SINGAPORE: An accident at Changi Airport Terminal 2 bus interchange on Sunday (Feb 2) left the bus driver trapped and six passengers injured after the bus they were in hit a concrete pillar.
The bus was so badly crushed that Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) elite rescue team had to be deployed to the scene to rescue the trapped driver, a 35-year-old man.
(Photo: Facebook/Singapore Civil Defence Force)
SCDF said in a Facebook post on Sunday that it received a call for help at the bus interchange at about 12.30pm. Officers who arrived at the scene found the passenger bus “impacted against a concrete pillar”.
“The front of the bus was badly crushed inwards, pinning the driver in his seat,” SCDF said.
SCDF paramedics and medical crews from the Airport Emergency Service (AES) attended to the six passengers in the bus, aged between 24 and 70, before they were taken to Changi General Hospital.
Meanwhile, firefighters from Changi Fire Station and AES used hydraulic cutting tools to cut open the driver’s window, SCDF said.
“Due to the complexity of the rescue operation, rescuers from the SCDF’s elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) had to be deployed to the scene,” it added.
A DART Rescue Vehicle was used to pull the bus from the pillar, so as to give the rescuers more operating space.
“The DART rescuers had to first manoeuvre delicately within the limited space around the driver and with the aid of a slew of hydraulic rescue equipment, they finally gained access to the driver by prying the dashboard which had pinned his legs. They freed the driver through the rear exit doors of the bus,” said SCDF.
An emergency medical team from CGH was also at the scene to attend to the trapped driver.
The rescue operation lasted about 45 minutes, SCDF said.
“The driver was safely extricated and conveyed to CGH by an SCDF ambulance in a conscious state,” it added.
The police said they were alerted to an accident involving a bus along 60 Airport Boulevard at 12.30pm.
SINGAPORE: Singapore remains focused on “minimising” the risk of a community spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, said Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran on Sunday (Feb 2).
Several measures were announced over the past week, including widening travel restrictions for new visitors who have recent travel history to mainland China. These measures are “in the best interests of our community and society”, Mr Iswaran said.
“So our focus is to ensure, to the best of our ability, that the risk of a community spread in Singapore is minimised,” he added. “That is where our focus should be, resolutely.”
Mr Iswaran was responding to a question about the first death from the coronavirus outside China. Earlier Sunday, the Philippines reported that a 44-year-old man from Wuhan had died in a hospital in Manila after being tested positive for the coronavirus.
Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran speaks to a West Coast resident during a mask distribution exercise on Feb 1. (Photo: Facebook/S Iswaran)
As of Sunday, there are more than 14,000 confirmed cases worldwide. More than 300 people have died after contracting the virus.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday confirmed two additional imported cases of the Wuhan coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases here to 18. There is no evidence of community spread in Singapore, MOH said.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Chinese New Year event by the West Coast Vista Residents’ Committee, Mr Iswaran urged Singaporeans to remain calm.
“We are also counting on Singaporeans to cooperate with us, stay calm, get their information from the right sources, heed the advice that is being given, and to carry on with life as per normal to the best of our abilities,” he said.
“If we come together, we will pull through this,” the minister added.
Residents in West Coast collects mask at a Chinese New Year event on Feb 2. (Photo: West Coast Vista RC)
Mr Iswaran – who is a Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC – said while there is a “clear healthcare challenge”, it was also a “psychological and social challenge”.
“The response that we have seen from Singaporeans reinforces and attests to the character of our society – that we are a cohesive and resilient society,” he said.
He pointed to examples such as soldiers from the Singapore Armed Forces packing masks to be distributed to Singapore households, efforts from grassroots volunteers in reaching out to residents, and the “disciplined and orderly manner” in which residents collected their masks.
Speaking during a visit to a mask collection centre at Blangah Court CC, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said authorities had “multiple layers of defence” to rise to the public health challenge.
“But it takes the whole of community, the whole of society working close together, building trust with each other, and ensuring that in our society, there is that social compact, that one will take precautions (and) exercise social responsibility,” he said.
About 6 per cent of all households have collected their masks as of Saturday night, the minister added.
