngiam acknowledged the possibility that people might not be fully aware of the scope and extent of the new laws that are passed in such a short span of time.

However, she added that the risk of this has been minimised substantially “by the efforts of the government to promulgate and educate the public of what can or cannot be done during this period, in simple and non-legalese language, for instance, through the Gov.sg WhatsApp broadcasts”.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Currently, the control period or circuit breaker period lasts till May 4 under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.

However, its parent, the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, can be in force for a six-month period, and the law minister can extend or shorten this period as necessary, said Mr  Chooi.

“How long these measures actually last, therefore, really depends in large part on whether or not we manage to contain the spread of COVID-19,” he said. 

“Since Part 7 of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 gives the health minister the power to make control orders to curb the spread of COVID-19, it is not inconceivable that we may see stiffer measures being introduced if there is no improvement in the situation. As we have seen, this can be done in a matter of days.”

But the enactment of laws alone is not enough, said Invictus Law’s Mr Tan.

“In my view, in order for such expedited measures to be thoroughly effective, it must be coupled with expedited enforcement to send out an effective message of deterrence,” he said.

SINGAPORE: No more jostling with the rush-hour crowd in the Central Business District to make it to the office on time for morning team meetings.

There is even time now in between conference calls to do the laundry or whip up something in the kitchen. One can even attend virtual meetings in pyjamas.

Since Tuesday (Apr 7), even more employees in Singapore have been working within the confines of their homes, along with the pros and cons that come with such an arrangement.

While some firms have implemented telecommuting earlier amid the COVID-19 outbreak, non-essential businesses and services came to a halt on Tuesday after circuit-breaker measures kicked in to stem a rising tide of infections, which reached the 1,000-mark on Apr 1.

Our interviews with Singaporeans found that working from home has its own set of challenges such as technical problems, unreliable Internet connections or unconducive environments. 

For some, their biggest challenge comes in the form of a screaming toddler or a needy elderly parent. 

READ: Circuit breaker classes: Yoga, tuition and gyms move online as Singapore gets used to operating in virtual worlds

READ: Commentary: Lockdown and isolation sound simple – but keeping people at home is no easy answer

For Ms Josephine Tan, a 53-year-old public servant, having to juggle her official duties and family demands can drive her crazy at times.

The mother of three, aged 27, 23 and 16, said on top of having two children working from home and one on home-based learning, she also has to keep an eye on her 87-year-old mother who has dementia.

For Ms Chris Tan, a writer and editor for an engineering consultancy, working from home means having to take a conference call at times with an infant in tow. 

READ: ‘The hardest thing I’ve been through’: Hallucinations, fever, pneumonia – but finally victory for this COVID-19 patient

READ: In pictures: Singapore switches off for a circuit breaker

Yet while frustrations are aplenty, there have also been many tender moments with their loved ones which would have not have been possible if not for the enforced stay at home. 

Ms Bianca Loo, 35, was grateful to have witnessed her nine-month-old son picking up a sippy cup for the first time, for example. 

While not spending time in her office, her work at technology company Criteo involved lots of jet setting prior to the outbreak. Now, she gets to spend lots of quality time at home with her son.   

A 27-year-old public servant, who wished to be known only as Ms Hanis, was thrust into the role of primary caregiver for her 83-year-old grandmother.  

For the past week, they have been taking walks in the corridor of her flat, doing flower arrangements together and watching newly-added Bollywood films on Netflix. 

Working from home has also allowed her to know her grandmother better, she said.

READ: Lego sushi, artificial snow, obstacle courses: Parents get creative during the COVID-19 circuit breaker

READ: Commentary: Singaporeans more adaptable than they give themselves credit for

But while some have the luxury of working from home amid concerns of a community spread of the virus, frontline workers such as paramedic Hidayah Jamari do not have such an option. Ms Hidayah, 38, will still have to operate from her workplace daily.

For this group, there is a different set of challenges including having to work out alternative care arrangements for their children or elderly parents at home.  

Nevertheless, as people here prepare to stay home till May 4, many have started to come up with creative ways to deal with their various challenges and make the best of this circuit-breaker period.

They range from teaching children how to garden and plan fashion shows, to virtual clubbing and organising a global sporting event online — all within the confines of their homes. 

JUGGLING CHILDCARE AND WORK

Keeping children occupied is not an easy task, and parents said they were doing their best to engage the kids now that everyone has to spend more time at home. 

Some said that they have planned puppet shows, obstacle courses and even make-believe adventure quests to keep boredom at bay for the young ones.

Ms Violet Chan, 43, a partner of boutique agency The Style Atelier, said that she has come up with a whole month’s calendar of activities with her eight-year-old twins. 

“Some of them include indoor picnics where we would lay out a picnic mat in our room and maybe have some nuggets or something.”

“We also plan to have a fashion show where I will give them some clothes and they can dress themselves up… They can also do their hair and make-up. It will be very fun to see them walk down an imaginary catwalk,” she said.

Polytechnic lecturer Lucas Chiam, 37, created obstacle courses using cones for his sons, four and six, to navigate using a toy car. 

“It is a constant effort to keep them occupied but I find that if I give them directions or challenges in their activities, it helps them concentrate longer,” he said.

Mr Chiam also plays pretend with his children, where they will set up a make-believe cafe or go on adventure quests in the living room.

“Sometimes they will write down a list of cafe items on a menu and they will pretend that one of them is a chef and the other is a waiter to serve my wife and I.

“Or they will pretend that the floor is lava and have to move around without touching the floor,” he said. 

Ms Noretta Jacob, who teaches a literacy programme for children aged five to seven, has planned puppet shows, musical performances and storytelling sessions with her two daughters. 

Since the circuit-breaker took effect, her husband — who is an essential services worker as a private-hire driver — has to work daily, leaving her to tend to her children, aged three and seven, who are on home-based learning. 

“I see the beauty of sitting at home with my kids, but kids are kids, their attention spans are so limited … they have been pushing me out of my comfort zone as an educator to come up with more creative activities,” she said.

When she is conducting her programme that has now gone fully digital, she makes sure her children are occupied with activities such as painting or colouring. 

But the usual cry for attention can still sometimes be heard, Ms Jacob added.

READ: Commentary: The joys and frustrations of home-based learning

LISTEN: Home-based learning: Good, bad, terrible … but mostly good?

Still, it has been a rewarding experience for the family as they adjust to staying at home most of the time.

In fact, when they need a breath of fresh air, the family would lay their mat outside to have breakfast and enjoy the sun — in the corridor of their Housing and Development Board flat.

Ms Chris Tan, the editor, also faces the same struggle of trying to keep her two young children occupied. 

