Singapore’s handling of the deadly coronavirus outbreak may have won plaudits from experts around the world, but Tao, a Chinese immigrant in the city state, is hoping that authorities do even more.
The 48-year-old recently lost his father to the Covid-19 illness caused by the virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan where some of his family and relatives live.
“My father died of pneumonia in Wuhan two days after the city was closed off, so I know how scary, pervasive and lethal the virus is,” he said, referring to the unprecedented lockdown of the capital of Hubei province and surrounding cities on Jan 23.
His father’s death has compounded Tao’s fears that a new wave of infections could hit Singapore.
“China’s methods to close off the affected cities have given Singapore some lead time to put in place measures, but there are new waves from South Korea and Europe that are about to come. They might have a greater impact on Singapore,” said the naturalised Singaporean, who asked to be identified only by his surname.
I will never change anything about myself today, even if I’m being judged for the way I look. It took me a few years to accept who I am and gain the confidence, following years of bullying in secondary school – all because I’m a plus-sized girl.
Last September, I started the #thebodywithin movement on Instagram to advocate body positivity and self-care. The movement encourages people who’re struggling to feel good about themselves, to share their stories and photos.
Along with the movement, I took the first step to share self-portraits and my story as a plus-sized woman.
I also started the movement because many young girls face the pressure to be socially acceptable in the way they look, often comparing themselves to others or trying to live up to certain expectations. I would know better because I have been there before.
Then, I was called all kinds of hurtful names that made me very self-conscious in school.
It stuck with me even after I graduated. I wanted to be someone else, even trying whitening products, and quick ways to slim down. I was unhappy and stressed out.
SINGAPORE: A malfunction on a conveyor system and dislodged pipeline supplying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) led to a fatal fire at Summit Gas Systems’ LPG facility last June, according to a report by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) published on Tuesday (Mar 10).
Investigations continue to establish responsibilities of the various parties, MOM added.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had described the blaze, which lasted for more than two hours, as the largest LPG fire it had to deal with, involving hundreds of highly flammable LPG cylinders at a facility about the size of two football fields.
Providing details of the sequence of events, MOM said before the fire, a pneumatic stopper had malfunctioned. The stoppers hold empty LPG cylinders waiting to be filled in a queue on a conveyor system.
As the semi-automated conveyor belt was still running, the cylinders collided against one another, causing the cylinder at the front of the queue to be misaligned.
A machine then pushed the cylinder into a filling station on a rotating carousel. But as the cylinder was misaligned, it fell into a gap between two filing stations.
A massive fire broke out at an LPG facility at Jalan Buroh in Jurong on Jun 21, 2019. (Image from video circulating on social media)
The toppled cylinder hit an exposed small-bore LPG pipeline between the filing stations on the carousel. This caused the pipeline to dislodge, releasing LPG gas into the open that subsequently ignited.
The source of the ignition is unknown, but a MOM spokesperson said that it is likely from an electric or static charge.
The three workers involved were operating the conveyor system, manually connecting and disconnecting the filling head to each cylinder.
They fled the scene once the fire broke out, but their ability to run was hindered as the escape route was restricted by a large number of cylinders placed around the conveyor system, the report noted. They were also not in fireproof gear.
MOM issued four learning points it hopes other companies, particularly those in the chemicals industry, will adhere to following the fatal incident:
Small-bore pipelines are vulnerable to external impact. Protective barriers should be placed around them to minimise the risk of accidental damage and harmful consequences.
Each of the system’s units had separate power switches. They should instead be connected to a master switch that can shut the entire process down during emergency situations.
Workers in areas where flammable substances are present should wear fire-retardant clothing.
All workplaces must have an effective emergency response protocol in place to any fire or explosion. For workplaces handling LPG or other flammable substances, there must be effective means to cut off the main supply of flammable substances at multiple locations. Persons are to be appointed and trained for this.
SCDF firefighters tackling the blaze at a Jurong LPG facility in Jalan Buroh on Jun 21, 2019. (Photo: Facebook/SCDF)
The MOM spokesperson said that while it is not mandatory for companies to implement the recommendations, the report serves a “record of what is expected (of these firms)”. It could be used to assess a similar company’s liability if it is is found to have comparable lapses in the future.
Summit Gas Systems is currently rebuilding its plant with MOM’s help, the ministry’s spokesperson said.
SINGAPORE: Eighty people were evacuated from a Sengkang Housing Board block early Tuesday morning (Mar 10) after a personal mobility device (PMD) caught fire while charging.
Residents of Block 111 Rivervale Walk were told by police to leave their homes after the fire broke out in a fourth-floor unit.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to the fire at about 5.30am.
