SINGAPORE: Foreign workers living in dormitories will now undergo a more targeted quarantine approach to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, in a bid to minimise work disruption and for measures to be more sustainable.

Workers may now be quarantined by levels or sections instead of entire blocks, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a press release on Friday (Sep 25). 

The ministry also said workers who have recovered and are within 150 days since their infection would not be quarantined. 

The more targeted approach follows a review by MOM and the Ministry of Health (MOH) of purpose-built dormitories, decant sites, factory-converted dormitories and construction temporary quarters. 

MOM said the two ministries have also taken into account that many dormitories have implemented tighter safe living measures to limit intermixing between residents.

“In dormitories that have no intermixing between workers, where workers observe Safe Living Measures and where segregation measures that have been put in place by dormitory operators, workers may be quarantined by levels or sections instead of the entire blocks,” MOM said.

“Those who have recovered and are within 150 days from their infection will not be quarantined. This is in view of the latest medical evidence which showed that these workers continue to have antibodies to guard against reinfection.”

Previously, when new COVID-19 cases were detected, the following workers living in the same block would be quarantined: those not previously infected, or those who had recovered and 120 days had passed since their infection.

READ: About 10% of construction sites inspected since June found with ‘shortcomings’ in safe management measures: BCA

In the press release, MOM gave an example of this new targeted approach.

At Westlite Woodlands dormitory, following detection of a new infection through rostered routine testing, the close contacts of the infected person living in the same block were quarantined. Under the previous approach, this would have affected all 318 workers in the block. 

With the new approach, only 68 workers were quarantined as proper safe living measures were in place to ensure proper segregation, such that the remaining six levels were not affected.

To derive the maximum benefit from the differentiated approach, dormitory operators, workers and employers need to do their part, MOM said.

These include sustaining and complying with safe living measures and ensuring workers consistently undergo rostered routine testing.

NEW CLUSTERS EMERGED AFTER DORMITORIES CLEARED OF COVID-19

All of Singapore’s dormitories were declared clear of COVID-19 on Aug 18. Since then, however, more than 800 new COVID-19 cases have been detected in the last month at dormitories.

As of Thursday, a total of 21 dormitories have new clusters.

READ: Toh Guan Dormitory residents to be tested for COVID-19 more often in pilot to detect cases earlier

The first new cluster, at Sungei Tengah Lodge, was reported on Aug 22 and has grown to have 216 new COVID-19 cases in about a month. Sungei Tengah Lodge is the largest purpose-built dormitory in Singapore, with more than 16,000 workers living there. 

Before it was declared cleared by MOM on Jul 21, the cluster had more than 2,200 cases linked to it.

The next biggest new cluster is at Avery Lodge Dormitory, which was identified on Sep 10. In about two weeks, 128 new COVID-19 infections have been discovered there. It was previously declared cleared by MOH on Aug 10, and the cluster was closed. 

There have been 118 cases at the new cluster at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory since it was identified about three weeks ago (Sep 3). 

Westlite Toh Guan was one of the first dormitories to have a COVID-19 cluster before Singapore’s “circuit breaker” period, but it was previously declared cleared of COVID-19 on Aug 14.

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SINGAPORE: Pre-schools in Singapore intend to continue enforcing the use of masks in schools for children under six, even though the legal cut-off age for children who need to wear masks will be adjusted up from Monday (Sep 28).

The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Wednesday that the legal cut-off age for children who need to wear masks will be raised to six years old, up from the current two years old. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) had earlier said young children below six may not have the coordination necessary to use masks properly. 

READ: COVID-19: Legal cut-off age for children to wear masks to be raised to 6 years old 

Responding to CNA queries, NTUC First Campus, which manages My First Skool pre-schools, said it will continue to follow MOH’s guidelines to “strongly encourage young children to use a mask or face shield” especially in group settings like pre-school.

“MFS (My First Skool) children have adapted well to mask or face shield wearing in the past few months with the support of our teachers. MFS had developed resources to help children when they transited from home back to pre-school after the circuit breaker,” said a My First Skool spokesperson. 