As her husband works in the essential banking sector, working from home could mean having to take a conference call with a six-month-old strapped on her in a baby carrier and a toddler screaming for all to hear.

“Sometimes during the call, everyone could hear my four-year-old screaming for me in the background … so I forgo the conference calls and just tell (my co-workers) to update me afterwards,” she said.

Nevertheless, she is thankful that schools are now closed as she is concerned about the safety of her children, and they can have more time together.

She has bought her older daughter a micro-gardening kit for her to learn about growing pea shoots.

“She tends to it every day so that frees up some of my time to actually work … because seriously working from home isn’t easy, especially with kids,” she said. 

Asked if her work has been affected by the need to look after her children, she pointed out that employers and co-workers need to adjust to mothers working from home, and set reasonable expectations.

Similarly, Ms Nur Anis, 27, whose husband is a frontline medical staff, said working from home can sometimes put her in a difficult position. 

“I face the risk of being a bad employee because it is not possible for me to face my laptop from 8am to 6pm with my child at home, and I’d rather feel guilty about neglecting work than my child,” said the administrative and facilities management worker. 

Ms Anis said she has no choice but to seek help from her ageing parents — who lives together with the family — to keep an eye on her 11-month-old baby boy, even though they are also taking care of her autistic nephew who stays over in their place on most days.

“Sometimes I feel guilty and helpless especially when my bosses are rushing me to finish a task and I can’t spare a minute to help my parents … because they (bosses) will keep calling my phone,” she added. 

Despite such problems, some parents such as Ms Loo say the silver lining to working from home is to be able to witness their children’s milestones.

Ms Loo heads Criteo’s sales team for big customers in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

READ: Commentary: Home-based learning can be an opportunity to rethink parenting

READ: Commentary: Home-based learning is strange, new ground. But we can conquer that too

“If this was any given day where we were not working from home, I would be travelling once every month to some Southeast Asian countries and missing some important milestones (of her child’s development),” she added. “Or if I were working in the office, I would feel the fomo (fear of missing out).”

Ms Loo said she recently witnessed her nine-month-old son pick up a sippy cup, clap his hands or dance to a song for the first time.

“I am likely to witness his first steps and so that’s kind of exciting,” she added. 

With the closure of swimming pools during this period, Ms Loo has also bought a baby pool for her son to splash in. 

TENDING TO THE ELDERLY AT HOME 

While children are already a handful for parents working from home, an equally — if not more — daunting task awaits those who suddenly find themselves having to double up as a caregiver to elderly parents. 

Two public servants said it can be particularly stressful when they are dealing with more work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of them, Ms Hanis, said she has become the caregiver to her 83-year-old grandmother.

Her grandmother’s helper had returned to Indonesia late last month. 

While waiting for a replacement helper, Ms Hanis’ aunt, who lives nearby, used to send her grandmother to stroke rehabilitation sessions while she and both her parents — who are in essential services — are at work.

But with non-essential activities halted and contact with other households discouraged, Ms Hanis has taken over the caregiver’s role since her aunt has to stay at home now. 

“Managing the mountain of work I have plus looking after an elderly is definitely more difficult than I thought.

“There was once I had to take a call from my boss and my grandma was fussing over her lunch. A minute later, she kept poking me because she wanted to go to the toilet… I ended up talking to my boss while propping her up on the toilet bowl,” Ms Hanis said with a chuckle. 

READ: Commentary: China billionaires a force to be reckoned with in global COVID-19 fight – and more

READ: Commentary: Isolated with your abuser? Why family violence seems to be on the rise during COVID-19 outbreak

But the past week has also allowed Ms Hanis to know her grandmother better: They have been taking walks in the corridor of her flat, doing flower arrangements together and watching newly-added Bollywood films on Netflix.

“I never knew my grandma’s favourite actor is Shah Rukh Khan!” she said, referring to the renowned Bollywood actor. 

For Ms Josephine Tan, the public servant whose elderly mother has dementia, the past week has also been bittersweet.  

She has given her helper more time to rest as her family members are now at home and can take turns looking after her mother, whom she described as “very energetic”.

In fact, the elderly woman has been walking around the house more often now, looking over her children’s shoulders to see what they are doing on their laptops.

“My youngest son has been teaching his grandma how to watch Netflix on his tablet,” Ms Tan said with a laugh. 

However, she added that working from home can sometimes “drive her crazy”.

“Everyone will be sitting around the dining table and it can get very chaotic. My eldest daughter will be calling her boss and my mum will be screaming for my helper.

“At the same time, my son is trying to finish his homework and I’m trying to clear my pending tasks,” she said.

But the madness aside, Ms Tan is happy that the “circuit-breaker” has brought the family together as they have more time to prepare and eat dinner, play board games and organise movie nights after everyone has logged off.

“Since all of us are staying at home all week… I think my mum is enjoying the circuit-breaker period the most,” said Ms Tan.

Retiree Ms Jasmine Chua, who has been caring for her 84-year-old mother with muscular dementia for the past three years, noted that it can be very challenging for first-time caregivers. 

“Caregiving is something that you may have a lot of questions that you don’t have the answers to,” said the 47-year-old, who had stopped sending her mother to the NTUC Health daycare centre for dementia therapy as she was afraid of a community spread.

For example, when her father died in 2017, her mother refused to eat or drink and kept searching around the house for him. 

Ms Chua did not know how to help her mother then, and it took years of research and trial-and-error for her to understand how to support someone with dementia. 

She added that in the current situation, it could be harder for caregivers to seek support. 

“The general practitioners can’t help you, and to get the help of specialist doctors or counsellors now is very difficult because everyone is busy trying to settle in to the new arrangements,” Ms Chua said. 

THOSE IN ESSENTIAL SERVICES 

While those who work from home now have the luxury of spending more time with their families, some workers in essential services — which remain in operation during this period and include food establishments, healthcare and social services  — are seeking alternative arrangements to care for their loved ones. 

Paramedic Hidayah, whose husband works in the telecommunications sector, initially planned to send her three-year-old daughter to her mother’s house, which is a 15-minute walk away. 

But after Health Minister Gan Kim Yong announced on Thursday (Apr 9) that parents will no longer be allowed to drop off children at their grandparents’ home on a daily basis as part of care arrangements, Ms Hidayah said she might consider taking leave to tend to her daughter at home and let her return to preschool when the “numbers have stabilised”.

Since she and her husband are both essential services workers, Ms Hidayah could have sent her child to a preschool. Such schools remain open for children of parents who are employed in essential services or unable to find alternative caregiving arrangements.