Whether you’re a bored local with a long weekend (or any weekend for the matter) coming up, or it’s your first time visiting Singapore, here’s a list of free things to do in Singapore that should help you rediscover or explore this island we call home.
TL;DR: FREE THINGS TO DO IN SINGAPORE
HEALTH EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The government is all about encouraging Singaporeans to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. And that means that there’re plenty of (free) activities to look forward to if you’d like to keep fit.
1. GROUP WORKOUTS IN THE HEARTLANDS
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has weekly initiatives where anyone can join instructor-led group workouts like:
Body Combat
HIIT
Piloxing
Yoga
and many more.
These workouts happen throughout the day (morning and evenings mostly, both during weekdays and weekends) and are held at heartland malls, parks, studios and gyms all over the island.
Now that it is 2020 and it has been close to one and a half years since my initial experience on BlueSG, I thought now’s a good checkpoint to see how BlueSG has progressed and assess the whole electric vehicle car-sharing scheme in Singapore’s context.
Within this period, they have increased their charging locations from 72 to 325 (as of this writing; includes both operational and planned), well on their way to complete setting up 500 charging locations in Singapore by the end of 2020.
To recap on what BlueSG is: it is part of LTA’s pilot programme on a national-level electric vehicle (EV) Car Sharing initiative, in which BlueSG, a subsidiary of Bollore Group, will install 2,000 BlueSG charging points at 500 locations by 2020. In fact, they have recently celebrated the commissioning of their 1000th EV charging point, so that’s certainly progress.
SINGAPORE – The authorities have said there is no need to avoid places where people suspected or confirmed to have the Wuhan coronavirus have been.
The government advisory, published on its Facebook page on Saturday (Feb 1), comes as a WhatsApp message has been circulating with a list of places allegedly visited by people suspected or confirmed to have the Wuhan coronavirus.
“This is false. There is no need to avoid places where persons with suspected or confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been,” the notice said.
“The risk of infection from transient contact, such as in public places, is low. There is also currently no evidence of community spread.”
Meanwhile, the National Environment Agency (NEA) also published a similar advisory on Saturday.
SINGAPORE – Two more cases of the Wuhan virus infection were confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday (Feb 1), bringing the total number to 18.
The 17th case is a 47-year-old Singaporean woman who travelled to Wuhan and is one of the 92 Singaporeans evacuated from the city on Thursday.
She was on the same specially arranged Scoot flight as the first Singaporean infected with the virus, who was also a 47-year-old woman.
Similarly, the second Singaporean to be infected with the virus was also asymptomatic when she boarded the flight.
Upon arrival at Changi Airport, she was found to have a fever during medical screening, and was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
She tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus infection on Friday at about 11pm.
The 18th case is a 31-year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on Jan 22.
She was tested positive for the infection on Saturday at about 2pm.
Both of the new cases are currently stable and warded in isolation rooms at the NCID.
SINGAPORE: Over the past week or so, the spotlight shifted very quickly from Chinese New Year festivities to the deadly coronavirus.
As a parent with three kids in primary school, I couldn’t help but feel on the edge as the day to return to school post-CNY drew near.
News about the compulsory leave of absence (LOA) for teachers and students returning from China helped settle the jitters somewhat but did not remove it completely.
I was also in a dilemma. As my second child was still recovering from a flu bug, I wasn’t entirely sure whether he was well enough to return to school. In the end, I kept all three at home on the first day.
To be absolutely honest, I’m not sure if it was more responsible parenting or paranoia driving that decision.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was gripped by fear, as a few of my daughter’s classmates were absent on that day too. But when she begged to go to school the next day, I relented.
What kind of message would I be sending my kids if I allowed fear to steer my every course?
FEAR IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
In the movie Inside Out, we get an insider perspective of what goes on in the emotional world of Riley, the main character of the show. It was fascinating to watch how each of her five basic emotions — Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger — took control at the console of her mind.
In today’s virus-warped world, it is apparent that Fear is in the driver’s seat.
This is the primary emotion that is causing people to grab and hoard masks, despite the government’s call to use them responsibly and only when feeling unwell.
