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I am a Sovereign: Singapore woman who refused to wear face mask charged with breaking COVID-19 rules

May 7, 2020, 2:24 am
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Sovereign woman charged in court and remanded at IMH
By Shaffiq Alkhatib, Court Correspondent, The Straits Times, 6 Mar 2020

A woman accused of not wearing a mask at Shunfu Mart near Upper Thomson Road amid the coronavirus outbreak was charged in the district court yesterday with one count of being a public nuisance and three counts of violating COVID-19 rules.

Paramjeet Kaur, 40, who made headlines on Sunday after videos emerged of her claiming to be a "sovereign" when confronted at the market, allegedly failed to wear a mask when she was outside her home, as required by law, on more than one occasion.

Kaur was accused of failing to wear a mask over her nose and mouth when she went to a food stall in Upper Thomson Road at around 9.20pm on April 30.

She is similarly accused of not wearing a mask when she went to Shunfu Mart at around 12.20pm on Sunday. That same day, Kaur is said to have caused annoyance to the public by shouting loudly and creating a scene at the market.



She also allegedly ate at a table in front of a stall at Shunfu Mart at around 9.30am on April 14, seven days after circuit breaker measures began. The measures include no dining at hawker centres.

Kaur was arrested on Monday. She is represented by lawyer Satwant Singh.

Appearing in court via video-link from the Central Police Division building with a mask across her chin, Kaur said: "I am a living woman and that is my only capacity in this matter. I extend my sovereign immunity to Satwant and I asked Satwant to represent me."



In videos circulating online, the Singaporean, who was born here, can be seen claiming to be a "sovereign" while in a heated argument with passers-by.

"It means I have nothing to do with the police, it means I have no contract with the police. They have no say over me," she says.

A man, who is off-screen, responds: "This doesn't even make any sense. If you're a person in Singapore, you have to follow the rules of Singapore."

But the woman replies: "That's the thing - I'm not a person, I'm 'we the people'."

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam had commented on the incident on Monday, saying he checked what she might have meant by referring to herself as a "sovereign".



"There is a movement in the US, and adherents to that movement (broadly speaking) reject government, reject the police and any kind of authority," he wrote.

"Well and good. But then such people should not live within society - she should not expect any of the benefits that come from this system of governance, including her security, medical care, other benefits," he added.

A report by Chinese evening paper Lianhe Wanbao yesterday quoted a woman who identified herself as Kaur's mother, saying that Kaur is a physiotherapist who had lived in Australia for 20 years before returning last year.

Kaur will be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health and will be back in court on May 19.

























Woman filmed not wearing mask at Shunfu market and claiming police 'have no say' over her investigated for public nuisance
By Toh Ting Wei, The Straits Times, 4 Mar 2020

A Singaporean woman who was filmed not wearing a mask at Shunfu Market and engaging passers-by in a heated argument has been arrested for assaulting a member of the public, causing public nuisance and not wearing a mask.

The police said in a statement that they arrested the 40-year-old woman at 9.10pm on Monday (May 4).

"Everyone should take the circuit breaker measures seriously. The police will not tolerate such blatant disregard of the law and wilful breaches of safe distancing measures.

"Let us all do our part to curb the spread of COVID-19," the police added.

The woman will be charged in court on Tuesday (May 5).



Videos of the altercations have been circulating online since Sunday afternoon.

In one clip, the woman says to a couple of other people: "You don't tell people what to do, that's the law."



One replies that she should not have made an indecent gesture, but the woman retorts: "You should have minded your own business... In the first place, you should not have been shouting at me."



In another clip, at a different location, she can be seen covering her face with her arm and holding on to a phone together with a 47-year-old woman, whom she allegedly assaulted, while arguing with another group of people.

In it, she claims to be a "sovereign", saying: "It means I have nothing to do with the police, it means I have no contract with the police. They have no say over me."

A man, who is off-screen, responds: "This doesn't even make any sense. If you're a person in Singapore, you have to follow the rules of Singapore."

But the woman replies: "That's the thing - I'm not a person, I'm 'we the people'."



Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam commented on the incident on Monday, and said in a Facebook post that he checked what she might have meant by referring to "sovereign".

"There is a movement in the US, and adherents to that movement, (broadly speaking) reject Government, reject the police and any kind of authority," he wrote.



"Well and good. But then such people should not live within society - she should not expect any of the benefits that come from this system of governance, including her security, medical care, other benefits," he added.

"If she doesn't follow the rules and (say) ends up infecting someone - why should society accept that? Or if she falls ill herself, she will be imposing a medical burden on the rest of the society - whose rules she rejects, presumably."

"Usually, in such cases, there will be more to it than meets the eye," the minister said.



The police had said on Sunday that they received a call for assistance around 12.15pm at 320 Shunfu Road. According to preliminary investigations, the woman in the video, who had previously breached safe distancing measures, was not wearing a mask and had allegedly assaulted a 47-year-old woman who advised her to put one on.





























 




















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When kindness towards my mother was not kind

May 7, 2020, 2:44 am
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I relieved my mother of her daily duties without knowing how vital it is for our parents to find purpose in old age
By Angie Chew, The Straits Times, 4 May 2020

My mother came to live with me in Tanjong Katong when I was pregnant with my first child in 1996.

I was living alone, as my husband then was working overseas. Before moving to Singapore, my mother lived in Sydney with my sister, as she had been separated from my father, who was still living in Kuala Lumpur, for more than 10 years.

I still recall her perching on the balcony in the evening, waiting for me to come home by bus, after I stopped driving when my abdomen was too big to fit behind the steering wheel.

My walk to the apartment every evening from the bus stop was filled with happiness, as I felt loved by my mother at that time.

I had been cared for by a nanny as I was growing up, so I couldn't recall my mother hugging or kissing me when I was young.

We were never close, but we got along very well after she moved in. My mother was a woman of few words with her children and was never demanding.

I am very grateful to her for helping me care for my daughter. I was able to return to work without worrying, knowing she was safe in my mother's arms. I would take over the childcare when I got home from work, while my mother cooked dinner.

I hired a domestic helper only after my daughter was five months old and my son was born a year later.

Sanda arrived from Sri Lanka and stayed with us for 10 years. She became part of the family.

As Sanda learnt to cook some local dishes, I told my mother to rest and let the helper do more of the cooking. Her cooking responsibility was gradually relinquished to Sanda.

I thought I was being kind, but this resulted in my mother feeling less needed - something which I sadly realised only many years later and was, by then, irreversible.

As the children grew up and became more independent, they stopped appreciating my mother fussing over them.

Their fondness for Sanda grew as well and my mother became more disengaged.

The alienation worsened after we moved into a landed property from a small three-bedroom apartment.

Living in a bigger home resulted in more space for everyone, but it also meant we became more distant, as each of us would retreat to our respective rooms after meals. We were a lot closer when we shared living spaces in a small abode.

I was focused on my career and didn't notice the decline in my mother's cognition as dementia crept in.

As it was no longer convenient for her to go to the market, with no easy bus access from the landed property estate, Sanda took over the grocery shopping.

This, too, was an activity my mother had thoroughly enjoyed, as it gave her the opportunity to catch up with the stallholders at the market's food centre.

Her cognitive decline was gradual. Her waking up in the middle of the night at 3am to rearrange the pots and pans in the kitchen and then taking afternoon naps - which became an almost daily affair - as well as irregular mealtimes, accusing Sanda when her things went "missing" and other out-of-character behaviour were all simply attributed to her ageing.

These were, in fact, telltale signs of dementia.

When I took her back to Sydney for a visit, her mahjong friends there were so offended by something she uttered that they didn't want to play mahjong with her anymore.

The same happened in Kuala Lumpur as well when she went to visit her friends there.

I did find it strange, as my mother was usually very diplomatic. But, again, I just thought that was what ageing did to people - they became grumpy and difficult.

My husband was also getting irritated by her "new interests" in collecting leaves from the ground and keeping them in her pyjama pockets, walking into the garden without footwear and placing her dirty feet on the sofa, and feeding pigeons which would leave lots of droppings on the roof and floor.

These became regular sources of conflict between him and my mother, and then between us.

Eventually, it resulted in my mother going to Sydney to spend some time with my siblings.

That didn't work out either. My sister then arranged for my mother to stay with her unmarried sister, our aunt, in Ipoh.

My mother agreed to this, but was heartbroken and eventually suffered a mild stroke. She had most likely suffered from depression prior to the stroke.

I brought her back to Singapore, but couldn't bring her back to stay in the house. She was placed in an aged care home.

I convinced myself this was a better arrangement. She would have companionship and a healthier lifestyle with a regular sleep and meal routine.

I visited her a few times a week, as my office then was close to home. Deep down, I could sense she felt abandoned and was deeply hurt. She had four children who were all financially secure, but none of us would put her up in our homes.

The guilt eventually led me to leave the marriage, move into an apartment, hire a helper and, finally, bring my mother back to live with me.

Reaching each of these decisions was difficult and extremely painful. But I couldn't bear for my mother to remain in an aged care home in her twilight years. More than anyone, I knew deeply her sacrifices, including relocating to Singapore for me when I needed her help.

The marital split, compounded by years of resentment, guilt and self-blame resulted in my own depression.

In the last year of her life, my mother's cognitive decline accelerated. She fell one morning, suffered a hip fracture and died two weeks after her hip-repair surgery.

I regretted not having taken better care of her. I regretted taking away responsibilities that meant a lot to her. I thought I was being kind, but I had hurt her feelings and she had felt purposeless.

I realised that no matter how old we are, our lives are meaningful only if we feel useful and needed.

I couldn't rewrite my history. Instead, I started a charity to help others write happier chapters in their own lives.

I hope my story will spur you to ensure your parents continue to feel useful and needed as they age, especially during this period of strict social distancing measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as some seniors may feel a lack of purpose when relieved of childcare or household responsibilities.

If you are floundering when it comes to understanding your ageing parents, I hope this article encourages you to continue your efforts to engage, forgive and embrace your parents as they are.


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Singaporeans to be given improved reusable masks in third nationwide mask distribution exercise

May 7, 2020, 11:29 pm
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New cloth masks for all residents as Singapore ramps up local production
Virus cases cross 20,000 mark; but experts say measures helping to control situation
By Calvin Yang, Correspondent, The Straits Times, 7 May 2020

All residents are set to receive locally produced, reusable cloth masks in a third mask distribution exercise.

The masks, whose production was ramped up recently, will be more comfortable to wear and have better filtration qualities.

Singapore has been building up its supply of new cloth masks and will distribute them to all residents towards the end of the circuit breaker period, which ends on June 1, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing yesterday.



At the same time, local production of surgical masks has been raised since mid-February to meet the needs of all front-line healthcare workers as Singapore digs in for a long battle with the coronavirus.

Yesterday, 6 May, the Republic announced 788 new COVID-19 cases, taking its total past the 20,000 mark.

Sharing Singapore's thinking on its mask supplies, Mr Chan said the possibility of recurring waves of infection cannot be ruled out. This means that the demand for masks could spike again.

He added that the Government had planned to distribute another round of reusable masks, as these are not "reusable for eternity" despite being a sustainable option.

Over the last few weeks, the Government has been working with local manufacturers and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research to improve on the materials used for the reusable masks, said Mr Chan.

But he stressed that "no mask is 100 per cent foolproof".



As with the two previous rounds of distribution, residents can collect the masks from community centres and residents' committee centres. This time, they can also pick them up from vending machines.

Mr Chan said such efforts will allow everyone access to the masks without having to rush for them. At the same time, Singapore has ramped up its local production of surgical masks and tapped diverse sources of mask supplies.

Theglobal demand for masks has risen in recent months. Lockdowns have put the ability of countries to produce and export under stress.

Mr Chan said the local production of surgical masks is designed to meet Singapore's healthcare needs while the Government will continue tapping diverse sources for the needs of the public.



The first made-in-Singapore surgical mask rolled off a production line run by ST Engineering in mid-February.

Mr Chan is confident Singapore would be able to supply local healthcare workers "for quite some time".

In February, agencies and local manufacturers were roped in to produce reusable masks. Mr Chan said: "We needed a complementary strategy that allows our people to have a mask, when they need it, on a more sustainable basis."

The securing of mask supplies comes amid the number of coronavirus cases rising exponentially over the past month.

It took three months after Singapore's first imported case on Jan 23 for coronavirus cases here to touch 10,000 on April 22. But it took just another fortnight for the number to hit 20,000 yesterday.

Experts said the number of cases here could go beyond the 30,000 mark this month. But they agreed containment measures appeared to be helping to control the situation.