Three people were trapped in the flat and firefighters had to break in through a living room window to rescue them.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus also broke in to the smoke-logged unit through the door to extinguish the flames, SCDF said in a Facebook post.
“The fire, which involved the contents of the living room, was extinguished with one water jet,” it added.
The fire broke out in a fourth-floor flat at Block 111 Rivervale Walk. (Photo: Facebook / Singapore Civil Defence Force)
Paramedics assessed the three occupants of the flat and two of their neighbours. All five people refused to be taken to hospital.
Preliminary investigations indicate the fire was of electrical origin, from a non-UL2272 certified PMD charging at the time, said SCDF.
Those who still have such PMDs are “strongly encouraged” to dispose of them at designated disposal points as soon as possible, said SCDF.
This is ahead of a July deadline later this year for PMDs to comply with the UL2272 safety certification.
Initially intended for the end of 2020, the deadline was brought forward following a recent spate of PMD-related fires.
Fires involving PMDs and electric bicycles caused 46 injuries in 2019, a 77 per cent spike from the 26 injuries in 2018. This includes one fatality last year, when a 40-year-old man who was rescued from a PMD-related fire in Bukit Batok died in hospital.
SINGAPORE: As Italy went into a nationwide lockdown, a Singaporean studying in Florence shared his experience of dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
“There’s a lot of anxiety going on in Florence,” Mr James Khoo told CNA, as the unprecedented nationwide measures to curtail the spread of the disease were enforced on Tuesday (Mar 10).
Unlike the northern regions of Italy, Tuscany, where Florence is, only went into lockdown mode on Tuesday. However, the 32-year-old Singaporean’s concerns over the outbreak began long before that.
“I’m very frightened about the racism against Asian people and it has been increasingly tense,” he said.
“I was called a ‘virus’ on the street by some (French-speaking) tourists,” he added, saying he felt irritated at the ignorance.
Mr Khoo, who is diabetic, also has other concerns regarding logistics and over his health.
He explained that a previous appointment to see a doctor was cancelled, and he was now concerned that he might have to fork out more to see a private specialist.
The ongoing outbreak has also made it harder for him to get supplies.
“If you go to pharmacies, you can’t find any surgical masks and some supermarkets have run out of toiletries,” he said.
“I’ve gone out to every single pharmacy in town – in the city centre and in the suburbs.”
He added: “In terms of wanting to go and buy food, it could also become a problem. I’m sure the (lockdown) will affect the farmers’ market which is generally cheaper.”
A picture taken on Feb 25, 2020 shows a pre-triage medical tent in front of Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Florence as Tuscany reported its first two cases of COVID-19. (Photo: AFP)
“WHY MUST I JEOPARDISE MY HEALTH?”
Italy closed all schools and universities until Mar 15, which after the latest announcement on new measures has been extended until Apr 3.
But Mr Khoo’s institution still runs lessons.
“I’ve told the owner of the school I don’t feel safe,” he said, explaining that his Italian language course comprised of private classes conducted in groups.
“I went to my private lesson last week, but the teachers were insisting the virus only affects old people, and not the young.”
He eventually made the decision to stop going for classes. “Why must I jeopardise my health?” he said.
Mr Khoo said that he was considering heading to another European country to wait out the lockdown in Italy if things get out of hand – or even return to Singapore.
“A lot of Singaporeans I know are leaving for other European countries. For the current lockdown, we aren’t sure what to do next,” he said, adding he was currently waiting on more information from Singapore authorities.
“A lot of foreign students are just leaving the country.”
Mr Khoo added: “I don’t think things are going to improve in Italy because measures were introduced quite late. There is no sense of organisation.”
A closed bar in Venice, as large parts of northern Italy go into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus AFP/ANDREA PATTARO
On Monday night, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared “all movement across the country” was to be avoided unless it was for work, reasons of necessity or health reasons.
Previous measures like quarantines and school closures did not help contain the spread of the virus in Italy – the worst affected European country.
“It is prohibited to gather in and outside bars open to the public … We cannot allow ourselves any more these occasions of meeting, which become occasions of contagion,” said Mr Conte.
The death toll in Italy is nearly at 500, with almost 10,000 confirmed cases.
The disease, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has spread to more than 100 countries and infected tens of thousands of people around the world.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday there was now a “very real” threat that the new coronavirus outbreak will become a pandemic, but stressed the virus could still be controlled.
It’s enough to make you install an adblocker program or (gasp!) actually pay foraYouTube Premium subscription. We’re talking, of course, about all the so-called internet marketing and wealth coaching gurus who’ve made their online presence very prominent via aggressive internet ads.