It is the emotion driving restaurant owners in Korea to put up signs saying “no Chinese allowed”.
A child on the way to being dropped off at a My First Skool centre at Buangkok. (Photo: Matthew Mohan)
It is also the emotion that is causing us to think twice about sending our children to school.
Now it is perfectly normal to be fearful, given that there are a lot of unknowns about this virus: When it is contagious — upon infection or post-symptom, how it is transmitted, who are most at risk, and how long it will take to die down.
The accelerating pace of the virus spread in China and around the world is also making it hard to get a handle on the situation.
As parents, we worry that the situation will turn south very quickly, and we don’t want to see our offspring suffering needlessly.
So we pull out all the stops to ensure their safety, whether it is by keeping them home, driving them to and from school, skipping unnecessary events, or getting them masks.
More than a week back, many of us also called on the Government to take action and prevent Hubei nationals and travellers from entering Singapore when the situation took a turn for the worse, a move that was eventually made.
But the questions remain: How much is safe enough?
And for a parent, is school okay but not tuition and enrichment activities? How long can we maintain this state of hyper-vigilance?
Last Thursday, I brought my boys for their usual badminton lessons and we practically had the entire hall to ourselves.
We all hope that the virus will disappear in weeks, and that it will neither run the months-long course as SARS nor come anywhere close to the impact it had.
But one thing seems certain: We have not seen the peak yet, and the number of infected cases around the world is going to rise. Elsewhere including the US, community spread has already occurred.
Experts are saying the virus may continue for the next few months given how fast it’s been spreading.
KEEPING ANXIETY IN CHECK
My WhatsApp chat groups have been buzzing with information shared by parents on how to protect ourselves and where to get masks, sanitisers and anti-bacterial wipes.
While mostly useful, it also induces anxiety. The past week, I’ve noticed moments when I felt harried and breathless, and I think it could be my body’s stress response.
In the first few days of the newsbreak, I also found myself using negative terms such as “your immunity will be weak” or “the virus will make you very sick” in a bid to scare them into washing their hands properly before meals.
A primary school student washing her hands during recess time. (File photo: MOE)
I’ve since tried to be more measured in my word choices, so as not to create greater anxiety in my kids, using a more positive tone such as “let’s keep ourselves healthy during this period”.
It may seem small in the scheme of things but this is the time to exercise leadership and role-modelling as parents. Part of this is to avoid stressing our kids out unduly.
LEARNING FROM THE JAPANESE
When a perceived threat is imminent and unknown, we will all experience a period of heightened fear and irrational behaviour.
Because of the scarcity of masks or other health-related goods, people start to eye one another suspiciously. Every sneeze or slight clearing of throat is enough to get you stares on public transport.
Caution is certainly needed but we may need time to adjust and allow other healthier emotions to take their rightful place at the wheel, perhaps those of perseverance, hope and level-headedness.
In this regard, we could learn from the Japanese. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Children there are taught earthquake survival skills early on in their lives.
Schools run regular earthquake drills, educating kids on the best way to stay safe during an earthquake.
One common strategy taught is for children to get under their desks and hold onto their table legs until the trembling is over. If playing outside, children are taught to go to the centre of an open space to avoid falling objects.
Since we will need time to bring the virus to heel, we should instill good hygiene habits in our young.
From washing hands properly, to practising good cough etiquette by covering your mouth or using a mask, and handling and disposing masks carefully — if we train them up well in these areas, as a society we will enjoy stronger defences against the coronavirus and future viruses as well.
A pre-school teacher applies sanitiser for a child.
Along with staying home if one is ill instead of heading out, these are good habits we should instill in our children irrespective of news of this pandemic.
A PARENT’S WISH LIST
When I picked the kids up after school last week, I asked if their teachers had encouraged them to wash their hands, or given them more water breaks to hydrate their bodies.
I was a tad disappointed to hear that there were no such exhortations.
Granted, even if the teachers instruct, kids being kids, some may not take these seriously and just do a cursory wash. So parents cannot abdicate our responsibility in drilling our kids.