Associate Professor Alex Cook, an expert in infectious disease modelling, said the numbers appear to be stabilising of late. "This is what we'd see if we were successfully flattening the curve, case counts rising but in a more controlled manner."


























Singapore boosting production of masks since February 2020
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 7 May 2020

Singapore has been ramping up its domestic production of surgical masks since mid-February to meet the needs of healthcare workers.

The decision to quickly establish local production capabilities for surgical masks came about shortly after the coronavirus outbreak started in China, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing revealed yesterday.

"The local production capabilities are designed to make sure our healthcare system is sustainable."

Then, the Government knew there would be a severe global mask shortage and had to urgently conserve the country's stockpile of surgical and N95 masks for its own healthcare workers, said Mr Chan.

It did not help that some earlier arrangements with overseas partners to produce surgical masks could not be realised, as countries imposed export controls on medical supplies.



Singapore took several strategies, including looking for new sources of surgical masks and stockpiling reusable cloth masks.

It decided to make surgical masks locally, even though it was not an easy task. For instance, each layer in a three-ply surgical mask can come from a different supplier.

"It is not just simply about having the machines and manpower to produce the masks, but also to secure a sustainable supply of raw materials," Mr Chan said, adding that Singapore's local production capabilities then had been for N95 masks.

The first made-in-Singapore surgical mask rolled off a production line run by ST Engineering in mid-February.

Mr Gareth Tang, head of ST Engineering's open innovation lab Innosparks, said staff had to put together the equipment, ensure the supplies arrive and train workers to manufacture the masks. "It was challenging, with the global supply chain disruption. We had to rapidly source from multiple suppliers."



In a Facebook post, Mr Chan said of Singapore's mask production capabilities: "We were unable to speak about them publicly earlier as we were concerned that our future production lines and raw materials would be interdicted by others, given the critical demand for surgical masks then."










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All Singaporeans guilty of poor treatment of migrant workers

May 8, 2020, 12:58 am
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In Parliament, Nominated MP Anthea Ong asked whether the Government would consider issuing an apology to migrant workers for what she called "dismal conditions" in their dormitories and especially since they are in "complete lockdown for the sake and safety of Singaporeans".

To be honest, it should be Singaporeans who need to apologise for the state these workers are in now. We want everything to be cheap at the expense of these workers.

Singaporeans should not pretend that we care for them now because thousands of these workers are infected.

Where were we when the situation was all right? Were we ever concerned about their living conditions? I am definitely guilty of that.



Some Singaporeans were even bothered when certain dormitories were proposed to be built where they live. If these Singaporeans ever cared, they should have welcomed the idea and embraced these workers with open arms.

So let us all stop being hypocrites, and putting all the blame on the Government.

The real test of our concern for these workers is after this crisis is over. I hope all Singaporeans will still care for every one of these 300,000 fellow human beings.

Andy Chew Teck Huat
ST Forum, 7 May 2020





COVID-19 spread in migrant workers dormitories not just down to poor conditions: Tan Chuan-Jin
Speaker of Parliament says virus' highly contagious nature, living in close proximity key reasons
By Tan Tam Mei, The Straits Times, 8 May 2020

The massive outbreak of coronavirus cases among migrant workers in dormitories cannot be attributed to bad living conditions alone, even if there are abysmal examples, said Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin yesterday.

Rather, the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus and the fact that dorms involve groups of people living in close quarters are more likely to have contributed to the spread, said Mr Tan, who was Manpower Minister from 2014 to 2015.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event for migrant worker dorms yesterday, Mr Tan said it was important not to conflate the two issues of bad living conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, which he called a healthcare crisis of "monumental proportions".

"For example, in our universities, if the hostels remained open and the students were there, you would expect a massive outbreak to occur as well. If people are living in close quarters, given the contagious nature of this virus, outbreaks will occur," he said.

Tackling questions regarding the outbreak in the dormitories, that as of yesterday has hit more than 18,000 cases, Mr Tan said it was not about "white-washing" cases of "abysmal" dorm conditions, but one should not generalise that all living conditions are as such.

There were 741 new COVID-19 cases reported yesterday, 7 May, bringing Singapore's total to 20,939.

The living conditions of lower-paid foreign workers have been in the spotlight recently when dorms emerged as huge clusters where the coronavirus has spread. The outbreak highlighted the cramped and poorly maintained living spaces of some of these workers and their low-quality catered meals.

On Monday, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo assured Parliament that the Government will see how housing standards for migrant workers can be further raised.

Mr Tan said: "It doesn't excuse (bad conditions), it is not acceptable and we need to take stringent action against those who violate the law - but it doesn't represent the whole space and that's the context that is important.

"It is important to speak to the migrant workers as a whole for their lived experience to have a sense of the conditions. And given the scale and nature of this outbreak, we should not conflate the causes with these less-than-accurate generalisations."



When asked about the raising of dorm standards here, Mr Tan said there are things that can be improved on and the Government will be taking stock of the lessons learnt and the adjustments that need to be made.

"It is something that we will work on, but meanwhile, let's grapple with the (present) issues, look after our people and look after all the people who are here in Singapore who are affected in different ways," he said.

During an online forum organised by the Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday, analysts said a whole-of-society effort is needed to improve the wages and living conditions of foreign workers here.

Not only must the Government take the lead in making structural changes, but Singaporeans, too, must change their us-versus-them mindset and take up collective responsibility, said the panellists.









Bettering migrant workers' lives calls for whole-of-society effort, say experts
Structural and mindset changes needed to improve wages and living conditions of foreign workers
By Grace Ho, The Straits Times, 8 May 2020

Improving the wages and living conditions of foreign workers in Singapore requires a whole-of-society effort. Not only must the Government take the lead in making structural changes, but Singaporeans, too, must change their us-versus-them mindset, said analysts.

Dr Jeremy Lim, co-director of global health at the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said on Wednesday that the Government's framing of COVID-19 as two separate outbreaks - one in foreign worker dormitories and the other in the community - was a "defensible" one from a public health perspective.

That is because different strategies were used to tackle each outbreak, he added.

Dr Lim was speaking at an online forum organised by the Institute of Policy Studies titled "Migrant workers: Policy responses and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic".

He noted that as infection numbers spiked in dorms and overwhelmed the ability of their operators as well as employers to contain the disease, the Government intervened swiftly. It brought in the army and police, and set up community care and recovery facilities for workers with mild symptoms.

SHIFT IN MINDSET NEEDED

But a whole-of-society mindset change is needed for the support to be sustained, said Dr Lim.

"The mental model we have traditionally taken is that foreign workers are part of the community but separate; we accept there should be different standards (for them).

"But it is clear now that the previous paradigm, of relying on the employers and dorm operators alone, cannot work in a crisis of this scale and complexity," he added.



Professor Paulin Straughan, Singapore Management University (SMU) sociologist and dean of students, said many Singaporeans object to migrant workers living among them, citing health and safety concerns.

Mr Bernard Menon, executive director of the Migrant Workers' Centre, pointed out that despite a surge in public discourse after the SMRT bus drivers' strike in 2012 and the Little India riot a year later, public memory has been short-lived.

SMU law professor Eugene Tan said Singaporeans have become used to the benefits of cheap and transient foreign labour. "There has not been enough focus on the values that make up the kind of Singapore we want our children to grow up in," he added.



STRUCTURAL CHANGES

Nominated MP Walter Theseira, an economist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said Singapore's economy has, over time, become significantly more dependent on foreign labour.

Without cheap foreign workers, the cost of goods and services here could rise sharply, he said, adding that if the Government implements more generous minimum wages and living conditions, some types of migrant workers and industries could become economically non-viable.

Agreeing, Mr Leonard Lim, country director at political consultancy Vriens & Partners, said low business costs remain a strong reason for companies to be located here.

There are consequences to relying less on foreign workers, he added. "Public transport and housing infrastructure will take a longer time to build - HDB flats and MRT lines could take longer to come on stream."

Dr Lim said it is unrealistic to expect the private sector to do more, as its primary concern is profit and loss. The Government should lead in making the necessary structural changes, he added.



Prof Theseira argued that the process is about collective responsibility and must also reflect the popular will. "The reason change doesn't happen is that it's in Singaporeans' economic self-interest not to - there is a large group who benefits from low-cost labour."

But there is reason to be hopeful, Prof Theseira said, as new developments owing to COVID-19 - such as remote working - are rapidly eroding the benefits of having a huge pool of foreign labour.

"If one can get away with more remote working, why do expatriates need to be sent to Singapore, as this is more expensive? So the need to have so many foreign workers serving the population comes into question," he added.

"Plus, some industries may be suppressed for some time (due to the pandemic), so there is an opportunity to restructure."

Ultimately, said Mr Menon, it takes two hands to clap and society must be more accepting. "We tried to rally the migrant workers to interact and hopefully integrate with Singaporeans, but learnt quite a painful lesson over time that integration is a two-way street."




 




Foreign workers have been treated far better in Singapore than elsewhere

Bangladeshi worker Sozal Mirza posted a message on the Facebook group True Life of Singapore Migrant Workers on April 17 which expressed gratitude for the treatment he received from the Singapore Government in many aspects of his current stay during this pandemic (Minister shares migrant worker's note of heartfelt thanks, May 5).



The treatment these workers have received is in stark contrast to the fate of such workers in many other countries where they have been given short shrift.

Singapore has supplied food, shelter, wage payment, medical treatment and other comforts.

In some instances, the food was not suitable for some of the workers, and pictures of discarded food were shared. This was rectified the following day after feedback from the workers.

I feel that the government response has been measured and correct regarding the epidemiological aspects, and the humanitarian measures are truly second to none.



I was aghast on Monday when Nominated MP Anthea Ong asked the Government to apologise for the handling of the migrant workers.

I believe this pandemic requires full support from all and any attempts at grandstanding or "actionism" should be curbed at source.

Chew Shing Chai
ST Forum, 7 May 2020










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Low-wage workers: Are Singaporeans prepared to pay more for domestic services so pay and work conditions for the low-income can improve?

May 8, 2020, 8:32 am
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Coronavirus: All hands on deck needed to improve low-wage workers' lot
By Joanna Seow, Assistant Business Editor, The Straits Times, 7 May 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak has shone the spotlight on the plight of low-wage workers in Singapore.

They clean our estates, offices and hawker centres, they build our homes and offices, and they check for vital signs and care for our sick and elderly, among other jobs.

Many are in roles critical to our lives, but they labour often unseen and unappreciated in regular times. It has taken a public health crisis to highlight again how the treatment of these workers - many of whom are older Singaporeans or lower-paid migrants - leaves much to be desired.

In the debate last month on the supplementary budget measures to help Singapore through the crisis, several MPs highlighted the struggles of workers in sectors such as healthcare and cleaning whose wages do not seem commensurate with the vital importance of their roles, especially during a virus outbreak.

Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh called for a thorough review of what a living wage in Singapore ought to be for Singaporeans "who man our critical infrastructure and keep the country's heart beating", just as food security and critical supply chains are being strengthened.

Yesterday, the Government, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and employer organisations issued a tripartite advisory with recommendations on measures that service buyers and providers should adopt to ensure the sustainability of the security sector in view of COVID-19.

These include paying security officers and firms fairly, and looking after officers' workplace safety and health, such as by providing personal protective equipment.

This is the second such advisory - the first, for the cleaning sector, was issued last month - and others will be announced progressively, said the Ministry of Manpower.

This is a welcome move in signalling to service buyers that the welfare of workers must be taken into account when they evaluate contracts.

With many aspects of work being relooked due to the crisis, now is a good time to examine what needs to change about how we support low-wage workers.



WAGES

Wages remain an issue for this group, especially during this crisis. With the circuit breaker measures shutting most workplaces to stem the spread of COVID-19, low-wage workers are in an even tougher position if they are put on no-pay leave or laid off.

To help low-income Singaporean employees during the economic uncertainty, those on Workfare will receive a Workfare Special Payment this year of $3,000 in cash.

This was among measures announced in this year's Budget and enhanced in the supplementary budgets, which also include the one-off $600 Solidarity Payment for all adult Singaporeans.

Other efforts have focused on ensuring workers still get paid during the crisis, such as the Jobs Support Scheme, a wage subsidy that pays up to 75 per cent of the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages for local workers for nine months.

Economist and Nominated MP Walter Theseira also suggested in Parliament last month that all Singaporeans receive $110 a week for 12 weeks, funded through a temporary personal income tax hike of 4.25 per cent, paid next year when the economy is expected to have recovered. Under his proposal, dubbed the Majulah Universal Basic Income Scheme, the less well-off will benefit more from the scheme, while the high-income will help to finance it.