READ: Commentary: No ordinary disruption – a rising generation meets the coronavirus

READ: Commentary: Beware the incoming pandemic of boredom

But she decided not to as her toddler falls sick quite easily. 

“Maybe I’m just being a kiasu parent but with all the cases I see every day, I just don’t want my child to be infected. I feel more at ease knowing that they are with my parents as they rarely go out of the house,” she added.

Ms Hidayah has also prepared arts and crafts materials and interactive games for her daughter to play, as well as allowing her two hours of screen time a day during this period. 

Unlike Ms Hidayah, single mother Siti Khasy, 21, continues to send her six-year-old daughter to preschool while she does her rounds as a GrabFood delivery rider. 

“This (arrangement) is good because she can continue to go to school while I go to work,” she said, adding that she is the sole breadwinner for the pair.

Asked if she is concerned that her child might come into contact with an infected person, Ms Siti said she was not as there are not many students at the centre during this period. 

Another parent who provides an essential service is 41-year-old Shi Mei, who runs a hawker stall with her husband in Bedok South.

While the couple are at their stall for about eight hours daily, their children, an 11-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy, are left to their own devices at home as they do  home-based learning. 

“Previously, they used to study in front of our hawker stall after school where we can watch after them, but now they must be at home so we can’t supervise them as much,” Ms Shi said. 

Nevertheless, she drops by their flat occasionally to pass lunch to her children or to check on how they are doing. 

Although the circuit-breaker measures have made it harder for her to observe her children’s progress, she trusts them to be independent. 

“Our children are already old enough … we can count on them to be proactive,” she added.

KEEPING ACTIVE, HAVING FUN, GOING GLOBAL — ALL FROM HOME 

The Government has repeatedly stressed that the only way to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections is for Singaporeans to stay at home.  

On Monday (Apr 6), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post that the multi-billion dollar initiatives unveiled in the three Budgets since February to help firms, workers and households will be “in vain” if Singaporeans do not comply with the circuit-breaker measures.

“Everyone needs to be serious about staying at home, and not go about unless absolutely necessary. If you have to go out, practise safe distancing,” Mr Lee stressed. 

With more people staying home now, the Government has said it will enhance digital fitness and entertainment services. 

More television and streaming content will also be made available here, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced earlier this week.

IMDA said that it will be working with local broadcaster Mediacorp, pay-TV operators Singtel and StarHub, and other content providers to make more news, educational and entertainment content available across free-to-air and over-the-top platforms. 

The IMDA initiatives could benefit Singaporeans like Mr Derrick Yeo, 35, who have gone on a quest to come up with interesting activities to fill their time. 

Mr Yeo has replaced his weekly visits to nightclub Zouk Singapore with its free livestream service called “Cloud Clubbing”.

Mr Yeo, who owns a firm selling sewing machines, would join the livestream on mobile application Bigo Live with his friends and family over drinks at his home. 

But with the latest social-distancing measures, where social gatherings of any size are not allowed in homes or public places, his friends would no longer be able to come over and join him. 

During the livestreams, viewers can watch dancers perform to the tracks played by a disc jockey. 

“I tried (cloud clubbing) because this is my first time hearing about it and I wanted to try it out of curiosity. Anyway, it is not safe or responsible to go out into a big crowd now,” Mr Yeo said.

He has donated S$2,000 to Zouk and spent S$5,400 on coupons which can be used to buy bottles of alcohol when the club reopens.

Asked which he likes better— clubbing in the virtual or real world — Mr Yeo said he does not have a preference. 

“I like both, if I am too lazy to go out, I can enjoy the music at home, but going to the club allows me to enjoy the vibes better,” he added.  

Meanwhile, to help Singaporeans keep fit even as they stay home, Sport Singapore has called on the sport industry to create innovative home-based programmes in April and May as part of its annual GetActive! Singapore campaign.

Industry players can submit proposals for online infotainment videos, physical exercise and movement series, talk shows and workshops under the Active Enabler Programme, which has a grant budget of S$2 million. Its first call for proposals was launched on Thursday for digital content and virtual activities.

Apart from these programmes, some Singaporeans are using video conferencing app Zoom — which is being used by many organisations for virtual meetings, although security concerns have emerged of late — to exercise or take part in physical activities at home. 

Ms Sue Seah, who is in her 30s and self-employed, said she had attended two online classes for Street Jazz and Urban Hip Hop with dance academy O School.

Viewers would follow the dance instructor’s steps through a mass video call of up to 100 people. Both classes which Ms Seah attended were almost full.

“I think that in real life, the energy is really different … but the instructors have put in so much effort to make it interactive and fun so it is definitely better than having nothing,” she said.

Ms Chloe Ng, 40, a senior financial services manager, started to host complimentary online yoga and High Intensity Interval Training classes this week for her friends and other mutual acquaintances. Each lesson has about 10 students.

“I wanted to start this because it is one way to keep in touch and for community support,” she said.

“It allows us to exercise together too, which is fun and keeps us accountable to a friend so that we will be motivated to continue exercising.”

Ms Chloe Ng hosts complimentary online yoga and High Intensity Interval Training classes for her friends and other mutual acquaintances via video conferencing app Zoom.

She added that the classes are interactive and students can pose questions. But they had experienced a few technical difficulties during previous classes.

“If I am doing a class physically, I can just walk over and correct their postures immediately which is easier,” she said.

Some Singaporeans are also using this period at home to devote more time to their hobbies.

One of them is undergraduate Remus Ng, 22, who has been buying and restoring broken gaming consoles for about a year.

Mr Ng said he would buy the broken gaming consoles such as Playstation 1 and 2 through online marketplaces such as Carousell. He would then diagnose the technical issues and source for replacement parts on sites such as Ebay and Amazon.

“For older consoles, it is more romantic to play with the original console rather than trying to run the software on a computer,” he said.

For Mr Allan Ong, 45, who heads the Singapore Sport Stacking Association, the pandemic has not stopped him from organising a global event. 

Sport stacking  — also known as cup stacking or speed stacking — requires participants to stack and unstack cups in various formations as quickly as possible.

The stage was supposed to be set for a three-day world championship event at Downtown East this weekend, with the association expecting to receive 600 participants — including spectators — from various countries.

“But we knew this (COVID-19 situation) was coming so we have already prepared to go fully digital,” he said. 

Last Sunday, the association organised a preliminary competition online by separating participants into different “rooms” on Zoom where one judge will be present. 

Some 50 competitors have signed up for this weekend’s championship. 

Each of them will have their own timer which they would press before they start stacking and after they finish. 

Mr Ong said his biggest challenge is to convince spectators and competitors that they will have a good time virtually. 