Given the potential danger a community spread in schools could cause, I think more can be done in the area of educating our children on hygiene and viral protection.
Experts have emphasised that this battle will not be won on the back of masks or sanitisers, but one’s level of personal hygiene.
Dr Leong Hoe Nam, Infectious Disease Specialist humorously shared his golden rule in a radio interview: “Don’t touch your face. Your face is sacred.”
I told this to my children and they laughed; I certainly hope it makes the message stick.
I think schools have done well thus far in keeping parents abreast of the latest protective measures.
File photo of a pre-school child undergoing a check for signs of hand, foot and mouth disease.
Apart from daily temperature taking and implementing the LOA, they can also consider using curriculum time set aside for Health Education or PAL (Programme for Active Learning) to inculcate healthy hygiene habits.
After all, real-life experiences, even crises, are often where textbook lessons can be brought to life
THE CHOICES WE EXERCISE
We do not know how this pandemic will pan out, but we can control our thoughts and choices today.
By all means, take the necessary precautions but in order to emerge unscathed through this crisis, we need to balance fear with equal doses of calm, wit and trust.
By practising good hygiene habits as a family, we can go about our daily lives like the Japanese children, with hope and optimism while constantly vigilant for the next alarm.
If we manage ourselves well, this crisis could turn out to be an opportunity for us and our children to learn a kind of resilience that could shelter Singapore for years to come — no matter what virus mutations come our way.
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the Wuhan virus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
June Yong is a mother of three, an educational therapist and owner of Mama Wear Papa Shirt, a blog that discusses parenting and education in Singapore.
SINGAPORE: When the Hougang Community Club opened its doors at 2pm on Saturday (Feb 1) for the first day of mask collection, there were as many volunteers waiting as there were residents in line.
“We had about 10 to 20 people in the queue in the first hour so we cleared that very fast,” said Community Club Management Committee chairman for Hougang SMC Joel Leong. “It was a very small queue … We haven’t seen a big crowd (in the first two hours).”
These scenes were similar to those at other distribution centres across the island, during a largely uneventful first day of mask collection for members of the public.
Residents collecting face masks at a Residents’ Committee centre on Feb 1, 2020. (Photo: Rauf Khan)
Face masks being distributed at Hougang Community Club on Feb 1, 2020. (Photo: Rauf Khan)
Earlier in the week, it was announced that each Singapore household will receive four surgical face masks, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said, amid worries over the Wuhan coronavirus and long queues for masks at retailers across the island.
The masks – a pack of four sealed in a bag – will be progressively made available at 89 Community Centres (CCs) and 654 Residents’ Committee (RC) centres, he said.
Collection of the masks, which are free, is expected to be completed by Feb 9.
A total of 1,500 Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel from Thursday packed 5.2 million surgical masks for distribution to the public.
In a Facebook update on Saturday, SAF said the packing of masks had been completed.
SAF also commended all personnel who worked around the clock to pack the masks for delivery to community centres and community clubs.
A resident collecting face masks at a Residents’ Committee Centre in Woodlands, Feb 1, 2020. (Photo: Rauf Khan)
A resident collecting face masks at a Residents’ Committee Centre in Woodlands, Feb 1, 2020. (Photo: Rauf Khan)
When CNA visited Woodlands Zone 1 Residents’ Committee Centre at 1.30pm, distribution counters had been set up, with fewer than five residents milling about, hoping to secure a mask early.
Five minutes before distribution time, queues of about ten people had formed.
“I expected (a line of people) that’s why I came here to see my chances of getting it earlier,” said a resident who only wanted to be known as Mr Tan. “I came here to collect it just in case myself or my family members needed it, it’s nice to know that at least this is being issued.”
At the Kampong Chai Chee Linear Green Residents’ Network (RN) at Bedok, there was a steady stream of residents collecting masks but no queue when CNA visited at 5.30pm.
RN chairman Jason Ng described the collection process as “orderly”.
“We thought there would be more people … but end up it turned out quite okay,” he said. “This was because we staggered the collection time for different blocks … We were worried it would be overcrowded in the first place, (so this was) to make sure that they come down in different timings.