Beyond this crisis, however, the issue of low wages persists in certain sectors.

Observers say this is a chicken and egg problem.

Employers cannot find enough locals to clean estates, guard buildings or work on construction sites, for example, so they turn to foreigners willing to do the work at low salaries as the pay is still higher than what they could earn back home; locals shun these jobs because they feel the pay is too low and the progression too slow.

Even if some companies which employ outsourced workers like cleaners or security guards want to pay workers more, they risk losing tenders to competitors with lower prices. One cleaning company boss said he lost a project he had been working on for over a decade when a new company offered to do the work for much less.

If service buyers such as mall owners, condominium management committees or property developers look only for the lowest-cost contractors, there is little incentive for employers to pay staff more.

A slew of wage support schemes for workers have been introduced over the years. The Workfare Income Supplement tops up the incomes of those aged 35 and up and earning up to $2,300 a month. The Progressive Wage Model, which effectively sets minimum pay for locals in certain heavily outsourced sectors, has helped in recent years to push up incomes at the lower end.

Greater changes can come only when Singaporeans are prepared to change their habits and pay more for domestic prices which are now underpriced by the prevalence of cheap migrant labour.

Explaining this, Associate Professor Theseira said that in essence, Singapore is operating like a "trickle-up economy". "In other words, so that people can enjoy their cheap hawker food, massages, home cleaning and domestic services, there is this notion that we need to structure the economy around ensuring there is an inexhaustible supply of low-cost labour to provide all these services. I think laying it out in these terms makes it apparent how perverse that reasoning is," he said.



WAY FORWARD

A sure way to improve the welfare of low-wage workers is to pay them more or pay more for their upkeep. But the question then becomes, who pays?

Apart from the service buyer and ultimately the consumer, employers have a key role to play.

For example, CHH Construction System managing director Nelson Tee, who employs about 40 migrant workers, said he pays a higher dorm fee to house them in supervisor rooms which have a lower density of beds.

NTUC assistant secretary-general Zainal Sapari said a mindset change is needed where workers must be willing to undergo training to raise their skills and productivity; service buyers move away from "cheap sourcing" and towards outcome-based contracting; and service providers which employ the workers do not bid for contracts at unsustainably low prices.

Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) chairman Yeo Guat Kwang also suggested that employers, caterers and logistics professionals view the provision of food for migrant workers less as a cost to having them here and more as a longer-term investment in their health and well-being.

Indeed, the living conditions of lower-paid foreign workers were highlighted recently when dormitories became huge clusters where the coronavirus has spread. The outbreak highlighted the cramped and poorly maintained living spaces of some of these workers, and their low-quality catered meals.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo assured Parliament on Monday that the Government will see how housing standards for migrant workers can be further raised.

The general public, too, may need to accept higher prices, for the sake of a more equitable society.

WP's Mr Singh alluded to this when he said in Parliament, "it is time our workers who keep Singapore clean are paid far more respectable wages, with Singaporeans ready to play their part too".

Second, more can be done to empower low-wage workers, such as making available job and training opportunities and salary information.

NTUC has a U Care Centre to support low-wage workers and some of its unions represent cleaners, security guards and other workers with lower pay, who can be local or foreign. Its MWC is among non-government organisations which provide assistance specifically to migrant workers.

Transient Workers Count Too executive committee member Debbie Fordyce suggested making it easier for migrant workers to change employers without having to return to their home countries or fork out money to middlemen or the prospective employer.

Currently, they need their employer's approval to be transferred, or must wait until their work permit is near expiry.

Finally, the jobs that low-wage workers perform must be improved. They can be redesigned to use more technology, such as cleaning robots and centralised security systems already in use at some firms. Such systems make work less strenuous for workers and improve productivity, which can raise wages.

Technology adoption has been slow to catch on due to cost. But the current outbreak may be the push that is needed.



Alexandra Hospital is piloting the use of robots to deliver medicine and meals to patients diagnosed with COVID-19 or those suspected to be infected with the virus in its isolation wards.

More than 200 ultraviolet disinfecting mobile robots made by local robotics technology firm PBA Group will also be rolled out in shopping malls and the healthcare and transport sectors by the end of the year.



Tackling the issue of low-wage workers' work conditions is pertinent as low birth rates and an ageing society mean Singapore's citizen population will likely decline, and the labour shortage in these sectors will get worse if nothing is done.

The number of Singaporeans aged 20 to 64 is expected to peak at 2.2 million around this year and then decline, even with immigrants.

EVERY WORKER MATTERS

While it is tempting to reduce workers to simply digits counting towards a foreign worker quota, or numbers reported in labour market statistics every quarter, the current crisis is a good reminder that every worker is a human being.

They build, heal, clean, guard and toil in many other ways that keep the country running.

Singaporeans, firms and charities have rallied together to donate essential items like masks to migrant workers after hearing about their plight. More than $1.2 million has also been raised through ground-up campaigns such as #HOMEFORALL Migrants and an initiative started by local social media personality Preeti Nair.

After the crisis, the challenge to improve the lot of these workers - local or foreign - also requires all Singaporeans to support a change that sees them as valuable additions to the workforce, who deserve fair wages and good living conditions.




















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Life will not go back to normal after COVID-19 circuit breaker ends on 1 June 2020: Lawrence Wong

May 9, 2020, 5:48 am
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All staff, residents at homes for the elderly to be tested for COVID-19

Vulnerable seniors being supported during circuit breaker

Public urged not to rush out when measures ease on 12 May

40,000 daily tests have to be done in strategic, coordinated way

Clearing smaller dorms of coronavirus will take time

Ministry of Manpower takes 228 companies, work pass holders to task for flouting circuit breaker rules, stay-home notices

Contact tracing dongle among options being explored to boost tracking



Coronavirus curbs won't all be lifted after 1 June 2020, says Lawrence Wong
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

Life will not go back to normal immediately after June 1, when Singapore's COVID-19 circuit breaker period comes to an end, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong during a virtual press conference yesterday.

While the Government will continue to monitor and assess the situation in the coming days and weeks as it decides what should be done after the circuit breaker, he stated categorically that there was no scenario where normalcy returns next month.



"Whatever the decision, whatever happens in the coming days or weeks, it is clearly not going to be the case that after June 1 everything will be lifted, and we will go back to status quo ante."

Rather, Singapore will see a "gradual, calibrated easing", said Mr Wong.

"The baseline protection will have to remain - things like safe distancing measures, the wearing of masks when you go out, or at work; all of these will remain post-June 1.

"Beyond these baseline measures, the extent to which we can do more reopening of workplaces - that's something that we will have to consider."



The country's stricter social distancing measures, which the Government calls a circuit breaker, came into force on April 7 and were to last till May 4. It was later extended to June 1.

Some additional precautions will be in place after June 1, including measures involving the use of technology like digital check-in system SafeEntry at workplaces, an enhanced TraceTogether app, and possibly a dongle that people can carry around to help with contact tracing.

























Testing for COVID-19 begins for all residents, staff at homes for elderly
All 9,000 staff in nursing homes tested with all except one testing negative
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

Coronavirus testing has started for all 30,000 staff and residents in Singapore's residential care homes for the elderly and is expected to be finished by early next month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday.

Repeat tests will be carried out at about two-week intervals as a precautionary measure, although those who show acute respiratory symptoms will be tested immediately.

Singapore has not seen widespread COVID-19 outbreaks in facilities for the elderly. Yesterday, 8 May, 768 new cases were reported - migrant workers in dormitories accounted for most of them - taking the total count to 21,707.



Still, these measures may keep seniors safe as overseas experience has shown that outbreaks in residential care homes for the elderly can be catastrophic, said MOH.

People aged 60 and above are most vulnerable to the disease, with all but one of Singapore's 20 deaths occurring in this age group. The only other person who died was 58.

Almost one in six seniors here also developed severe symptoms and required intensive care, compared with just 0.2 per cent of younger patients.

"It is therefore critical that we make extra efforts to protect our seniors,"Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told reporters. "Even as we cautiously lift some circuit breaker measures, we will continue to put in place enhanced safeguards where necessary, especially for vulnerable groups like our seniors."



He added that testing for all 9,000 staff across Singapore's 80 nursing homes has been completed and the testing of 16,000 residents is under way.

All staff have tested negative for the virus to date, with the exception of one employee at Ren Ci nursing home in Ang Mo Kio.

More than 30 residents from the home were subsequently tested for the virus. None tested positive, although their health is still being monitored.

These residents include those who had been in contact with the staff member, as well as those who had acute respiratory symptoms.



"We expect that more cases will be identified within our nursing homes with this extensive testing in progress," Mr Gan said.

Meanwhile, 5,000 residents and staff at other residential homes have also been tested and the results have so far been negative.

If someone tests positive, quarantine protocols will be put in place and the affected area in the home disinfected.

As a precaution, staff in residential care facilities will stay in on-site facilities or move to hotels until the circuit breaker is lifted, if their job involves interacting with residents. Around 3,000 staff are currently in the process of moving into hotels.



Social support is also being extended to seniors, said Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee.

For instance, the Silver Generation Office has been checking in on around 20,000 seniors who have weak family support, to update them on the latest developments and give them the care they need.

Some 450 volunteers are delivering meals and providing financial assistance to seniors, Mr Lee added.



"If you or any other group knows seniors in your neighbourhood who could use a friendly check-in, do reach out to them or let us know," he said.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong also encouraged younger Singaporeans to run errands on behalf of their older relatives or chat with them on the phone. "A physical separation doesn't mean that you have to be emotionally isolated," he said.















Vulnerable seniors being supported during circuit breaker
Social service agencies, volunteer networks continue to provide essential aid: Desmond Lee
By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

Seniors in need are continuing to receive help as social service agencies and volunteer networks providing essential aid remain active during the circuit breaker period.

For example, a network of volunteer groups and ground-up movements, coordinated by the National Council of Social Service, has been distributing meals, surgical masks, disinfectants, sanitiser, exercise bands, telecommunications equipment and SIM cards to seniors, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee told a press conference yesterday.

"Through these distributions, the volunteers take the opportunity to guide seniors on the necessary precautions that need to be taken such as frequent hand washing, and check if the seniors need any other assistance such as transport to their medical appointments," he said.

This is being done with minimal movement and interaction of people on the ground, he added.



He said his ministry is also joining other agencies on safe distancing patrols to advise seniors to wear masks and stay home as much as possible.

Officers on these patrols also identify seniors who need help, such as those who have issues preventing them from staying at home, Mr Lee said. "If they have mental health issues, they'll be referred to the relevant agencies for further support, including to the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) for follow-up."



Giving an update on efforts to ensure seniors who live alone do not become socially isolated, Mr Lee said the Silver Generation Office (SGO) has been calling vulnerable seniors to ensure they are informed of developments, and also to check in on their well-being and their needs.

It has reached out to about 20,000 seniors living alone this way and will continue to call regularly to support them, Mr Lee said.

The latest available estimates by the Department of Statistics show that in 2018, there were about 58,000 seniors who live alone.

Mr Lee added that the seniors who were engaged by SGO, including those who have weak social or family support, were receptive.

"Following up from these calls, SGO is working with some 450 public service volunteers to run errands for these seniors who require assistance outside the home during this period, and some 1,200 seniors have requested assistance and are being helped in this way for meal deliveries, financial assistance and befriending services."

Mr Lee said those who need assistance can contact the AIC on 1800-650-6060.

And those who need psychological and emotional support can also call the 24-hour National Care Hotline on 1800-202-6868, he added.
















Public urged not to rush out when measures ease on May 12
By Wong Kai Yi, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

Even as barbers, hairdressers and some other businesses prepare to reopen from Tuesday, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong has urged people not to rush.

"I know some people may not have had a haircut for some time, but there is no need to rush to go out to have a haircut on May 12," he stressed.

There will be lots of time to do what needs to be done, he said, adding that people should pace themselves.

"We should remain vigilant and not take any chances. (The easing of measures on May 12) should not be an opportunity for us to go out more frequently," Mr Wong stressed.

The multi-ministry task force, which the minister is co-chair of, had announced earlier that certain businesses would be allowed to resume operations on Tuesday.

These include all food outlets selling packaged snacks, cakes, confectionery and desserts as well as home-based food businesses and hairdressers, subject to some restrictions.

For example, hairdressers may offer basic haircuts, while dining in remains banned. Restaurants and other eateries have to ensure that they have delivery services.