Adding that the centres will continue to engage parents to ensure that the children wear masks or face shields in the pre-schools, the spokesperson said My First Skool will also continue to educate staff and children on the proper wearing, removal and handling of the masks and face shields.

“There are times during the day when it may not be practical or necessary for children to wear masks or face shields. For example, masks or face shields are not needed during meals and nap time. As a precautionary measure during nap time, pre-schools position children further apart from one another when they sleep,” the spokesperson said. 

Etonhouse International Education Group, which manages EtonHouse Pre-school and anchor operator E-Bridge Pre-school, also intends to ensure all children at its centres aged two and above continue to wear masks or face shields, as detailed in a circular sent out by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), said executive director Mr Ng Yixian.

“The health and safety of our community is the top priority, and we will continue to work very closely with the relevant authorities and implement their required measures across all our schools,” he added. 

CNA has contacted ECDA for comment.

COMMENTARY: COVID-19 – Legal cut-off age for children to wear masks to be raised to 6 years old 

Mr Ng and chief operating officer of Global EduHub Mr Peh Yi Han both noted that with the use of masks and face shields, parents have observed that their children fall sick less often. Global EduHub runs more than 20 pre-schools, including Mulberry Learning, Little Greenhouse and Alphabet Playhouse.

Adding that the children “have adapted very well” to wearing a mask or face shield, Mr Ng said parents have been supportive of the measures.

“However, with younger children, some parents are concerned with the prolonged use of the masks that it may be uncomfortable for the children. Some have deferred the start date for pre-school to a later date in hopes that their child will be older and more mature to deal with masks for longer periods of time,” said Mr Ng.

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“Forging a close partnership between parents and teachers” has helped reinforce the habit of wearing masks or face shields in pre-school centres and outdoors, said Global EduHub’s Mr Peh.

“We find that gentle encouragement from the child’s peers and teachers has worked well, and the majority of the children in our preschools do not have issues wearing masks,” he added.

On top of ensuring that the children wear masks or face shields, My First Skool said it has also increased the frequency of temperature checks for children, staff and parents. It is also cleaning its pre-school centres more frequently. 

The centres also use ultraviolet commercial sterilisers to thoroughly sanitise commonly shared items such as toys and stationery, the spokesperson said. 

READ: COVID-19: What the law says about having to wear a mask when outside your home

At EtonHouse’s Islander Pre-school, its principal wrote a book that details the importance of wearing masks when the school realised that some parents were “struggling” to put on masks for their younger children, said Mr Ng.

He added that the children have been taught how to put on their masks, sanitise their hands before and after they put on their masks, and put away their masks in a proper way.

“Most children have adapted exceptionally well to the practices in school even with the youngest toddlers,” he said.

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SINGAPORE: Twenty new species of fauna have been recorded on Pulau Ubin during a biodiversity survey of the island, including a type of spider that is new to science, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee in a Facebook post on Friday (Sep 25).

Six of the fauna species are new to Singapore, comprising four types of spiders, a butterfly and a bird.

READ: IN FOCUS: How urbanised Singapore is learning to live with its wildlife

The Comprehensive Ubin Biodiversity Survey (CUBS) also recorded 13 species of fauna new to Pulau Ubin such as bats, birds and dragonflies.

“The unique biodiversity found on Pulau Ubin is fascinating. This has been confirmed by the new findings from our Comprehensive Ubin Biodiversity Survey (CUBS),” said Mr Lee.

“More than 160 field surveys, involving citizen scientists from various nature groups, researchers and NParks, have been conducted since CUBS commenced in 2018. Since then, 20 new species of fauna have been recorded, including the Piranthus sp, a new species of spider recorded for science.”

The new species of spider was first collected in Brunei in 2012 and identified then as part of a different genus. It had also been collected in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, mangroves in Lim Chu Kang.

A specimen of the spider was also discovered in a secondary forest in Pulau Ubin during the biodiversity survey, and researchers identified it as a new, undescribed species under the Piranthus genus.

The first two pairs of legs in the female spiders are bright reddish-orange.

READ: Singapore to plant 1 million trees, develop more gardens and parks by 2030

The survey is still in progress for the other taxonomic groups, including phasmids (leaf and stick insects), mammals as well as moths. It is targeted for completion at the end of this year. More than 200 individuals have been involved.