“I think it’s like online shopping. Before people try it, they all say they prefer to go to the physical store and try the clothes on. But when everyone is doing it, then it feels more fun,” he said. 

READ: NGOs launch initiatives to help migrant workers amid COVID-19 outbreak

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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SINGAPORE: Within Siti Zawiyah’s first week in America, when COVID-19-fuelled panic buying began, a colleague bought her bags and bags of groceries – so many that she had to make a few trips to carry them all in from her colleague’s car.

Their contents included toilet paper, a huge bottle of water, milk, rice, frozen vegetables, halal meat and spices. “I can’t give you chicken without (any spices) to cook with, right?” said her colleague, Maria Gregg.

Siti barely knew Maria, who had her own family to look after even as stores were emptied of supplies by anxious shoppers. Yet, the American insisted on helping the Singaporean, her husband and their 16-month-old son ride out the developing COVID-19 situation.

“Maria told me that she couldn’t imagine being away from her country with her child and family without receiving any help,” said Siti.

That was in early March, when Siti began her attachment with the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey. The 40-year-old registered nurse with the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) was there as part of the Health Manpower Development Plan.

She was supposed to spend six weeks with the New Jersey hospital’s nursing informatics team – but she was at the hospital for only five days.

On the Tuesday of the second week, as infection rates climbed nation-wide, the university hospital instructed Siti, who was considered non-essential staff, to stay home until further notice.

By week three, Siti was recalled to Singapore by the Ministry of Health – but not before experiencing how a terrible situation brought out the best in people she barely knew.

FIRST INKLINGS OF A STORM

When Siti’s family landed in New Jersey on Mar 7, there had been just a handful of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in the state, and anxiety over COVID-19 had not yet escalated.

“The day we got there, it was bright and sunny. People were out and about,” she said. “It was like any normal day.”

Siti’s family was welcomed to the neighborhood with a generous bag of groceries placed outside their apartment by their new neighbour Angela. 

Three days later, Siti reported for work and an orientation tour of the hospital campus as planned.

But already, there were signs that the situation was unravelling: A café that Siti’s family patronised no longer allowed customers to enter the store to place orders. Establishments stopped serving customers drinks in their personal mugs. Playgrounds were cordoned off. 

On Mar 13, when a national emergency was declared across the United States, the panic-buying began. That’s when Siti’s colleague, Maria, appeared like a reassuring guardian angel with the groceries.

As the days passed, the family’s worries grew over the fast-deteriorating situation. A curfew was announced; schools, malls, and eventually, all non-essential businesses were closed.

By Mar 21, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in New Jersey had shot past 1,000, and four days after that, it had more than tripled. New Jersey now had the second-biggest outbreak in the US behind New York, with Governor Phil Murphy warning of a critical shortfall in hospital beds.

Meanwhile, a homebound Siti’s colleagues involved her remotely in their meetings, ensuring she continued to learn.

But then came word from Singapore. “Siti’s boss told us we should come home,” said her husband, Muhammad Fadzullah Hassan. “An official email was also sent. So we booked our ticket for Mar 26.”

Finally, it seemed, the family was going home. But days before their trip came news from Singapore Airlines: The fight was cancelled.

A desperate Siti sought help from the airline and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as a friend in the industry. “It looked like flights were full, but there was business class. 

I told her, whatever it takes to get me home.

Somehow, the friend managed to get them premium economy tickets – on a Mar 25 morning flight. 

Siti was taking no chances. She wanted to reach the airport early in case there were additional health checks. “I asked Maria for help to get us there. She said ‘no problem’. 

“She sent us to the airport at 5.45am for our 10.45am flight, with an impossible amount of luggage fit into her car. We’re so, so thankful for her.”

BACK HOME, MORE KINDNESS

Upon landing at Changi Airport, Siti’s family and their fellow travellers were received by immigration officers, and ushered in small groups aboard shuttle buses which took them straight to Village Hotel Sentosa.

It was where the family would have to serve their Stay Home Notice (SHN) for the next 14 days.

“After an 18-hour flight, it was nice to see local faces smiling at us,” said Siti. “The reception staff was exceptional – they even offered a stuffed toy at check-in, when they noticed I had my son Harith with me.”

During their stay, in between finding ways to keep Harith occupied, Siti was bombarded with messages from friends and family offering to deliver food and supplies to them. 

“They asked if we needed anything for Harith: Was there enough milk? Diapers? We were locked in this confined space, but people were always in touch with me,” she added.

“The first few days, there were so many deliveries. They sent Harith milk and snacks, even put in little surprises like mee goreng, hot coffee, cakes.”

To avoid any physical contact, staff left deliveries and meals on stools outside each room and rang the doorbell to alert guests.

“Sometimes, we’d catch them in time to say hi. They were always so warm, and they’d tell us to hang in there.

These people are also our frontliners, if you think about it.

To thank the staff, they made a card – “we got Harith to do some colouring” – and pasted it on their door. In return, they got a handwritten note of encouragement from one of the staff.

BEING WHERE SHE’S NEEDED

With their SHN completed on Thursday (Apr 9), the family could finally go home, where they’ve stayed the last few days in accordance with Singapore’s “circuit-breaker” directives.

For them, the enhanced safe distancing measures are not a new experience, after what they lived through in New Jersey.

And come tomorrow (Apr 14), Siti will return to her job in nursing informatics at SGH, while her husband works from home with their son.

Her role involves working with medical data and IT systems to support the clinical nurses – but should the need arise, Siti is well prepared to serve on the frontline. “Of course we’re concerned because we have family back home, but that’s the nature of the job.

“As a nurse, (no matter where) you are, you’ve got to be ready to be deployed to areas where you’re needed most. We need to be out there, helping,” she said. 

SINGAPORE: As more and more companies implement work from home (WFH) arrangements in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been widely acknowledged that introverts are adjusting to the new norm much more easily that their extroverted colleagues.

For years, introverts have had to deal with the energy-sapping exuberance of extroverts in open-plan offices and routinely being outshone at meetings by their more vocal counterparts.

Behavioural Scientist, Francesca Gino from the Harvard Business School has highlighted studies that show while introverts constitute one-third to half of the population, “most workplaces are set up exclusively with extroverts in mind”.

She points out that extroverts gravitate toward groups and constant action. They also tend to “think out loud” and “are energised and recharged by external stimuli, such as personal interactions, social gatherings, and shared ideas”.

In contrast, “introverts typically dislike noise, interruptions, and big group settings. They instead tend to prefer quiet solitude, time to think before speaking (or acting), and building relationships and trust one-on-one. Introverts recharge with reflection, deep dives into their inner landscape to research ideas, and focus deeply on work.”