"The circuit breaker is still in place and we should make the most of the next three weeks and more through the circuit breaker period to bring our community numbers down as much as possible," Mr Wong added.



At the community level, the number of COVID-19 infections being reported every day has been coming down. The average in the past week was about 10 a day, the minister said. The number of unlinked cases has also come down.

"Importantly, if you look at the surveillance programme which we have put in place to test cases in our clinics with prolonged respiratory illness, those cases have also been coming down, which suggests that the number of unlinked cases in our community is lower than it used to be in the recent weeks," Mr Wong said.

For businesses, the minister said that they should similarly be in no rush to reopen and neglect safe management practices which they must first put in place.

Even as some shops are eager to reopen, others are cautious.

Bak kwa brand Lim Chee Guan told The Straits Times that it will reopen its flagship store in New Bridge Road first and monitor the situation before deciding when to reopen the other three outlets.

Housewife Annie Tan, 42, said: "I'm definitely excited that some of the shops are resuming services but it's important to heed the call to not all rush out on the first day.

"My hairdresser has already messaged all her customers to say that even when her shop reopens, services will be by appointment only. If more businesses do the same, the situation should be under control."




















Coronavirus testing must be done in coordinated, strategic way: Lawrence Wong
By Wong Kai Yi, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

As Singapore ramps up coronavirus testing to 40,000 a day, it needs to have a strategy and do it in a coordinated fashion, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong yesterday.

"It's not just everyone, raise your hand and then you can apply for a test. It shouldn't be like that," he added in his reply to a reporter at a virtual media conference by the multi-ministry task force for combating the spread of COVID-19.

"The tests have to be allocated to areas of priority," he said, adding that the rate of 40,000 daily tests "is probably ranked as one of the highest rates of testing in the world".



Among the top priorities he cited are nursing homes, front-line medical workers and migrant workers, who he said should be tested on a regular basis partly because they work in large groups.

"You want to be very careful not to have large clusters forming again," he stressed. Migrant workers staying in dormitories form about 85 per cent of total infected cases, which stand at 21,707.

He added: "Testing will be a national resource, which we will apply in a strategic way to ensure that Singapore is safe from the virus."

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the task force, outlined the strategy in his reply to a Bloomberg reporter who asked whether selective testing had not worked out as well as Singapore had planned, and whether the move to mass testing is manageable given the global shortage of test kits.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, in underlining the point, said: "We cannot be testing aimlessly. The key is that... we do so with quite clear purposes in mind."

He reiterated the three purposes of testing that he had set out in Parliament on Monday: first, to find those who are positive; second, to conduct surveillance to understand the overall transmission landscape; and third, to look for those who are negative and allow them to go back to work.



In his reply, Mr Wong also said Singapore has been raising its testing capacity quite significantly.

Daily testing has been ramped up from about 2,900 a day in the initial days to 8,000. In a few weeks, Singapore will have the capability to perform 20,000 daily tests and, eventually, 40,000.

"Even with 40,000 a day for a population the size of Singapore, it's not going to be effective if it is done in an uncoordinated way," he said.

Another group he cited to be allocated test kits are essential workers returning to their workplaces.

Their numbers are set to rise in the coming weeks as circuit breaker measures are gradually loosened and the country prepares for the scheduled end of the circuit breaker period on June 1.

The Health Ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak said various strategies will be adopted to meet the needs of different settings. Other types of tests, like serological testing, will be used as well to determine whether people have recovered from the infection and can return safely into the community and the workforce, he added.

Said Mr Gan: "When we test individuals, we need to know what is the purpose of the test, so that we can design our strategy appropriately and the outcome will then be useful for us."















Clearing smaller foreign worker dormitories of coronavirus will take time, says Lawrence Wong
By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

The number of foreign workers living in dormitories who test positive for the coronavirus daily continues to be high in part because of an "active and aggressive testing regime" that sees more workers being tested each day, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

"We expect to still see these numbers for a few more weeks before they stabilise, but our strategy is working and we are making progress day by day in clearing these dormitories," he told a press conference yesterday.

While the coronavirus situation in larger purpose-built foreign worker dormitories is stabilising, Mr Wong said it will take time to clear other smaller dorms, such as factory-converted ones.

Several cases of COVID-19 were recently detected among healthcare workers and other support staff working in dormitories and community care facilities like the one at Singapore Expo. "We already have precautions in these settings but we are doing more now by also testing the workers who are working in these settings," Mr Wong said.

He added that these workers will be tested not just once but periodically to ensure they can do their work in a safe environment.



The Health Ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak said the ministry is very concerned about the number of staff involved in dormitory operations who have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

"We want to make sure that they were properly trained in the use of their personal protective equipment and masks, and that they were obeying and respecting the infection control measures to make sure that they were properly protected," said Associate Professor Mak. "If needed, we will work with the inter-agency task force on refresher training, as well as having staff carry out inspections to watch over each other and make sure that everyone is doing the right thing."

Prof Mak also said the Health Ministry decides whether or not to attribute the death of a patient to COVID-19 based on the advice of medical authorities such as a doctor who attended to the patient or a coroner.

"Our approach really is first to ask ourselves, is this directly attributable to COVID-19 infection or complications related to COVID-19 infection? If they are, we will report them as such," he said.

"This comes out in our press statement every day. We are quite transparent in announcing and reporting all the deaths that we have."

He said that if a death is determined not to be due to COVID-19, it will still be reported but not attributed to the virus.















Ministry of Manpower takes 228 firms, work pass holders to task
Penalties include fines and bans for flouting circuit breaker rules or stay-home notices
By Jean Iau, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

Since early last month, 228 companies and work pass holders have been caught flouting circuit breaker measures at workplaces and stay-home notice requirements, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said yesterday.

MOM said the work passes of 29 people were revoked because they breached circuit breaker measures and stay-home notices, after the ministry conducted 75,000 video calls and inspections on foreign workers between April 13 and 30.

The measures were put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus here.

These workers have been permanently banned from working in Singapore.

Of these, 17 work pass holders were caught eating, drinking and gathering in groups, while the other 12 were caught leaving their residences despite being on stay-home notices.



The ministry also suspended the work pass privileges of nine employers for failing to ensure that their employees complied with the stay-home notice requirements.

MOM said that it fined 29 workplaces for breaching safe distancing rules and they were issued composition fines that totalled $29,000, after it conducted more than 15,000 inspections at workplaces from April 7 to May 5.

These workplaces failed to ensure proper safe distancing and crowd management, conduct temperature screening, and proper tracking of employees and visitors' entry into the workplace.

Overall, MOM noted that the vast majority of companies here were compliant and have put in place the necessary safe distancing measures at their workplaces.



Meanwhile, 170 non-essential companies were found operating during the circuit breaker period.

The ministry said that 16 of the 170 non-essential firms found operating without approval during the circuit breaker period were issued composition fines totalling $16,000.

The other firms were issued stern warnings.

"MOM will continue to conduct checks on businesses and workers to ensure compliance with circuit breaker measures and stay-home notice requirements, so as to keep our workplaces safe," the ministry said.

With the circuit breaker period expected to end on June 1, the ministry said that it, along with the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, will issue an advisory to prepare companies to resume operations.

The advisory will include implementing a system of safe management measures at workplaces; ensuring safe distancing; supporting contact tracing requirements, requiring personal protective equipment and observing good personal hygiene; ensuring the cleanliness of premises; and implementing health checks and protocols to manage potential cases.









Wearable dongle among options being explored to boost contact tracing
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

A contact tracing dongle that those without smartphones can take along when they go out is among the tech options that the Government is currently exploring as it seeks to boosts its ability to track the coronavirus outbreak.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said during a virtual press conference yesterday that swiftly identifying contacts of those infected will be key as Singapore's economy opens up, adding that the authorities are looking to have several options in place when the circuit breaker eases next month.

"By the time we get to post-June 1, we will have some solutions in place to have faster contact tracing," said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the coronavirus outbreak.

The idea would be to identify the contacts of an infected person more quickly and "issue quarantine orders on an electronic platform instantly".

Asked if the use of contact tracing app TraceTogether would be made compulsory for employees going back to work, Mr Wong said: "When we are ready with a solution, we will announce what that solution is, and we will indeed want everyone to have that solution in place."



TraceTogether is being improved, he said, even as other applications and solutions that do not require smartphones are being considered.

"We are also looking at possibilities, like a wearable, a dongle that people can carry with them when they go out. So for those without smartphones, the possibility of being able to track them remains - for contact tracing purposes.

"So there are a few potential solutions that are being explored. Even right now, the technical teams are discussing intensively with Apple, Google and other tech providers.

"When we are ready with a solution, we will explain what that solution is, and we will want everyone to pick it up."

The digital check-in system, known as SafeEntry, has been taken up by essential-sector businesses such as supermarkets, clinics and food and beverage outlets. Users can check in and out of a venue using the SafeEntry portal - by scanning a QR code with their own mobile devices.

Mr Wong said the Government will soon publish a list of specific places that need to adopt the SafeEntry system. By and large, it will be made compulsory for all workplaces from next Tuesday onwards, so long as they are open, he said.



Yesterday, 8 May, the Ministry of Health confirmed 768 new cases of COVID-19 in Singapore, bringing the total count to 21,707. Foreign workers staying in dormitories continue to make up the bulk of new coronavirus cases here.

Some businesses, such as selected food businesses and hairdressers, are allowed to reopen from next Tuesday, subject to restrictions.

Mr Wong urged these firms to put in place measures for a safe working environment, and not be in a rush to raise their shutters.

He said: "Do not be in a rush to reopen your business and neglect the important safe management practices that you have to put in place first.

"If the business premises do not have the necessary precautions and safeguards in place, then we may have to ask you to stop work anyway, and there will be penalties imposed."





Four-legged robot reminds visitors of safe distancing measures in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
By Cheryl Tan, The Straits Times, 9 May 2020

A four-legged robot started patrolling Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park to remind people of safe distancing measures yesterday.

Called SPOT, the robot will assist with safe distancing efforts in parks, gardens and nature reserves managed by the National Parks Board (NParks) and in parks managed by town councils.

The pilot trial is jointly conducted by NParks and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG). The SPOT robot will broadcast a recorded message reminding park visitors to observe safe distancing measures.

It is fitted with cameras, enabled by GovTech-developed video analytics, to help it estimate the number of visitors in the parks. The cameras, however, will not be able to track or recognise specific individuals, nor will it collect any personal data.



As part of the two-week trial, SPOT will be deployed over a 3km stretch in the River Plains section of the park during off-peak hours, and it will be accompanied by at least one NParks officer.

If successful, NParks will consider deploying SPOT for safe distancing efforts in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in the morning and evening peak hours.

NParks is also looking into deploying the robot in other parks such as Jurong Lake Gardens.



Originally developed by American company Boston Dynamics, the robot is able to navigate obstacles more effectively compared with wheeled robots, making it suitable for different terrain.

It is also fitted with safety sensors to detect objects and people within 1m to avoid collision.

GovTech has enhanced SPOT with various functions such as remote control, 3D-mapping and semi-autonomous operations to facilitate the trial.

It is currently looking to develop analytics allowing SPOT to check if park visitors are observing safe distancing measures.

As the robot is controlled remotely, less manpower is needed for park patrols, helping to minimise physical contact among staff, safe distancing ambassadors and park visitors. This helps to lower their risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

NParks is also deploying 30 drones to detect visitorship in selected parks and nature areas.

In addition, the Safe Distance At Parks portal lets people find parks near them, as well as check the crowd situation at the parks before making their way there.



The SPOT robot is also on trial at the Changi Exhibition Centre community isolation facility, which houses patients with mild symptoms, to help deliver essential items such as medicine to patients.

The SNDGG will also be exploring the use of the robot in supporting other COVID-19-related operations across agencies.

Last month, an autonomous robot known as O-R3 was deployed in Bedok Reservoir Park by national water agency PUB as a kind of safe distancing ambassador.

The four-wheeled robot was originally used for surveillance, but it now broadcasts safe distancing messages at the park as it patrols the area in the mornings and the evenings when human traffic is at its highest.

Similar robots will be deployed at Pandan and MacRitchie reservoirs.










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New rules at workplaces from 12 May 2020 as Singapore eases tightened COVID-19 circuit breaker measures

May 10, 2020, 2:17 am
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Strict measures for firms to prevent new wave of coronavirus
Extensive list released yesterday includes physical distancing, digital check-in system
By Malavika Menon and Aw Cheng Wei, The Sunday Times, 10 May 2020

It will be mandatory for all offices and even canteens to ensure that workers do not stand close together, to limit the chance of a coronavirus resurgence as the Singapore economy gradually opens up.