In his Facebook post, Mr Lee also announced that NParks will be starting on a reforestation project with more than 16,000 trees from more than 70 native species planted progressively at three sites on Pulau Ubin.

The sites – the 10-hectare Balai Quarry South, Sungei Teris (5ha) and Jalan Jelutong (1ha) – were previously used for granite mining and aquaculture and have since been abandoned. 

READ: Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network to be established, includes new Lim Chu Kang Nature Park

READ: NParks unveils 10-year action plan to make Singapore’s rainforests more resilient

Currently, the sites are covered with non-native invasive plant species and do not support a high diversity of wildlife.

This reforestation effort is part of Singapore’s One Million Trees movement. As its name suggests, the movement aims to plant more than 1 million trees in Singapore over the next 10 years. 

Reforestation at Pulau Ubin has been ongoing since 2001 at several sites across the island. 

In addition, the floating wetlands project at Pekan Quarry in Pulau Ubin has been completed.

The quarry is home to many wetland species that reside on the island. In order to enhance it as a habitat, NParks piloted a floating wetlands system at the quarry in 2015. 

The total size of the new floating wetlands system is now more than 4,000 sqm, increasing the size of the floating wetlands at the quarry to cover about 20 per cent of its water surface.

Apart from enhancing the biodiversity of Pulau Ubin, various measures are in place to assist villagers on the island, said Mr Lee. 

These efforts include a plan to make Pulau Ubin more accessible for people from all walks of life, improvements to a makeshift “taxi stand” on the island as well as repairs to homes.

“We want to make Ubin inclusive for everyone. We have plans to construct a floating pontoon jetty at Ubin Living Lab, where wheelchair users can embark and disembark smoothly,” Mr Lee said.

“Accessible Ubin, with the support of FUN and NParks, (has) drafted a proposed design for the floating pontoon jetty following consultations with stakeholders such as the community and agencies. We will finalise the design soon, and start construction works thereafter.”

SINGAPORE: Two people were arrested at Tanjong Pagar on Thursday (Sep 24) for separate incidents of dangerous driving.

Four people were taken to hospital, including a Traffic Police officer who was hit by one of the cars.

It started at about 11.50am on Thursday when police officers on patrol at an open space car park along Bayfront Avenue saw a vehicle with a missing front bumper. 

According to the police, a 32-year-old man in the driver’s seat ignored requests to alight from the vehicle and sped off instead.

“A chase ensued and the pursuit came to a halt when the car mounted a kerb along Anson Road after colliding with a taxi and another passenger car,” said the police on Friday in response to CNA’s queries.

The suspect then tried to flee on foot, they added.

He was later arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous driving causing hurt and suspected drug-related offences. 

The suspect, as well as two people from the other car involved in the accident, were conscious when taken to Singapore General Hospital.   

“The 72-year-old taxi driver had no visible injuries,” said the police. 

While conducting investigations at the scene of that accident, a 32-year-old Traffic Police officer was knocked down by another passing car at the junction of Anson Road and Prince Edward Road.

She was conscious when taken to Singapore General Hospital, the police said. 

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the 36-year old male driver of the passing car had failed to keep a proper lookout. He was arrested for dangerous driving causing hurt,” they added.

Photos and videos on the Singapore roads accident Facebook page show police pinning down a suspect on the sidewalk, with a silver car that had mounted a kerb nearby. Its bonnet was damaged. A police dog was at the scene. 

Another photo shows a Traffic Police officer lying on the road.

Police said investigations are ongoing.

SINGAPORE: On Sep 15, financial adviser Clement Tan was waiting at a bus stop in front of Block 201 Pasir Ris Drive 1, when a bus for service 21 pulled up in front of him. 

The 29-year-old realised something was amiss – the bus remained stationary and passengers began alighting en masse. Mr Tan noticed then that there was a “conflict” between the driver and a passenger. 

Separately, Muhammad Mu’tasim Kassim approached the bus because he was curious about the small crowd that had gathered outside. 