READ: Commentary: The biggest work-from-home exercise may have just begun. How ready is Singapore?

READ: Commentary: COVID-19 – time for businesses and workers to have the guts to embrace the new normal

A TIME TO SHINE

A quiet home would indeed be a welcome refuge for an introvert.

Bear in mind that not all introverts would have the privilege of a quiet home. For instance, some of our introverted candidates tell us they would still prefer to work at the office because their children are a distraction at home.

Barring such circumstances, working from home could be the perfect opportunity for an introvert to shine.

All things being equal now, more quiet time allows introverts to focus more deeply, resulting in a higher quality of work that becomes more apparent to managers who are less distracted by more vocal employees under current conditions.

LISTEN: COVID-19 and safe distancing – why this can save lives

However, some things can’t be avoided even in remote working – meetings.

But remote meetings can work in introverts’ favour too. Remote meetings tend to be planned, giving the introvert time to process their own thoughts and ideas beforehand.

Renee Cullinan, CEO and co-founder of Stop Meeting Like This, a consultancy that helps organisations improve their work processes, points out that “introverted thinkers make their best contributions when they’ve had time to process relevant data and space to choose words carefully and share thoughtful conclusions.”

Her advice to managers who unconsciously think that “smart people think on their feet”, putting their introverted employees at a disadvantage, is to level the playing field in order to get the best out of every individual.

READ: Commentary: COVID-19 outbreak reveals poor etiquette in working from home

READ: Commentary: Buried under a bursting inbox? It’s time to stop our problematic email habits

According to Cullinan, the following methods can help:

Before the meeting: Share the purpose of the meeting, provide any relevant data ahead of time, and list the specific discussion questions you plan to cover.

During: Proactively give introverted thinkers the floor with questions like, “What do you think we should be considering that we haven’t yet covered?”

After: Circulate a meeting summary and proactively solicit ideas that might’ve come to mind after the meeting.

During virtual meetings, Cullinan suggests using the chat feature to let the group know when they want to jump in.

THE DARK SIDE

Generally, a growing body of research has shown that flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting result in better employee engagement, reduced employee turnover and increased productivity.

A 2018 Ministry of Manpower (MOM) study in Singapore found that among workplace practices, flexi-work options had the greatest positive impact on staff retention.

READ: Government to roll out new measures to help companies adopt flexible work arrangements

But detractors of remote working point to studies that show a lack of face-to-face interaction causes employees to miss out on nuance and erodes a sense of community which could decrease productivity.

In 2017, IBM pulled back its remote working programme, saying that it was negatively affecting innovation and collaboration.

Nonetheless, Singapore is pressing hard on the remote working accelerator given the COVID-19 crisis, after Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said firms that do not allow employees to work from home if “reasonably practicable” may be issued a stop-work order on Tuesday (Mar 31).

In fact, some experts feel that split-teams and telecommuting should continue beyond this crisis as it would be a more sustainable way of ensuring business continuity should another crisis arise.

READ: Commentary: Social distancing need not be rude or weird. Here’s how to do it right

READ: Commentary: The brewing concern over jobs and salaries as COVID-19 persists

However companies feel about remote working, under pandemic conditions, opportunities for collaboration would have to be restricted to virtual meeting environments, but the importance of collaboration also means that introverts must not get too comfortable with being alone for long periods of time.

Dr Marti Olsen Laney, author of The Introvert Advantage, points out that introverts simply have a smaller threshold for social and environmental stimulation. They are not totally averse to human interaction.

In the context of the workplace, perhaps all this means is that each employee needs to be managed differently and in a balanced fashion, whatever the conditions.

For example, even if companies choose to pull back remote working once the pandemic is behind us, a consideration of introverted employees’ needs should not be pulled back.

Some of our clients have told us that they will continue WFH arrangements for such employees.

We advise them to also continue keeping them engaged in weekly virtual and/or weekly face-to-face meetings in order to ensure they have a chance to contribute in a group at times, while observing meeting best practices.

THE EXTROVERTS

In all of this, let’s not forget the extroverts.

Dave Cook, a PhD Researcher in Anthropology at University College London who has spent several years studying how more than 50 people adjusted to becoming an extreme type of remote worker known as digital nomads, found that after some time, working this way became “too isolating” for over 25 per cent of his participants.

One of his participants said, “Just being around other folk working turbocharges your day.”

His study does not describe personality types, but it does show that people have diverse preferences.

READ: Commentary: Coronavirus isolation a rare chance to catch up on sleep

READ: Commentary: Cabin fever during this COVID-19 outbreak can be overcome

Psychologists acknowledge that some people find self-isolating more difficult than others and aside from connecting with colleagues and friends virtually, they recommend a range of coping mechanisms.

Vaile Wright, Director of Clinical Research and Quality at the American Psychological Association recommends establishing a routine – showering, getting dressed and eating meals at regular times.

She also recommends staying physically active and “redecorating a room so it’s not the exact same style every week, as it can make your home feel fresher and not quite as stifling”.

Should remote working have to continue, companies must also factor regular check-in sessions to keep extroverts’ spirits up.

A MORE ACCOMMODATIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE – REMOTE OR OTHERWISE

Considering the world is made up of introverts, extroverts and even ambiverts who have a balance of both personality traits, it would make sense for workplaces to adopt a nuanced approach to accommodate all types and bring out the best in each one for better business results – whether under remote working or on-premises conditions.

READ: Commentary: Are you better off working from home than in the office?

Returning to former on-premises workplace arrangements would undoubtedly be welcomed by extroverts once the pandemic is behind us.

However, again, let’s not forget our introverted employees.

If you’d rather not let them continue working remotely as we recommend, perhaps they can be assigned a desk in a quieter area of the office.

READ: Commentary: Open-plan offices are not inherently bad – you’re probably just using them wrong

And why not apply virtual meeting best practices to face-to-face meetings too?

If you choose to retain a largely WFH arrangement, engage the extroverts with regular opportunities for virtual collaboration.

If anything, the pandemic has accentuated the need for flexibility, trust and balance, and will hopefully show supervisors that a more accommodative work culture is needed to optimise each employee’s potential, no matter their personality.

Jaime Lim is Group Business Leader of PeopleSearch, an executive search firm with a presence in six cities including Singapore.

SINGAPORE: From Pakistan and Malaysia to Australia and New Zealand, an unprecedented freeze on movement of people, goods and services is underway – and understandably so.

COVID-19 has an ever-increasing grip on the Asia-Pacific, and regional governments are reacting in the best way they know to stop the spread of the diabolical pandemic.

In nearby Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand, strict quarantine measures, border closures and nationwide shutdowns for non-essential businesses are in place.