Taxis too will have to progressively put in place a national digital check-in system for passengers, called SafeEntry, so that close contacts of infected casescan be quickly traced.

These are among the extensive list of measures, revealed yesterday by the authorities, which will have to be put in place from Tuesday by businesses - such as barbers and laundry services - which are allowed to reopen.

Last week, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the coronavirus outbreak, warned companies against rushing to reopen while neglecting safe-management practices, and said those with inadequate precautions may be asked to stop work and face penalties.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday warned about the possibility of a "second wave" of COVID-19 cases as countries around the world take steps towards normalcy.

Highlighting the need to quickly suppress new clusters if they emerge, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead on COVID-19 response at the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, highlighted Singapore as one example where testing and contact tracing capabilities are being ramped up alongside some easing of circuit breaker measures.



The danger of a second wave was highlighted yesterday when the South Korean capital of Seoul ordered all its nightclubs and bars to shut again, after dozens of infections were reported in relation to a 29-year-old who tested positive after spending time at five clubs and bars in Itaewon last weekend.

In yesterday's statement, the Ministry of Manpower and the other tripartite partners made it clear that for businesses allowed to open, staff who can work from home must do so. And all meetings between colleagues or external parties should be done virtually as far as possible. Masks must also be worn at all times unless activities do not permit this.

Physical dividers or visual markers have to be installed to create a safe physical distance of at least 1m between employees' workstations and in shared spaces such as canteens and meeting rooms.

Meanwhile, the SafeEntry system will be compulsory for places where people are likely to be in close proximity for prolonged periods of time, in enclosed spaces and in places with high traffic. These include offices, factories and supermarkets.






















































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Singapore eyes cautious easing of circuit breaker measures if new COVID-19 cases stay low

May 13, 2020, 8:42 am
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Services essential to keeping the economy going will be among the first to resume
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

Singapore's strict safe distancing measures have helped to reduce the number of coronavirus cases in the local community, and could be further eased if all goes well until June 1, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday.

But the measures must be rolled back in a "very calibrated, very careful way" to prevent cases from surging, he added, pointing to a second wave of infections experienced by many countries that relaxed too early. The circuit breaker measures, scheduled to last till June 1, have put a lid on many activities. Services essential to keeping the economy going will be among the first to resume, Mr Gan indicated, and more details will be made available next week.

"We do not expect that by June 1, we will open everything and everything will go back to normal, and we (can) begin to celebrate and have parties," he said.

If COVID-19 cases do not increase after circuit breaker measures are rolled back, Singapore is likely to be able to take the next step in restarting its economy "in a bolder way, at a faster pace".

But if the country sees a surge after taking its first step, it will have to rethink its approach.

"It may become necessary for us to reintroduce some of the circuit breaker measures to ensure that we continue to keep the numbers low," Mr Gan said. "Therefore, one very important factor in this opening up post-June 1 is to continue with our efforts in safe distancing."



Many safe distancing measures will remain in place even after the circuit breaker period, he added.

They have been effective in controlling the spread. In the middle of last month, there were, on average, more than 30 new cases a day in the wider community. This dropped to seven cases a day in the past week.

In migrant worker dormitories, the numbers have dipped from an average of more than 1,000 to 700 in the same timeframe.

The Government is drawing up a road map and will take a step-by-step approach to tackling the situation once the circuit breaker ends, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

One of the issues under consideration is whether or not to allow immediate family members living in different households to visit one another. "We recognise that many people would like to visit their family members... I think many want to be physically connected again and we understand the desire to do so," he said.



But Mr Wong stressed that Singapore will be cautious about this, especially since it involves the elderly who are more vulnerable to the virus. "If they were to catch the virus, the disease is potentially lethal for them," he said.

Even as Singapore works towards easing safe distancing measures, it is preparing for new cases to emerge after the circuit breaker period, said the Health Ministry.

"The key is to be able to detect these cases quickly and prevent large clusters from forming," it said. "That is why we are building up our capacity for faster contact tracing and more comprehensive testing."

Mr Wong said that by the end of the month, about 20,000 migrant workers will be discharged from care facilities. Many more are expected to recover and be ready to resume work by June.

Before they return to their dormitories, the workers may be put through serology tests to ensure that they are free of COVID-19.This type of test, which can detect if an individual has had the virus in the past, will be applied to dormitories with high infection rates.

"All that, I think, is coming together, just as we ease on the restrictions of the circuit breaker and reopen the economy," Mr Wong said.

"So we are now in a good position to plan forward and ease some of the restrictions, open more, allow more workers to resume work beyond June 1, and then gradually take steps to reopen the economy."




















Reopening of the economy will be gradual and phased
Ministers to unveil blueprint on how to do so, but say they will do it step by step
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

The reopening of Singapore's economy will happen in phases after the end of the circuit breaker period on June 1, with the Government monitoring the number of new COVID-19 cases each time to decide how soon even more restrictions can be lifted.

The co-chairmen of the inter-ministry task force, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong and National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, said that this would mean opening up one part of the economy and then making sure it did not lead to a spike in cases before allowing more parts to open up.

"If we do the first step, we continue to monitor and the numbers do not spike, the virus situation remains under control, and we have some confidence in all the measures we have put in place, then we can do the next step, and then so on and so forth. So that will be the way we operate, once the circuit breaker ends," said Mr Wong.



Mr Gan said that this could even mean reintroducing some circuit breaker measures if the situation flares up again. He added that what happens in the period after the authorities take the first steps to reopen the economy next month will be critical.

"We can't do it (reopen) in one step. And the progress, in terms of timing and in terms of the extent of the opening, will also depend on the number of cases after the first step," he said.

"If we have a big surge of cases right after the first step of opening, of course, then the progress will have to be slowed down. And it may become necessary for us to reintroduce some of the circuit breaker measures to ensure that we continue to keep the numbers low."

Mr Gan also said the first businesses to reopen next month will likely be "more essential services that are quite critical to keep the economy going and keep life as normal as possible".

The task force has yet to announce what businesses will be allowed to reopen next month, but Mr Gan said more details will likely be announced next week.



The Government has repeatedly said that life will not return to normal straightaway after June 1, when circuit breaker measures to choke off the spread of the coronavirus are eased. Safe distancing measures should still be observed.

"We do not expect that (after) June 1, we will open everything and everything will go back to normal, (or that we should) begin to celebrate and have parties," said Mr Gan during a virtual press conference yesterday.

"We need to do so in a very calibrated, very careful way, because we have seen experiences in other countries when it is open, everybody goes back to celebrate, and new cases and clusters emerge," added Mr Gan.

The Health Ministry yesterday, 12 May, confirmed 884 new coronavirus cases in Singapore, taking the country's tally of infections past 24,000. Three of the new patients are Singaporeans or permanent residents.

The country's stricter social distancing measures, which the Government calls a circuit breaker, came into force on April 7 and were to last till May 4. They were later extended to June 1.



To help with contact tracing, two technology tools have also been introduced: SafeEntry, a digital check-in system for people visiting workplaces, supermarkets and other premises; and TraceTogether, an app that identifies users who have been in close contact with other users. Last week, the Government suggested that wearable dongles might also be introduced to help with contact tracing.




















Allowing people to visit relatives after June 1 under cautious study
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

It is with great caution that the Government is studying whether to allow people to visit their relatives after June 1, when the circuit breaker measures are lifted.

"We recognise that many people would like to visit their family members," said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the coronavirus outbreak.

"Many parents and grandparents miss their children and grandchildren," he added, acknowledging that video calls or phone calls are not the same as being physically present. The authorities understand this desire to be physically connected again, he said.

"While we would like to allow them to see one another... we have to be quite cautious in moving on such a measure.

"Particularly when it comes to the elderly, because we all know that they are vulnerable, and if they were to catch the virus, the disease is potentially lethal for them."

Mr Wong was speaking at a virtual press conference yesterday.



Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced 884 new cases in Singapore, taking its tally past 24,000. Three of the new cases are Singaporeans or permanent residents.

Singapore's circuit breaker measures came into force on April 7 and were to last till May 4.

They were later extended by a month to June 1.

As part of moves to curb the COVID-19 spread, all social gatherings with friends and family members who do not live in the same household have had to stop.

People, however, can still visit their elderly relatives if these seniors need help with daily needs.

However, they have to take precautions, such as observing personal hygiene, minimising physical contact and not visiting if one is unwell.





















'Too big a price to pay' to achieve herd immunity in Singapore through natural infection
Why Singapore has not adopted herd immunity strategy to fight virus
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

Achieving herd immunity to COVID-19 through natural infection in the population will lead to a higher number of deaths and infections and overwhelm Singapore's healthcare system, said the Health Ministry's (MOH) director of medical services Kenneth Mak.

Speaking during a virtual briefing yesterday, Associate Professor Mak made clear that there was "too big a price for us to pay" to reach herd immunity in this way and thus it has not been part of Singapore's strategy to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

"If we assume that we're going to let COVID-19 spread freely in our population, we will then have to accept the costs associated with more seniors getting ill, more seniors getting complications, and a significant number of seniors even dying from infection.

"We will then see also high numbers of patients with COVID-19 infection potentially in our hospitals, in our ICUs, and this is a situation which is a very dangerous one."



He added that if the virus is contained well in Singapore, the country will never reach a situation where herd immunity is achieved, unless vaccination takes place.

Experts estimate that about 60 per cent to 80 per cent of the population needs to be infected and immune to the virus before herd immunity can be achieved, although such figures are often "best guesses", said Associate Professor Vernon Lee, director of communicable diseases at MOH.

Prof Lee, who also spoke yesterday, noted that countries which had high numbers of infections and conducted serological testing - which detects antibodies to determine whether a person has been infected - found that the percentage of positives was "way below" the threshold needed for herd immunity.

"So to get to that kind of percentage to achieve herd immunity will require a large number of people to get infected... So far, I don't think there's any country in the world that has tried to use overall herd immunity as a strategy to combat COVID-19," he said.



Yesterday, MOH confirmed 884 new coronavirus cases in Singapore, taking the country's total number of infections past 24,000.

The concept of herd immunity, where the virus spreads in the population, eventually building up resistance in the population, was initially key to the British government's decision-making when battling COVID-19, reported British newspaper The Guardian. However, the government abandoned this idea when it realised this would cause the healthcare system to be overwhelmed and potentially lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

Sweden, which has been criticised for its soft lockdown measures, has reported more than 3,200 deaths from the disease - several times higher than the number of deaths in neighbouring Scandinavian countries. The Swedish authorities have denied that their strategy was based on the overall goal of herd immunity.




















Advisories to be issued to all labs doing COVID-19 testing to ensure results are accurate
Move to ensure tests done correctly with accurate results, after 33 false positives found
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

All laboratories conducting coronavirus tests will be issued advisories detailing the processes they should follow, said the Health Ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak yesterday.

This is to ensure that tests are performed correctly and results are accurate, he added.

The move follows the ministry's announcement on Sunday that 33 false positives had been detected as a result of an "apparatus calibration issue".



Another two tests with ambiguous results had also turned out negative following retesting.

It meant that three of the four COVID-19 cases found among healthcare workers at the Singapore Expo community care facility had actually been clear of the virus.

It also led to a factory-converted dormitory at 45 Kaki Bukit Place being wrongly identified as a cluster with 10 cases.

Its owner TKT Capital was told on Monday that nine workers do not have the virus, which means the dormitory is not a cluster.

The lab involved subsequently stopped testing and the number of COVID-19 tests that could be carried out each day decreased as a result.

At present, the lab is recalibrating its test kits and revalidating them to make sure that results are accurate.

This should take a few days, following which Singapore will be able to return to its full testing capacity, Associate Professor Mak said.



Over the last week, Singapore has conducted around 7,500 tests a day.

"To safeguard this particular process of quality assurance, and to make sure we avoid having incorrect results coming out in the future, we have put together some advisories... for all the laboratories involved in testing," he added.

Explaining how the error occurred, Prof Mak said that a test kit used on one of the lab's machines had not been optimally calibrated. This meant that test results were not interpreted correctly.

"There were also some steps that were not completely followed through," he added. "If those steps had been completely followed through, we might have perhaps picked up some of these results a little bit earlier as well."



The lab is working with the vendors that provided the test kits and testing machines to resolve the issue, Prof Mak said, adding he has "full confidence" in the facility being able to correct the issue quickly.

But even with measures in place to make sure testing is done properly, there may be a need for confirmatory tests in some cases, he said.

In such cases, labs will be required to perform confirmatory tests before the test results are released.