“I saw someone verbally abusing the bus driver,” said the 25-year-old university student. “I called the police because he started shoving the bus captain around.”

He saw then that the passenger had started raining punches on the driver, and moved to subdue the man with Mr Tan and another passerby. 

The three pulled the man out of the bus and pinned him to the ground while waiting for the police to arrive. 

Mr Tan and Mr Mu’tasim said their respective experiences in National Service – as a commando in the armed forces and a police officer respectively – had helped them in restraining the man. 

READ: Man charged with assaulting bus driver, SBS Transit says the accused boarded vehicle without mask

On Sep 17, Ja’afally Abdul Rahim, 52, was charged with voluntarily causing hurt to the driver, Mr Low Kok Weng.

He was also charged with possessing an offensive weapon – a knife with a 6cm blade and a 6cm handle – on the bus.

“I didn’t feel any fear, because I was pretty sure that he wasn’t carrying any weapon, so I just thought that he was maybe intoxicated. So I just focused on subduing the person,” said Mr Mu’tasim.

Mr Low is back at work, albeit having been temporarily deployed to another route as a precautionary measure, said SBS Transit’s acting chief executive officer Cheng Siak Kian. He described the bus driver as “very resilient”. 

Mr Cheng said Mr Low had expressed interest in pursuing civil action against his alleged assailant, and that SBS Transit was providing him with any legal aid necessary in the matter. 

For their efforts in protecting Mr Low, Mr Tan and Mr Mu’tasim were commended by SBS Transit on Friday (Sep 25) in a small ceremony at the Tampines bus interchange, where the two men were given a hamper and a certificate of appreciation. 

“My parents were actually quite happy that I managed to help the community. My grandmother did chide me for trying to be a hero,” said Mr Mu’tasim, adding that he would not hesitate to assist should another similar situation arise. 

“At the end of the day, you know, we’re just helping other people out.” 

STRENGTHENING PROTECTION FOR DRIVERS

In an earlier statement, SBS Transit said the alleged assailant had boarded the bus without wearing a mask, putting one on only after he was in the vehicle. 

He later hurled vulgarities at the driver, and attacked him by grabbing him at the neck and collar before the police arrived, SBS Transit said. 

“This year alone, we have had close to 40 cases of public bus transport workers being assaulted – more than the 33 we had in the whole of 2019.  Of the numbers to date, mask-related assaults accounted for about half,” said an SBS Transit spokesperson. 

The episode showed the necessity of “adequate protection” for public transport workers, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat, adding that they have a duty to protect the health of all commuters by reminding them to wear masks. 

“There are laws to protect our workers. It is a jailable offence. And I want to be clear about this, we are going to take a zero tolerance approach towards abuses against our transport workers,” he said. 

READ: No excuse to physically or verbally abuse bus captains: Ong Ye Kung

In a Facebook post, National Transport Workers’ Union (NTWU) executive secretary Melvin Yong said NTWU was committed to working with the Land Transport Authority and public transport operators to strengthen protection for bus drivers. 

In another post on Thursday, Mr Yong noted that transport operator SMRT will begin testing a plastic shield for its bus driver cabins.

The polycarbonate shield is 12mm thick and has a metal reinforcing arm to protect drivers to better protect drivers from someone throwing a punch, he said. 

He added that the shield also had film to minimise glare, an issue that had been raised with other variants tested in 2018.

SBS Transit bus drivers are trained to de-escalate situations that could lead to altercations, said the firm’s CEO Mr Cheng, who said de-escalation was the “number one protection” for its employees. 

A communications system on its buses allows drivers to relate such incidents to a control centre, which is then able to alert the police, he said, adding that the control centre is also able to view these incidents in real time through devices installed on its buses. 

While SBS Transit is testing the use of protective shields on board its buses, these are meant more as a protection against the possibility of COVID-19 infection, said Mr Cheng. 

The company is currently in discussions with suppliers on different materials that could be used for such shields, he said, adding that it is important that drivers be comfortable with their use, and that they should not impede their driving or safety. 

Safety on board public transport ultimately requires both transportation providers and commuters to work together as a community, he said. 

“It’s not just about the shields, it’s also about society,” he said.