Their methods and messages vary, but the end goal is the same: to flex on people about their supposed entrepreneurial skills in running online businesses and how you — someone without any experience in it — can be just like them. They’re even kind enough to impart their money-making and passive income strategies through training courses, and all you need to do is open your hearts, minds and wallets to them.
Pasir Ris will link to the East-West Line as well as the upcoming first phase of the Cross Island Line, while Punggol will link to the North-East Line.
Riviera will connect to the existing station of the same name on the Punggol LRT line.
More than 40,000 households living near the stations will benefit from the new extension, Senior Minister of State for Transport Janil Puthucheary said on Tuesday (Mar 10).
Dr Puthucheary, who is also a Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, noted the gazetting of the Punggol extension was another step towards the completion of the Cross Island Line, which at 50km will be Singapore’s longest fully underground MRT line when completed.
He was speaking during a visit to the site of tunnels leading to the future Punggol Coast MRT station – which will serve the upcoming Punggol Digital District when completed in 2023 – together with Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Sun Xueling.
Artist’s impression of the new Punggol Coast MRT station. (Image: LTA)
When it comes to his health, retiree Tang Chong Meng says it pays for him to be digitally savvy.
The 72-year-old is one of 760-plus elderly Singaporeans who use the digital platforms WhatsApp and Facebook every day to access workout videos specially produced for 60- to 75-year-olds.
The video tutorials focus on strength, balance and flexibility (SBF) exercises, which become increasingly important as we age. “Since starting SBF exercises three months ago, I feel more confident and healthier,” Tang shares. “I used to experience knee pain when taking the stairs, but I don’t have that problem any more.”
The video tutorials – along with other health-related resources for the elderly – are part of “Ready, Steady, Go”, a non-profit health communication campaign that provides a fresh and interactive angle on fall prevention.
“Through this campaign, we hope to encourage older adults to take ownership of their health and incorporate SBF exercises into their daily lives,” says Yeo Sze-G, a final-year communications major at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and one of the team behind “Ready, Steady, Go”.
SINGAPORE: The cruise liner turned away from ports in Malaysia and Thailand due to COVID-19 docked in Singapore on Tuesday morning (Mar 10), with some passengers immediately taken to Changi Airport by bus.
The Costa Fortuna berthed at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre as part of a scheduled call, after the ship was barred from stopping in Penang and Phuket.
This despite the cruise operator stating there were no suspected COVID-19 cases on board although the ship was carrying dozens of Italian passengers.
The whole of Italy was placed on lockdown on Tuesday after it reported 97 more deaths from COVID-19, taking its toll to 463 with confirmed cases at 9,172. Italy has the largest death toll outside China.
Passengers CNA spoke to said the mood on board was generally fine, but some said they were disappointed they could not alight in Penang or Phuket. Some passengers said they had their temperature taken before disembarking.
The passengers included those from Germany, Australia, Slovenia and Romania.
Singapore authorities said on Monday that disembarking passengers would be checked by a doctor on board to ensure they were healthy.
Passengers entering Singapore would have their temperature taken, while those who had fever and/or symptoms of respiratory illness might be required to undergo a COVID-19 swab test. Passengers with no symptoms would be taken directly to the airport for onward flights, while those who have would be taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
The Costa Fortuna docked in Singapore on Mar 10, 2020. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
The cruise centre was closed to the public on Tuesday morning, as staff and security officers screened passes and prevented reporters from taking photographs.
The first batch of passengers left the centre at about 9am and were quickly ushered to a waiting coach. The coach displayed a label showing the number of a Singapore Airlines flight departing for Bangkok at 6.35pm on Tuesday.
Subsequent batches of around 30 to 40 passengers each were also taken to waiting coaches, tightly ushered by auxiliary officers keen on preventing them from speaking to the media.
Some of the coaches had labels showing the Crowne Plaza hotel in Changi Airport. Another coach had a label that indicated it was for members of the Dutch airline KLM.
Travellers from the Costa Fortuna disembark on Mar 10, 2020. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
“Nobody (on board) had fear,” a passenger from Germany said. “There’s no pain for us.”
A passenger from Romania said passengers were allowed to disembark in Langkawi, but not in Penang and Phuket.
“The cruise stopped in Phuket for four hours, then (moved off),” he said, making a hand gesture of a vehicle speeding off. “They told us that it’s closed.”
Another passenger from Australia said it was “upsetting” that her holiday was “cut short” as passengers were not allowed to disembark in Penang and Phuket.
“But it is what it is, (the virus) is worldwide,” she said, adding that it was still a “lovely” holiday.