Although Northeast countries such as Japan and South Korea have yet to impose such moves, the regional and international drumbeat to further restrict movement is only growing louder.

But in the rush to lock down borders and limit interaction, it is imperative these measures to address one crisis do not unintentionally create a new one.

READ: Malaysia’s durian industry stung by low prices as coronavirus outbreak affects demand from China

READ: Deprived of customers, British farmers throw away milk

The tenuous balance of food security in Asia – and Southeast Asia in particular – is heavily dependent on regional growers’ access to fundamental farming raw materials such as quality feed, seeds, crop protection products and fertilisers.

Disruptions in the availability of these due to border lockdowns, movement restrictions and retail closures can present challenges in food supply continuity.

With the spring planting season now at hand, ensuring the uninterrupted and timely transboundary movement of the tools that enable farmers to grow safe and nutritious food is more critical than ever before.

THE FOCUS ON FOOD SECURITY

It’s not that food security has been forgotten in the midst of COVID-19 regional reaction – far from it.

Virtually every day there are new reassurances from governments and policy-makers across the region that an ample supply of food will continue to be available and provisions are in place to meet consumer demand.

In mid-March, Singapore announced it “has months’ worth of food stockpiles”. More recently, the Philippines and Malaysia have publicly announced they have ample food supplies, with the latter adding it has enough rice to feed its population for the next two and a half months.

But as the COVID-19 freeze now goes into the second quarter of the year, how long can those reassurances continue to be given?

READ: Commentary: Indonesia’s COVID-19 fight has deeper challenges

READ: Commentary: Lockdown and isolation sound simple – but keeping people at home is no easy answer

Beyond the stockpiles in place across the region, new agricultural production will be essential – and the best way to do that is to make certain our region’s farmers are equipped to grow the crops on which we depend.

Yet there are indications the freeze is already taking a toll in Malaysia where the unintended consequences of the government’s movement control order (MCO) are impacting growers there.

In late-March, CNA reported on frustration among national vegetable farmers who are now facing disruptions and new difficulties in purchasing supplies and access to labour, created or compounded by the order – which is now in place until Apr 14.

Malaysian Vegetable Farmers Association President Tan So Tiok told CNA that with the MCO in place, supply has been reduced by an estimated 30 per cent.  

There is also anecdotal evidence of regional farmers’ access to markets being severely impacted due to restrictive movement policies.

Growers in India and Malaysia have been forced to essentially dump vegetables and fruits as a result of transport disruption in the food supply chain.

BIG CHALLENGES FACING SMALLHOLDERS

According to a Business Council for Sustainable Development Singapore 2016 paper, of the roughly 520 million smallholder farmers around the world, nearly 85 per cent of them call Asia home and around 100 million live within Southeast Asia.

These smallholder growers in our region also face a host of unique challenges: Landholder rights issues, lack of access to markets and financing, and acute climate change just to name a few.

READ: Commentary: Is Singapore’s decades-long shift away from agriculture about to take a U-turn?

READ: Commentary: Restrictions on movements in some Southeast Asian countries to fight COVID-19 have been patchy, even scary

Even outside of this COVID-19 pandemic, various climate change pressures experienced by the region’s smallholders are becoming more extreme. Erratic weather patterns yielding droughts and floods across the region continue to wreak havoc for growers.

Just last year, the crucial monsoon rains many of Southeast Asia’s farmers depend on arrived months late. This spurred a severe drought – leaving the Mekong River at its lowest level in 100 years and area rice farmers unable to plant their chief crop.

In most cases, regional smallholders also don’t enjoy the same availability of technology that many of their counterparts in the west have, and are limited to primitive agricultural methods by comparison.

Crop protection products and seeds are fundamental components in driving seasonal cycles with sowing, harvesting and production. Should their availability to farmers be denied or delayed, it would gravely impact the livelihood of millions of Asia’s farmers – and in turn, regional food security.

Without crop protection products alone, it’s estimated 40 per cent of global rice and corn harvests could be lost every year and losses, while losses for fruits and vegetables could reach as high as 50-90 per cent.

Our regional food security hinges considerably on these smallholder farmers. According to the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), smallholder farmers produce up to 80 per cent of the food consumed in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

These “food heroes” are both the heart and backbone of the food supply value chain in our region.

THE CHALLENGE FACING SINGAPORE

Singapore has been a microcosm for trade policy and its potential repercussions across the entire Asia-Pacific region. With steps taken to ensure an ample, diversified supply of food, the country has been an exemplary model of pragmatic policy-making in the face of the COVID-19 fallout.

But the give-and-take between Singapore and the rest of the region within the realm of food security highlights how fragile the balance is.

READ: A peek at the illicit trade in smuggled vegetables in Singapore

READ: Commentary: COVID-19 could redefine Singapore’s place in the global economy

Singapore is not only dependent on the continued transport of food into the country, but also the policy-making of the exporting trade partner that enables it. If Malaysia, Vietnam or any other trade partner doesn’t have the crops to export, then Singapore is left in a vulnerable position.

As Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing rightly noted in his recent address to Parliament, ensuring the national stockpile is at an adequate level is a “dynamic task that requires constant watch over the fluid global supply landscape”.

Meanwhile the “circuit breaker” announcement by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of new national restrictive steps being implemented brought to light another dimension of this delicate balance.

Singapore is home to strategic facilities operating in the manufacture, and research and development of crop protection chemistries critical to regional food security.

As additional measures are put in place, the operation of these critically important facilities must also remain free from disruption to help ensure the crops on which Singapore and the region depend can be grown.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a valuable role to play regarding the fragile nature of regional food security, and farmers’ access to quality seeds and crop protection products, in particular, at this consequential time for Asia.

ASEAN economic ministers must work together to guard against the consequences to national and regional food security that closing factories, facilities and retail outlets enabling critical agricultural production would bring.

That crucial coordination across ministries and national boundaries is only one step – but it’s a fundamental first one.  

Beyond that, as limited-movement policies and intended essential industry exemptions are realised, hearing directly from farmers on the ground is invaluable.

Much like “see something, say something” has become a recognisable global mantra in relation to homeland security initiatives – creating a formal channel to hear from impacted farmers in real time will help ensure their collective voice is heard and hiccups in the system can be addressed and resolved quickly.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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Dr Kanokwan Chodchoey is Executive Director of Asia and Pacific Seed Association. Dr Siang Hee Tan is Executive Director of CropLife Asia.

SINGAPORE: Armed with a large iPad, a laptop and a large monitor screen, over 40 tuition teachers with Raymond’s Maths & Science Studio press on with their regular lessons amid the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Although the lessons are held at the same time on the same day as before, all of the teachers now tutor remotely from their homes over video conferencing application Zoom. 