“Initially it was slightly more but as time went by, the crowd is got lesser and lesser. It was quite orderly.”
Residents collecting face masks at a Residents’ Committee Centre, Feb 1, 2020. (Photo: Rauf Khan)
While residents were pleased with the initiative, it was pointed out that four masks could potentially not be enough for larger families.
“There are times when we need to bring the kids to the hospital or clinic so this will come in handy,” said Mdm Ng Wei Ping, who has three children. “This initiative is good but it’s just that for my family, we have more than four people.”
At the Hougang Community Club earlier in the evening, only about 15 people collected masks within 40 minutes.
Face masks being distributed at Hougang Community Club, Feb 1, 2020. (Photo: Rauf Khan)
Some residents were unable to collect face masks at Hougang Community Club. (Photo: Rauf Khan)
One of those who had collected the masks was Mr Tan Kim Keong.
“I expected there would be a lot of people at 2pm,” said Mr Tan, who also echoed Mdm Ng’s comments that more masks would have been useful. “I think most Singaporeans would have wanted to come later … The process was quite fast.”
To find out when and where you should collect your set of masks, check maskgowhere.sg or call 1800-333-9999.
SINGAPORE: The tourism and transport sectors will get targeted help from the Government to deal with the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Saturday (Feb 1).
Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said: “The most directly affected sectors will be transport and tourism. And for that, we need targeted measures that address the needs of this sectors.”
The full details of the measures to help these sectors will be announced during the upcoming Budget on Feb 18, Mr Heng said.
The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a joint press release on Saturday that these sectors have been affected by a decline in air traffic through Changi and an increase in hotel room cancellations.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat speaking to staff at Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker)
Speaking to reporters at Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa after meeting staff there to find out how they are dealing with the situation, Mr Heng warned of a broader slowdown across the economy.
“For that, we will have a strong Budget in 2020,” he said.
The Government, which is expecting a knock-on impact on related industries and firms, is prepared to support companies and workers in the event of a broad-based slowdown in the coming months, the ministries said.
This includes helping them with short-term cash flow problems,
Measures could also help firms retain and train their employees by providing some support for part of their wage costs, the ministries added.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat speaking to drivers, accompanied by NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker)
“The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak emerged unexpectedly, amidst early signs of stabilisation in the global economy,” the ministries said.
Mr Heng, his ministry and MTI stressed that the situation is rapidly evolving.
“Depending on how the Wuhan coronavirus situation progresses, the impact on our economy could broaden and intensify. This will add to the uncertainties about the economy and about jobs,” the ministries said.
Even as the Government helps firms and workers get through this challenging period, it will continue to work together with tripartite partners to restructure the economy, build new enterprise capabilities, and upskill workers for the future, the ministries said.
“As the Wuhan coronavirus situation continues to be fast developing, the Government will continue to keep a close watch on the situation and implement decisive measures as soon as needed.
Mr Heng said that for the upcoming Budget, he had already prepared a package that took into account the economic slowdown due to the trade war between the United States and China.
“But with this (outbreak),we are prepared to do more,” he said.
He said that many people have expressed concerns about the economy and how the situation will change.
“I fully understand Singaporeans’ concerns. And I want to assure everyone that the Government will take coordinated action of all fronts,” he said.
Two traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners have been suspended for professional negligence and misconduct after a customer had to undergo surgical operations for neck pains and third-degree burns.
The TCM Practitioners Board said in a statement on Friday (Jan 31) that it had found registered practitioners Joseph Yap Kwok Ann and Xia Rong Rong guilty of professional misconduct and negligence, and improper conduct and actions under the TCM Practitioners Act.
The husband and wife, who both work at Annie Tiang TCM in East Coast Road, were suspended for 30 months and nine months, respectively.
The suspensions started from Dec 27, 2019. The couple were also issued with letters of censure and asked to provide written undertakings to the board stating that they would not commit similar breaches again.
They were also told to foot the bill for the inquiry and proceedings against them.
The couple were penalised after a customer filed a complaint through statutory declaration against the two practitioners in October 2016.