"(This is) so that we have greater confidence in the test results being accurate," Prof Mak said.










New daily high of 626 COVID-19 patients discharged on 12 May 2020
884 new cases reported; so far, 3,842 have fully recovered since first case on 23 Jan
By Clement Yong, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

The number of COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities hit a new daily high of 626 yesterday, 12 May.

The previous high was 504 on Monday. This is in contrast to the double-digit discharge figures that Singapore saw before this month.

Some 3,842 coronavirus patients have fully recovered since the first case was reported here on Jan 23.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 884 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore yesterday, with migrant workers living in dormitories once more forming the majority - 877 - of the new cases.

The remaining cases comprised three Singaporeans, three work permit holders living outside dormitories and one work pass holder. There were no imported cases.

There were seven new COVID-19 clusters: at 45 Kian Teck Drive, 3 Loyang Way 6, 36 Senoko Road, 7 Senoko South Road, 3 Sungei Kadut Avenue, 46 Tech Park Crescent and 5 Woodlands Industrial Park E1.



MOH said the daily number of new cases continues to increase as it is carrying out more widespread testing. It noted that the number of new cases from testing workers who show acute respiratory symptoms and their contacts has remained stable.

"(We) are also testing the workers who are well and asymptomatic, as part of our process to verify and test the status of every worker," said MOH.

The ministry also announced two deaths that it classified as non-COVID-19-related, bringing the number of people who have died from other causes while testing positive for the virus to nine.

The first is a 50-year-old Thai man who was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Monday after he suffered respiratory arrest and was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital the day before. He died of cerebral haemorrhage yesterday.

A 31-year-old Indian man died on Sunday after he collapsed at his dormitory after complaining of chest pain, said MOH. He tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday after his death, which was caused by a heart attack.



The number of people who have died due to complications from COVID-19 remains at 21.

MOH has said it adds patients to the COVID-19 death count only when the attending doctor or pathologist attributes the primary or underlying cause of death to a COVID-19 infection, in line with international practice for classifying deaths.

With about three weeks to June 1, when Singapore's circuit breaker measures are expected to be eased, MOH data shows that the daily average of new cases among Singaporeans, permanent residents and work pass holders has come down further, from eight cases two weeks ago to seven in the past week.

The number of such cases that are unlinked also dipped from a daily average of four to three over the same period.

Among the new local cases are two Singaporean healthcare workers. One is a 63-year-old nurse clinician at Singapore General Hospital who had not gone to work since the onset of symptoms, while the other is a 55-year-old patient service associate at Changi General Hospital who had worked a few hours prior to admission in the same hospital.






















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COVID-19: Singapore to test all migrant workers living in dormitories

May 13, 2020, 9:50 am
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20,000 migrant workers to recover and be discharged by end-May 2020
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

By the end of the month, 20,000 migrant workers who were infected with COVID-19 will be discharged from care facilities, and more are expected to recover in June, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.

This is about 80 per cent of the total number of infections here currently, which reached 24,671 yesterday, 12 May.



"Our aim is to make sure that as far as possible, all migrant workers are free of infection before resuming work when their sectors gradually reopen," added Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at the same press conference.

So far, 1,735 migrant workers have recovered and been discharged, and significantly more are expected to enter the recovery phase in the coming weeks, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

There are more than 300,000 workers in dorms and the authorities plan to test them all"to make sure that they are free from infection", Mr Wong said. The testing process is under way and may be completed only by June or July.

More than 32,000 workers from dorms have already been tested. How long the process takes will depend on how much Singapore can ramp up its testing capacity, for example, said Mr Wong.



Discharged workers will return to their dorms or be transferred to other temporary accommodation.

Brigadier-General Seet Uei Lim, who leads the inter-agency task force handling the outbreak in dormitories, said that more than 20,000 workers have been moved into alternative sites so far.

This includes healthy workers in the essential services, workers who have completed quarantine orders and some recovered workers.

By the end of June, about 40,000 workers can be housed in such temporary accommodation, BG Seet said.















All foreign workers in dorms to be tested for COVID-19
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 13 May 2020

All 323,000 foreign workers staying in dormitories will be tested for COVID-19 to ensure they are free of the virus before they resume work in the community and return to their dorms, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

This will be done through the use of mass polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and mass serological tests, said Mr Wong, as he outlined the Government's "systematic" approach to ensure that dormitories are clear of the coronavirus.

First, serology tests, which can detect if an individual has had COVID-19 in the past, will be applied to dorms with high infection rates, he said at a virtual press conference yesterday.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said workers with a positive serological test would have been infected in the past - at least 10 to 14 days ago - and would no longer be infectious after a period of isolation.

"After a period of isolation, we can assume they've recovered from the virus," said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic.

Serological tests detect the presence of antibodies to the virus in the bloodstream. Antibodies are evidence of the body's reaction to an infection, and show that a person was previously infected. Their presence might also suggest the person is now immune to the virus.

PCR tests will be done on workers who test negative in the serology tests, and for those in other dormitories without high infection rates.

PCR technology detects the presence of viral genetic material in patient samples. Such tests will be applied individually or in batches.



MOH said such pooled tests involve combining swabs of up to five individuals in one laboratory test, which does not affect the sensitivity of the tests.

Where a pooled test is positive, the original five individuals could be retested individually to identify the infected person. This is an effective strategy if used where infection prevalence rates are likely to be low, said MOH.

Since such dormitories are not likely to have many infected, this approach should reduce the number of tests required.

As a PCR test cannot detect the virus when it is in incubation, a worker who tests negative the first time will be subjected to a 14-day isolation period, said Mr Wong.

The worker will need to have a second negative result after the isolation period to be confirmed clear of the virus.



About 3,000 tests are now being done daily in the dorms, and that number will be stepped up in the coming weeks, said the minister.

So far, more than 32,000 workers in dorms have been tested - about 10 per cent of such workers.

It could take several weeks - going into next month or July - to complete the testing process, said Mr Wong.

How quickly the testing can be completed hinges on several factors, including the extent to which Singapore can ramp up its testing capacity and whether the workers need to be isolated or quarantined.

This testing is being done dormitory by dormitory, rather than by sectors, Mr Wong added.

Asked for an estimate of the percentage of workers in dorms who would have tested positive for COVID-19 by the time the testing process is completed, Mr Wong said the true underlying prevalence rate will be known only when all tests have been completed.

If the true prevalence rate is low, the dormitories can be cleared of the virus faster, he said.

But if it is high, more steps will need to be taken to isolate and quarantine workers.

When the workers in dorms resume work, the Government will put in place a regime to test them on a regular basis, Mr Wong added.

This testing regime will also apply to workers in the construction sector who are living outside dorms and serving stay-home notices, he said.

"(This is) because we do not want to have a recurrence of clusters forming among construction workers in particular, now that we have identified this as an activity that could potentially result in large clusters forming," he said.

























Government to absorb additional operational costs for dormitory operators during circuit breaker
By Tan Tam Mei, The Straits Times, 12 May 2020

The Government will be footing the bill for the increased operating costs incurred by dorm operators due to the dormitory lockdowns and stay-home notices imposed on some 300,000 foreign workers across Singapore.

Restricted movement measures that confine this group to their places of residence have resulted in additional costs, with dorm operators reporting a spike in utility bills and difficulties in finding manpower to support the sanitation and safe distancing measures required.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said yesterday that the Government will offset the increase in operating costs for operators of purpose-built dorms, factory-converted dorms and construction temporary quarters owing to the longer hours workers now spend in their residences.

These include additional costs for manpower, cleaning, maintenance, utilities and infrastructure incurred because of the restrictions imposed on the workers as part of the efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 in the dormitories.

However, the support is only temporary and "in view of the ongoing COVID-19 infections in the dormitories", said the ministry.

Said the MOM: "When the support is eventually withdrawn, it will be necessary for dormitory operators to recoup many of these additional costs from their tenants."



According to a notice sent out to dorm operators last week, the support will last until the end of the circuit breaker which is scheduled to be lifted on June 1.

To get the subsidies, dorm operators will have to provide receipts for their "business-as-usual" expenses as well as for the months that saw increased operating costs.

To qualify, dorm operators will also have to declare that they did not raise rental fees throughout the circuit breaker period.

The subsidies come as a relief for dormitory operators as many have had to scale up cleaning, security and administrative operations and take on new tasks, like food dispatching, often on short notice.

Operators that ST spoke to in the last few days said they have experienced rising operational costs but would not be increasing rental fees.

Mr Stephen Ong of Draco Venture, which operates North Coast Lodge, was initially worried about the increasing overheads.

In the last two months, the purpose-built dorm near Woodlands that houses 7,000 residents has seen its utility bills double. Garbage disposal expenses have also increased seven times, noted Mr Ong.

Mr Kong Chee Min, chief executive of Centurion Corporation, which manages the Westlite dorms, said the pandemic forced a steep learning curve on dorm operators.

It has not been easy to employ additional manpower in dorms at such short notice, especially because they are considered high-risk locations. Centurion has instead employed some of its residents to help out, said Mr Kong.

The risk of COVID-19 infection has also caused some of Labourtel Management Corporation's employees in its four purpose-built dorms to resign, said its director Shaik Mohamed.

"We have staff who face increased pressure from their families to not report to work given the risks and we have also had a fair amount of resignations," he said.

These fears were not unwarranted.

Already three of North Coast Lodge's staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus and one of them is over 60, said Mr Ong.

"Our team members can never be compensated for the life-threatening infection risk they are taking every day," he added.

Foreign workers living in dorms account for the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in Singapore.

There were 486 new cases in Singapore yesterday, taking the total count to 23,787.















Technology to help foreign workers in dorms monitor health amid COVID-19 pandemic: Josephine Teo
Access to telemedicine, devices to check blood oxygen levels among measures
By Goh Yan Han, The Straits Times, 11 May 2020

With the management of foreign workers in dormitories entering the recovery phase, the workers are being given help to monitor their health through telemedicine and a gadget that checks blood oxygen levels.

About 8,000 pulse oximeters have been distributed so far and a further 12,000 will be given out, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo yesterday.

The devices monitor a person's blood oxygen level and can help detect early signs of a deterioration in health.

Monitoring is seen as the next step in containing the virus, which has predominantly affected foreign workers.

"Now, having stabilised the situation as well as strengthened the medical support, we now need to plan for the next phase," said Mrs Teo.



The idea is to help workers make a full recovery and resume work safely to get the economy back on track. It is the third phase of the strategy that Singapore has rolled out to deal with migrant workers who have accounted for most of the COVID-19 cases here.

The first phase involved safe distancing measures in dorms and relocating essential services workers, while the second phase involved putting a medical support plan in place. About 40,000 medical consultations involving foreign workers took place last month through this plan.

Migrant workers continued to account for a majority of the 876 new cases reported yesterday, which brought the total count in Singapore to 23,336. The focus is now on the third phase.

"A very important aspect of this recovery phase will be how to strengthen the health monitoring and the health surveillance in our dormitories in particular," said Mrs Teo, who was speaking during a visit to JTC Space @ Tuas, where a carpark that has been converted into a medical post for foreign workers will be operational from today.



A medical post has doctors and other staff on duty to address the healthcare needs of foreign workers who have acute respiratory infection symptoms such as fever and cough.

"We are introducing new measures that will help us... do the health surveillance... in a more comprehensive way," said Mrs Teo.

"We hope that by doing so, we will be able to help the individual worker prevent a recurrence if he has already been infected, or for those who have not been infected, to prevent them from falling sick in the first place."



The monitoring process includes teleconsultation services available to workers in dormitories through their mobile phones. They can fill in an online form and a doctor will video call them back in two hours. Around 400 such consultations have been conducted since April 25.

The doctors are from the nine private healthcare providers under the Ministry of Health's regulatory sandbox.

Teleconsultation services will be available even when on-site medical facilities or external Public Health Preparedness Clinics are closed for the day.



Singapore has also been focusing on beefing up medical facilities for migrant workers so that the healthcare system does not get overwhelmed.

The JTC Space @ Tuas medical post is the fifth of its kind, and between them they can cater to around 75,000 foreign workers in factory-converted dorms and temporary on-site quarters.

All 43 purpose-built dorms have their own medical facilities to cater to 200,000 workers.

There are also eight telekiosks in dorms, with more to come to ensure round-the-clock access to a doctor. "We don't want the workers to wait until they are so unwell to seek medical attention," said Mrs Teo.