Managing director Raymond Loh told CNA that training teachers to use Zoom and trying to bring the classroom onto a digital platform is “not an easy task”. 

“Honestly, training for my staff is just one thing. Having good class control is totally another thing,” said Mr Loh. 

“And how do we make sure the classes are conducive enough? To be candid with you, we learn on the job, because we do not have any precedent.”

He added that while many of the teachers and students faced teething problems on the first day of online lessons, things quickly improved and the process is smooth now. 

As Singaporeans stay at home throughout the circuit breaker period, more are looking for ways to carry on with their usual activities, and many businesses and organisations are taking the opportunity to move their operations online.

The education sector was one of the first to start shifting operations online, after it was announced on Mar 24 that centre-based classes would be suspended, aiming to reduce the mixing of students from different schools. 

Mr Loh said his team started preparing for the possible closure of tuition centres when Singapore moved to DORSCON Orange. They moved classes online a few days after the Mar 24 announcement. 

Predicting that tuition centres would soon be asked to close, the team bought about 40 iPads, one for each of the teachers, and started printing booklets for the thousands of students studying with them. 

“Getting all my teachers to be aware and know how to use the software, and trying to bring the classroom into a digital classroom is not an easy task,” said Mr Loh. 

“Most of our customers are very, very happy and very appreciative that we are ready (for online lessons),” said Mr Loh. 

“And we even have a small group of customers asking us to consider going online as a business. Because for older kids, they don’t feel like travelling and going online seems to be a good option.” 

IN PICTURES: Singapore switches off for a circuit breaker

Day 2 of COVID-19 ‘circuit breaker’ sees more than 3,000 breaches of safe distancing measures

Enrichment classes have also found ways to move online. Mr Saravanan Manorkorum and Ms Amutha Saravanan, co-founders of education company Da Vinci Group, digitalised the content under its brand KlayKit, to sell the enrichment materials directly to parents. 

The team used to visit pre-schools to carry out the classes in person, but with the COVID-19 situation in Singapore, the KlayKit team conducted lessons virtually before it was announced on Apr 3 that all schools would be closed between Apr 8 and May 4, said Ms Amutha. 

To target parents directly, they have started selling the lesson packages online. For example, parents can order a package of three lessons and three KlayKits to be delivered to their homes. 

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“We started digitalising (the lessons) and then pairing that with the KlayKit and selling it as a package… And that had been quite a service offering that people had taken up,” said Ms Amutha, adding that pre-schools have also expressed interest in purchasing the kits for their students during this home-based learning period. 

“We changed the angle to go more B2C. Since we started doing that, there have been quite a number of orders as well, still slow, but I think people are picking up and getting the idea about it.” 

According to the couple, parent feedback “has been actually very great”, and they have even received orders from parents overseas. 

“It’s also become quite exciting because people overseas have also started buying just the content, because we realise that right now supply chains might be affected and we can’t really send the KlayKit. 

“So we have created just content, consumable for parents overseas to buy it at a nominal rate, and then they can just use all sorts of other mediums that they can find to actually create the craftwork.”

But moving online has not been easy for everyone. Private tutor Wendy Ng, 38, said half of her regular students have requested to stop lessons for now. 

“(One of the) main difficulties is that not all parents or students are accepting of online lessons. Some have requested to stop tuition for now. Also, it has become more time consuming to conduct the lessons since there is more preparation needed before lessons,” she told CNA. 

Ms Ng said she has lost about 40 per cent of her usual income from the cancellations. She uses Zoom for online tutoring with her students and charges the same amount for online lessons. 

“Work is assigned to students to complete in advance. (They) send it back to me to check, and then we can go through during the online session. So there is more pre-work to be done before actual lessons,” adding that speaking to students on a video call is quite different from face-to-face. 

“We tend to misunderstand each other quite a bit.”

EXERCISING FROM HOME

Other types of lessons have also shifted online to deal with the realities of the circuit breaker measures.

Water bottles, laptop bags, suitcases and chairs – these are some of the “workout gear” personal trainer Patrick Siew has got his clients to use as they exercise from home.

Mr Siew now uses video conferencing apps to remotely coach clients who sweat it out by doing kettlebell swings with a laptop bag or squats while holding heavy water bottles.

While there are many online exercise videos and apps out there, there are people who prefer to have interaction with a trainer over video, he said. The trainer can also monitor what the client is doing and correct their form. He may continue such classes in future if there is demand, he added.

“It seems to work with a lot of people who have very busy schedules and they can’t get out.”

Yoga teacher War War Lwin Tun, founder of Ohmsantih Yoga is also considering extending her online offerings even after the circuit breaker period is over.

Former students of hers, such as public relations director Julie Chiang, have signed up for her new Zoom classes, which were launched on Apr 6.

Ms Chiang, a mother of three, said that she stopped attending classes because she was busy with the children and travelling to the yoga studio took up too much time.

“When she started doing (Zoom classes), I jumped at the chance to sign up,” she said.

READ: COVID-19: Fines, prosecution in court for repeat offenders of ‘circuit breaker’ measures

Ms Lwin Tun has also reconnected with students who have moved overseas, from places including Mauritius, Tokyo and France.

“There are lockdowns everywhere, so they’re very happy about this – that’s something cool that’s come out of this,” she said.

Since lockdowns have begun around the world, virtual classes have erased geographical boundaries, with major gyms and fitness memberships rolling out free online classes. 

ClassPass has been providing free on-demand exercise classes on its app, while subscribers can use their credits to attend livestreamed classes from studios or instructors around the world. 

Users can log in live for a session from anywhere, said Mr Sam Canavan, regional director of ClassPass APAC.

“We expect Singapore to have more than 100 local partners offering livestream before the end of May,” he said.

Gym chains such as Fitness First have also been streaming classes on social media. 

“The response we have received so far has been positive and we’re seeing much higher engagement on the posts,” said Mr Anil Chugani, country manager of Fitness First Singapore.

The gym has also introduced a “30-Day Challenge” on social media for people to contribute creative home workouts using ordinary household items in place of gym equipment.

The People’s Association has also decided to livestream “bite-sized classes” so that residents and senior citizens “can continue to lead an active and healthy life” from home. 

The viewership of the virtual lessons is “encouraging”, said a PA spokesperson. Over the past three weeks, the viewership for the PAssion L!VE and Virtual CC classes have doubled, she added. 

“PA has taken a holistic approach in curating and planning courses so that it is highly accessible for seniors and their families. There are plans for webinars, online classes to be rolled out in stages to enhance the online learning experience,” said the spokesperson.