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$16 billion in COVID-19 support given out as of May 2020: Indranee Rajah

May 16, 2020, 12:16 am
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Help disbursed to Singaporeans, businesses between March and May under three Budgets
By Grace Ho, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 14 May 2020

More than $16 billion in COVID-19 government assistance has been given out so far, as Singapore crosses the halfway mark of the circuit breaker period, said Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah.

In a Facebook post yesterday, she said the support was provided between March and this month to Singaporeans and businesses under the Unity, Resilience and Solidarity Budgets.

This includes $7 billion under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), where the Government co-funds the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages paid to each local employee. Another $4 billion will be paid out this month.

The Government had earlier announced a total of $63.7 billion in aid under the three COVID-19 support packages, which were rolled out between February and last month.

"Our first priority has been to protect people health-wise against COVID-19 and ensure that those infected, including foreign workers, receive the best possible care to help them recover," said Ms Indranee.

"With economic activities slowing, our other major priority has been to ensure that individuals, families and businesses are supported through this difficult period," she added.

She also thanked companies that returned or donated the financial support received to charity.

Thirty-two companies have returned $35 million worth of JSS payouts to the Government, while others are donating the funds.



The rest of the disbursements include more than $2.5 billion in property and corporate income tax rebates as well as foreign worker levy waivers and rebates; and $2 billion given to individuals and households, including the Solidarity Payment of $600 to all adult Singaporeans, GST Voucher - U-Save and service and conservancy charges rebates.

About $200 million was also given out to around 450,000 Singaporeans under the Temporary Relief Fund. This is a one-off cash payment of $500 for those needing immediate financial help due to the virus outbreak and countermeasures.

Ms Indranee said another $300 million will be paid out this month in the first tranche under the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme. This will benefit more than 100,000 self-employed persons.

While disbursing $16 billion in less than three months is unprecedented, it is necessary to help cushion COVID-19's impact, she added.

"This has been possible due to prudent management of public finances and the strength of our reserves, which have been judiciously and painstakingly built up over the years for a time such as this," she said.

The combined Budgets are expected to draw a historic $21 billion from Singapore's past reserves.



When the circuit breaker period ends on June 1, Singapore will be emerging into a changed world, she added.

"While some of what was done in the past will continue, the way we live and work will inevitably have to change. We will all have to adjust and adapt. The Government will provide the necessary support to enable the transition.

"Now, more than ever, is the time for Government and people to work in partnership as we take on the challenge of rebuilding the economy and strengthening our society. Together, we will emerge stronger."

























More Singaporeans approved for government financial assistance schemes
By Tham Yuen-C, Senior Political Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 10 May 2020

The coronavirus has seen more Singaporeans and permanent residents on government financial aid in March and April this year, compared with the same period last year.

Applications approved for the ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance and ComCare Long-Term Assistance schemes have increased significantly, figures from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) show.

In March, there were 4,754 approved applications for the schemes, up 18 per cent from March last year.

In April, the number of approved applications rose to 5,020, a 33 per cent increase over April last year.

"COVID-19 has significantly impacted the economy and the lives of many Singapore citizens and permanent residents, causing many people to lose their jobs, experience a decrease in income or be placed on no-pay leave," an MSF spokesman told The Sunday Times. "Our ComCare assistance is one of the various government schemes to support these affected groups."



The MSF, which oversees the schemes, has exercised greater flexibility in the assessment of ComCare applications, the spokesman said. This includes giving approval for a longer duration of support - at least six months in general - from the get-go, an automatic six-month extension for households whose ComCare expires between now and July, and looking at each case on its merit instead of sticking strictly to only income criteria.

Mr Mohammad Ridzuan, 44, is among those getting ComCare. The delivery driver and his family had already been on the scheme when COVID-19 hit Singapore's shores, but they are now receiving more monthly assistance after he was let go on April 9. From bringing home about $1,400 a month, he suddenly had no monthly income.

"During that period, I had no more cash and all my bills were stuck - I couldn't pay," said the sole breadwinner who lives with his wife, 42, and four children aged 12 to 16.

The ComCare cash payout of $1,700 a month goes towards putting food on the table and buying diapers for one of his sons, who is autistic, he said, adding that the Social Service Office is looking at ways to provide more help to his family.

Meanwhile, the increase in people going on the government assistance schemes has also made it easier for people to apply, said another ComCare recipient, Mr Koh.

The 33-year-old, who declined to give his full name, was just making a career switch from selling chemicals to insurance when COVID-19 hit and the Government put in place the circuit breaker. This meant he was no longer able to canvass for clients, and his income fell from about $2,000 to $3,000 a month to zero.

"I was very stressed, it caused me sleepless nights. I literally fell asleep only in the morning because of fatigue," he said of why he decided to apply for ComCare. "I think more people are exposed to it, more people know what kind of help there is and there is also less of a stigma."

He and his wife, 31, have two daughters, aged seven and three. The family now gets $1,450 in cash a month from ComCare.



There has also been high demand for other grants and schemes. The COVID-19 Support Grant, for Singaporeans and PRs who have lost their jobs or seen a significant reduction in their pay, has seen 15,000 people apply since applications opened on May 4. The MSF is assessing the applications, which take two weeks to process.

Organisations and individuals have also raised some $17 million for two funds to help vulnerable Singaporeans facing difficulties resulting from the coronavirus crisis.

Since February, The Courage Fund, which provides relief to vulnerable individuals and families, has received more than $8 million from corporate donors. The Invictus Fund, which channels private donations to social service agencies and was set up in April, has raised over $2 million in just over a month.

Individual donors have given close to $7 million to both funds, with two philanthropists alone giving $2 million, said the Community Chest and National Council for Social Service (NCSS) in a statement yesterday.

In all, more than 70 companies have generously donated to the two funds, while 10 others have contributed essential supplies, including masks, hand sanitisers and thermal scanners to vulnerable segments of the population, said NCCS and ComChest.



In a Facebook post yesterday, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said: "I would like to thank all our corporates for being a force for good in these challenging times. We are encouraged by this generosity, and welcome more to give back to the local and international community so that we can weather this global health crisis together."



















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All pre-school staff to take COVID-19 swab test before centres reopen

May 16, 2020, 3:36 am
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Tests will be done between 15 and 26 May at four segregated centres in polytechnics
By Jolene Ang and Amelia Teng and Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 15 May 2020

All pre-school staff will undergo a one-time swab test for COVID-19 starting today, before the centres reopen. The test, which is a precautionary measure, will cover principals, teachers and the carers who look after infants and toddlers.

Cleaners, cooks and relief and new staff starting work next month will also have to undergo the test.

The Early Childhood Development Agency's (ECDA) chief licensing officer Jamie Ang announced the need for swab tests in a circular to operators on Wednesday.



The Health Promotion Board (HPB) will conduct the tests for staff between today and May 26 at four swabbing centres located in polytechnics, in areas segregated from the rest of the campus.

In the circular seen by The Straits Times, Ms Ang said that to allow for faster testing, a pooled approach will be used, where swab samples from up to five individuals will be tested in one batch, instead of individually.

The ECDA said that as Singapore looks to gradually resume services safely, testing and monitoring will be stepped up especially among priority groups like seniors and children.

Testing at pre-schools has been prioritised, as staff have close and constant contact with young children in an enclosed setting.

Most staff will be required to do only one swab test, but a small number may have to return for a second individual test if the first batch test is positive, Ms Ang said.



Children will not be tested as evidence indicates they are typically infected by adults, and not by their peers, she added.

The Government will bear the cost of the swab test exercise, given the sizeable number of staff - around 30,000 - that are involved.

Non-anchor operator pre-schools will need to register staff in groups of five for the swab test, while anchor operators are coordinating with the HPB and ECDA to schedule appointments.

Staff are allowed to make their way to the four swabbing centres only via an authorised shuttle bus, which they can take from nearby MRT stations at Woodlands, Tampines West, Dover and Khatib.



Meanwhile, individuals at a higher risk of infection, such as children and staff returning after a stay-home notice period, may have to undergo further testing before returning to pre-school.

A number of pre-schools had to be closed earlier after reporting COVID-19 infections.

Until May 7, the disease had infected 57 children - those aged 16 and younger - in Singapore.

The tests are the latest precautionary measures implemented since January to keep pre-schools safe. Earlier measures include restricting visitors, and tighter and more frequent health checks.

Mr Vincent Yap, company director of Eshkol Valley Preschool, which has about 70 staff across three centres, said the move might inconvenience some staff. "But we understand this is a precautionary move. It is a step in the right direction, in preparation to reopen pre-schools."

Private tutor Nurul Huda, 34, who has two children in a kindergarten, had doubts about sending them back to school. "But with this initiative... I am more assured," she said.






























COVID-19 swabbers and swab assistants wanted, pay starts at $3,400 a month
Swabbers employed on short-term contracts with no additional bonuses, career pathways: MOH
By Hidayah Iskandar, The Straits Times, 15 May 2020

As the fight against COVID-19 in Singapore continues, the Health Promotion Board, with the assistance of NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), is hiring swabbers and swabbing assistants to support wider COVID-19 swab testing efforts.

e2i, a tripartite initiative of the National Trades Union Congress set up to support nationwide manpower and skills upgrading initiatives, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (May 12) that the swabbers would provide support in COVID-19 operations and in community care.

Swabbers are required to perform nasopharyngeal swab procedures - a method of collecting clinical test samples from the back of the nose and throat by inserting a swab into the nostril.

The employment offered is a short-term contract for swab operations, for instance swabbing of foreign workers in dormitories, and does not provide any progression pathway unlike full-time healthcare professional roles in the public healthcare system, said the Ministry of Health.

Neither does it include any additional allowances or bonuses.

Successful candidates will start off as swab assistants with a monthly salary of $3,400.

Those who become swabbers after training and assessment will earn $3,800 a month.



On the sign-up sheet for the position, e2i said training on how to perform swab procedures, including familiarisation with all aspects of the personal protective equipment, will be provided.

It added that for individuals who are unable to be mask-fitted, other roles can be explored.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin talked about the recruitment drive when he said: “The jobs scene will be of concern as the COVID impact on the economy begins to bite. It will begin to get even more serious.

Mr Tan added that this was part of a bigger effort to create more new jobs whether on a temporary basis or more long term.



Other responsibilities of swabbers include checking clients for any respiratory symptoms and coordinating with doctors to swab and attend to isolated clients who have declared positive for respiratory symptoms.

Successful candidates will be posted to places such as community recovery facilities, government quarantine facilities and nursing homes.

Swabbers and swab assistants will rotate six working days a week for six months with the option to extend for another three months.

Those who wish to apply must ensure they are medically fit with no history of chronic diseases and must be proficient in English and one mother tongue.

Applicants must also be able to work in shifts or extended hours and over weekends if required.
















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Construction sector to resume work gradually from 2 June 2020, with strict safe distancing measures

May 16, 2020, 10:53 pm
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Strict safety guidelines in place to guard against another spike in new virus cases
By Lim Yan Liang and Olivia Ho, Arts Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 May 2020

Construction work here will gradually resume from June 2, starting with critical projects, and a comprehensive set of safe management guidelines is in place as Singapore seeks to cautiously get its economy back on track.

To guard against another spike in new cases, workers will not be cross-deployed between projects while also being segregated into different work zones, it was announced yesterday.



Construction work has largely been suspended since COVID-19 circuit breaker measures kicked in on April 7, with only 5 per cent of the sector's workforce - about 20,000 workers - continuing to work on a small number of critical projects, and those that have had to continue for safety reasons.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) expects another 5 per cent of the workforce to resume work gradually, meaning about one-tenth of the usual workforce will be active next month.

There will be "end-to-end precautions" to cover workers - from the dormitories they stay in to transportation to activities at work sites - said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong at a virtual press conference.

One new requirement is for all workers involved in a project to be housed together, no matter who their employer is. Previously, workers from various contractors would likely have stayed in different dorms.

In the dormitories, workers will be prevented from inter-mixing, and communal facilities such as stoves and showers will be assigned to those staying in the same room.



Employers also have to provide dedicated transport between work sites and places of accommodation. In addition, they need to ensure their workers are masked and seated at safe distances, using at most half the seating capacity for open-air vehicles like lorries.

Work sites will also have to deploy technology such as TraceTogether and SafeEntry to ensure tracking and compliance.

The caution in reopening the sector comes as migrant workers make up the bulk of COVID-19 cases here, with transmission in dormitories, at construction work sites and in social settings believed to be the key reason for the rapid spread over the past few weeks.



BCA said yesterday that all works will require its approval before they can restart. Foreign construction workers must be tested before being allowed to return to work, and plans are also being put in place to test workers regularly, at two-week intervals to start.