SINGAPORE: At one point of time, there were so many tubes and devices attached to the body of Bambang Sugeng Kajairi that he would joke with family members that he was Iron Man.

He didn’t feel quite as invincible as the Marvel superhero.

First, a high fever seemed to lay siege to his body. “I could feel the fever coming up, and they did tell me that my fever was moving up quite rapidly,’ he recalled. “I think on that night the fever was at 39.8 (degrees Celsius) and I was at 39.8 for several nights.”

Next came strange hallucinations a couple of nights into his stay at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). 

They would come like a thief in the night. Sometimes at 11pm, sometimes at 1am. Was he awake, was he asleep?  In the feverish haze, the 55-year-old Singaporean couldn’t tell.

“I started hallucinating, but I did not tell the doctors I was hallucinating until towards the period where I felt comfortable enough to tell them,” he recalled. “Because I didn’t know whether hallucinations were part of the thing that COVID-19 patients went through.”

Mr Bambang, who is a businessman, began seeing images that seemed utterly random. 

There would be one where he was in a Dutch bakery and was trying to buy a percentage of the company. In another, he would be wondering why he was reporting his temperature to an accounting firm.

“That was the scary part, and I think it was the temperature that was really, really playing on my mind,” he said. “Then I saw images of people that had passed away. Those were very, very tough nights … When those images came up, it got me seriously worried.

“Finally, I managed to say it … and tell the doctors.” Much to his relief, they said the hallucinations were normal.

Then came energy-sapping pneumonia. And Mr Bambang had to be given 4 litres of oxygen through a nasal cannula to help support his breathing.

“I won’t lie, there was one day that I broke down,” he recalled. “That was the day I thought I was at my lowest, I was thinking: ‘How come I am not getting any better, why am I getting worse and worse?’

READ: We didn’t know there was a virus inside of us’: A young couple’s fight against COVID-19

“Was I afraid? I think it was seven or eight days into the whole thing that I felt: ‘Wow, this is a toughie.'”

WHEN IT HIT ‘BIG TIME’

This had all started just a few days earlier in mid-March. 

Mr Bambang, the director of local company Aqua Munda, had just returned from an urgent five day business trip to the UK. There, he had also been trying to make arrangements for his son who was studying there to return to Singapore due to the COVID-19 situation.

“I had to get my son back – he was scheduled for an operation on Mar 18 in London,” Mr Bambang said. “We were trying to sort out whether the operation was a necessary one to go through with (at that moment), because of what was happening in the UK.

“It turned out that on the eve of his operation, (the hospital) postponed it because it was considered non-essential.”

Hours after touching down in Singapore where he was served his Stay-Home Notice (SHN), Mr Bambang began to feel “a bit sickly”. 

“I was not sure whether it was jet lag,” he explained. “At my age, travelling is a bit of a pain. But I felt feverish so I slept through and at about 2.30am, I woke up and felt a bit uncomfortable … I tried sleeping it off but next morning I woke up and I found my temperature was quite high.”

On the advice of the People’s Association, which is the organisation people on an SHN are told to initially call if they need to go out to visit a doctor, he visited the nearest clinic to his home. There, the thermometer read 39.1 degrees Celsius. A ambulance was then dispatched to take him to NCID for testing.

“That was when it hit me that I probably could have COVID-19,” he said. “It only crossed my mind at 39.1 because I’ve come back from trips very tired. But when the temperature soared that high, that got me seriously worried.”

After being tested at NCID, Mr Bambang had to return home to await his results. The next morning, he was told that he was COVID-19 positive.

“That hit me big time,” he said. “It was a bit of numbness … There were two quite contradictory thoughts. The first was: ‘Thank God I’m in Singapore, because our death rate is very low’ … But at the same time, there was a sense of not knowing what I was about to go through.”

‘MY BODY WAS TAKING A BEATING’

The turning point came about eight days into his stay at NCID.

“They approached me and said: ‘Look, your situation is not so good … Do you want to undergo a (clinical) trial test with a drug?” Mr Bambang recalled. “I had a quick thought about it and thought I had nothing to lose … That was perhaps the best decision that I made under the circumstances.

READ: ‘Running a marathon on the bed’: COVID-19 survivors describe their struggles with the coronavirus

“Physically, I was tired, I was drained. At the peak (of my situation), I couldn’t sit up for 30 minutes (or more), I would feel exhausted.”

While Mr Bambang did not know if he was actually administered the drug or a placebo due to the nature of the trial, he noticed that things finally started to take a turn for the better.

“Whatever it was, whether I was under the real drug or the placebo side, I can tell you that … my recovery after starting it was so much better.

“My body was taking a beating,” he said. “I think psychologically I was in a bad place because I was not sure what was happening to me.”

To Mr Bambang’s delight, his temperature readings started to gradually dip.

“My temperatures started dropping – 38.7, 38.5 and then the breakthrough was the day they said it was 37.9,” he explained. “I was very happy even thought they said it was still feverish. Then it started going down to 37.5, 37.3 and I knew by that time I had won the battle.”

But Mr Bambang attributes his recovery to more than just the clinical trial. It was also the constant encouragement of the doctors and nurses were vital in helping him pull through.

“The doctors were saying: ‘Come on, you can do it! You’ve (already) come so far!’ They were very reassuring and they said that it was important that they got me mentally strong as well,” he said. 

“The doctors kept reassuring me, they kept telling me not to worry – they would help me to pull through. They told me I had to go through this whole process. I had to go through the lowest point and then slowly things would start picking up.”

It wasn’t just the medical staff that Mr Bambang is effusive in his praise of.

“It’s not just the doctors and the nurses, but the cleaners as well … And they do this every day and they help so many of us,” he said. “These guys are just brilliant and they would do it with a smile!” he said.

READ: The Big Read: The untold sacrifices by frontline healthcare workers as they soldier on against COVID-19

There was also the moral support of family and friends that kept him going.

“They were very active on the chat groups, keeping me motivated,” Mr Bambang recalled. “And then my schoolmates from my days in SJI (St Joseph’s Institution) and from CJC (Catholic Junior College) … we all grouped back together, two of us were in hospital for the same thing … and so the group just started coming together. No matter what religion we were, we were all praying for each other.

“That massive support helped me to pull through. When you feel a lot of people pulling in for you, cheering you up, cheering you on. That makes a world of difference. “

After being discharged after 16 days in the hospital, Mr Bambang believes that it is his duty to also speak up about what he went through.

“The message needs to keep coming out, especially from those that have been through it that this is no joke,” he explained. “You guys got to be careful for your own safety and for your family.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve been through in my life … This one took a lot out of me.”