Because these are "massive changes" to the construction sector here, the Government will select a few projects comprising the estimated 5 per cent of the sector's workforce and work with the contractors and workers involved to put the measures in place, said Mr Wong.

BCA chief executive officer Hugh Lim said the authorities are moving cautiously to observe how the construction sector implements the new safety measures.

"If our industry partners find it difficult to implement (these measures) even on a limited scale, you can imagine that if we expand too quickly there will be breaches," he said. "We do want to avoid a situation where the industry has to stop again on a large scale, after having restarted."


Mr Wong said new regulatory requirements such as a regular testing regime for workers will undoubtedly raise construction costs, but these are necessary for safety reasons.

"I have no doubt that it will mean construction costs in Singapore will be higher because of these regulatory requirements, and all of us have to be prepared to pay this higher cost because we want construction work to be done safely in Singapore henceforth," he said.

Yesterday, 15 May, 793 new cases were reported in Singapore, the bulk of them migrant workers.
















BTO projects to be among first to restart after circuit breaker
Also on priority list are projects that are critical and time-sensitive, or cannot be left idle for too long
By Olivia Ho, Arts Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 May 2020

Build-To-Order (BTO) flats may be among the projects to be prioritised as the construction sector gradually resumes work from June 2, after having ground nearly to a halt during circuit breaker measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said at a press conference yesterday that he understands people are anxious about the status of their projects. "It could be public housing, it could be private condominiums, it could be a whole range of projects," he said.



On the priority list are projects that cannot be left idle for too long due to safety concerns, as well as critical and time-sensitive projects, such as MRT works and the deep tunnel sewerage system.

But safety considerations remain most important, he stressed. "Even if a project is most meritorious of resuming work, if the contractor is unable to show that all of these safeguards are doable... then they will not be able to resume work, no matter how important that project is."

He added that the Government will consider allowing the restarting of projects not on the approved priority list, but which can show that they have the requisite safeguards in place.

These include putting in place systems to track the health status of every worker daily, ensuring that workers on the same project are staying together in the same accommodation, and providing dedicated transport with safe distancing measures to and from worksites.



Said Mr Wong: "If the contractor comes along and says, 'Look, you have not prioritised me to be at the start of the list, but I am ready because I have a temporary dorm on the worksite that can house this many workers, I am ready with all the precautions that you have required in your checklist, I tick all the boxes and I can show you' - then we will certainly be prepared for that particular contractor to start work as well."

The minister said the authorities will also give priority to projects where renovations had been ongoing and then were suspended because of the circuit breaker. New renovations, however, will have to be considered separately.

The first projects to restart will help the authorities and contractors "iron out all the teething issues on the ground", he said. "At the same time, we are also beefing up our inspection teams on the ground, so that we will be able to inspect and audit all the measures that the contractors are putting in place."










Steps to curb coronavirus transmission will raise construction costs
By Olivia Ho, Arts Correspondent, The Straits Times, 16 May 2020

The measures to keep COVID-19 transmission low in the construction sector are bound to increase costs for contractors, which they will have to bear in principle.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said at a press conference yesterday that construction costs will rise as a result, and all in Singapore must be prepared to bear them.

As the construction sector prepares to start its engines again from June 2, after the circuit breaker ends on June 1, the authorities aim to implement a regular COVID-19 testing regime for workers at a proposed interval of two weeks.



Mr Wong said the number of workers being tested will depend on the number resuming work, but this will be scaled up progressively.

"We want to test all the workers who will be resuming work and it will be done on a regular basis. This will be a new regulatory requirement on top of all the other safe distancing measures that we have put in place... that contractors will now have to uphold."

Building and Construction Authority chief executive Hugh Lim said the details of the testing regime are still being worked out with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ensure that its scale and frequency can be fully supported once construction activity resumes.

Though the costs will be borne by employers in principle, he said they and MOH were working out how costs can be spread among the different parties involved.















Tighter measures to ensure workers who return to work remain healthy
They will be housed in separate blocks in dorms, limiting movement and mingling
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 16 May 2020

Tighter measures will be in place for blocks in dormitories set aside for healthy migrant workers, to prevent new outbreaks as they return to work, said the authorities yesterday.

The measures are designed to control the movement of people in and out of these areas, limit mingling among workers and make sure any new cases are identified and isolated quickly.

Healthy workers - those who have tested negative or recovered from the coronavirus - will be housed in dormitory blocks where they are physically segregated from the rest on the premises.

The Government yesterday outlined its plan for protecting them as the country gears up for the end of the circuit breaker next month. Some 20,000 foreign workers are expected to be discharged from care facilities by the end of the month and ready to resume work.

The Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Permanent Secretary Aubeck Kam said yesterday that 5,400 beds can be expected in the dedicated blocks by next week. So far, more than 2,000 beds have been set up.

The task force he chairs aims to "recover" dorms or blocks in dorms - making and keeping them virus-free - housing up to 60,000 migrant workers, in the coming weeks. This is about 20 per cent of the dorm population. The task force aims to do the same for all remaining dorms in the coming months, by testing and clearing all the residents.



Ms Chew Ee Tien, director of the Foreign Manpower Unit at MOM, laid out the measures that will be put in place at these dedicated blocks, called blocks for recovered workers, or BRWs.

Dorm operators will have to put in place a system to track all movement in and out of dorms. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 re-emerging, workers entering and leaving these blocks will be "carefully regulated", said Ms Chew.

For a start, residents in BRWs must leave only for work and return to the dorms immediately after.

"At some point, if the number of cases in the dorms is brought down to a very low level, it will be possible to consider allowing residents from BRWs to also leave the dorms for non-work reasons," she said.

Ms Chew said that time spent outside dormitories should be kept to a minimum, and large gatherings avoided as everyone will still need to adhere to the prevailing safe distancing measures.

MOM said yesterday that additional measures will have to be taken to reduce crowd sizes at popular locations where workers tend to gather, with more details to be announced later.

To limit mixing of workers in the designated blocks, dorm operators will also be required to set up barriers and mark out routes from dormitory blocks to common areas and entrances. Within each block, residents have to stay within their levels and rooms, and not move freely to other levels. Workers will be allowed to mingle only with their roommates.



Workers from the same room will be assigned toilets, showers, wash basins, and stoves in communal kitchens for use. Minimarts, canteens and shops can open, but only for contactless ordering and delivery. Pick-up and drop-off timings when workers leave for and return from work must be staggered.

And to ensure any new infections can be quickly detected, dorm residents will be tested regularly, and they are to report their temperature, oxygen level and heart rate daily. Medical support will continue to be provided, Ms Chew said.

The ministry will be working with the Dormitory Association of Singapore, dorm operators, and employers to implement these measures outlined, she said. "In the weeks and months ahead, we must remain vigilant and implement measures so that the workers can work and live in a safe environment."




















Close living increases coronavirus transmission risks: Manpower Minister Josephine Teo
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 16 May 2020

Changes need to be made to communal living as COVID-19 has shown that it can spread even when hygiene standards are high, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said yesterday.

This is especially so when it is clear that the coronavirus can spread even when symptoms are not obvious and people are in close proximity to one another, like at workplaces, social gatherings or in the same home.

To illustrate her point, the minister, speaking at a virtual press conference, cited COVID-19 clusters being found on luxury cruise ships and aircraft carriers.



Yesterday, her ministry outlined measures to be implemented at designated blocks in dormitories that will house workers who have tested negative or recovered from COVID-19.

Mrs Teo said the aim is to reduce the numbers in dorms, even though it will be a gradual process.

"That is the aim and we will progressively try to do that. We have to be mindful that this does put quite a lot of pressure on the arrangements at the dormitory, so it will take time, and it largely depends on how soon we can identify appropriate places to build up capacity to house the workers who would otherwise have returned to the dormitories."

Mrs Teo said it is much clearer now, as understanding of the virus evolves, that it can spread in many different settings.



The risk of transmission is present at construction sites, social settings from karaoke sessions to shopping, and "within households, within families", said Mrs Teo.

"In particular where many people live together, regardless of the room arrangements or the hygiene standards, the transmission risk is higher," she added.

Pointing to luxury cruise ships and an aircraft carrier, she said such vessels may house at most three people in a room, and their hygiene standards could be considered to be very high.

"But because many people live together... transmission risk becomes higher."



As for dorms, they were designed for communal living, where the workers socialise and interact closely every day, she said.

"Going forward we will have to see how best to make adjustments.

"But in the existing dormitories, we will have to, right now, implement new measures such as setting up facilities to segregate the workers, and also do things like prevent overcrowding at the communal facilities."

























Stay-home notice for foreign workers and dependants in construction to end on 18 May 2020
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 16 May 2020

The stay-home notice (SHN) that is being served by around 180,000 foreign workers in the construction sector and their dependants will end at 11.59pm on Monday, 18 May.

The notice will not be extended further as the incidence of coronavirus infection among this group of residents is now similar to that of the community at large, said Permanent Secretary for Manpower Aubeck Kam at a virtual press conference yesterday.

But after the stay-home notice is no longer in force, this group will still be subject to circuit breaker measures like everyone else in the community, he added.

"For example, only one person should leave the house at any one time and return immediately after completing errands," said Mr Kam, who chairs the inter-agency task force in charge of migrant worker welfare in dormitories.

This group of workers and their dependants have been put on stay-home notice since April 20. The notice was extended for another 14 days earlier this month as a precautionary measure to stem the spread of COVID-19.



The authorities had implemented this move to curb the number of infected construction work pass holders who are not living in purpose-built dormitories, following a spike in cases among this group of workers a few weeks ago.

The workers who were placed on stay-home notice are work permit and S Pass holders staying in factory-converted dormitories, temporary quarters on construction sites, Housing Board flats and private residential premises like shophouses.

However, all workers in dormitories - including factory-converted dormitories and construction temporary quarters - are currently not allowed to leave their dorms.

The 180,000 workers and their dependants also include a "small percentage" of at least 7,000 healthy workers who were moved to alternative living areas such as military camps, floating hotels and sports halls, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had said previously.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo urged this group of workers to "leave your place of residence only if you absolutely need to, for example to pick up essentials, buy groceries or buy food, and also try to just do it one at a time".

"Don't go out in groups, and keep that outing short," she said.

She acknowledged that some workers may have a strong desire to go out and perform certain tasks, such as remitting money home, as their stay-home notice has been in place for a considerably long period of 28 days.

They can do so if these activities cannot be done digitally, but should remember to keep such outings short and take precautions, she said.

The authorities will also reach out to their employers to remind the workers that the circuit breaker measures still apply to them, and that they have to continue to protect themselves from the coronavirus, she added.

MOM said employers have to keep the ministry updated should there be any change to the registered addresses and mobile phone numbers of their workers.















No big party after 1 June 2020 - just a gradual reopening, says Gan Kim Yong
Community cases low primarily because circuit breaker ensures many stay at home
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 16 May 2020

While community cases have been coming down in recent days, Singapore needs to reopen carefully and slowly or chance a large spike in new cases, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has said.

Mr Gan was asked at a virtual press conference by the multi-ministry task force on COVID-19 if the single Singaporean/permanent resident confirmed here yesterday meant Singapore has successfully "flattened the curve" for cases in the community, as the large majority of the 793 cases that the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced yesterday were foreign workers staying in dormitories.



The term refers to the n-shaped epidemic curve, used to visualise when new cases happen and at what speed during a virus outbreak.

A sharp rise in cases results in a steeply inclined curve, while a slower growth in cases spread out over a longer time period creates a moderate plateau.

This is a key goal of public health officials to prevent health systems from being overwhelmed.

While the number of COVID-19 patients being discharged has exceeded new cases in recent days, Mr Gan said it is important to bear in mind that community cases are low today primarily because of circuit breaker measures that have many staying at home.

"We have actually moved a lot of the working environment to home-based telecommuting, and we have actually stopped the bulk of the construction work in Singapore," said Mr Gan, who co-chairs the task force tackling the virus.

"As we restart the economy, as we allow more people to return to work, as we allow more activities to resume, we have to be very careful, because if we are not careful, the number of cases will spike up, and you may have big clusters forming again."

The Government expects that as circuit breaker measures are rolled back and Singapore reopens, the number of cases in the community will rise, he said.

"We hope that if we do it carefully and do it right, the number - even as it goes up - it will continue to go up slowly, and it will continue to remain under control, and we will be able to step up our contact tracing, our quarantine efforts, to minimise the risk of transmission in the community and to minimise the risk of large clusters being formed," he added.

One key test of whether Singapore succeeds in this aspect is not just the number of cases in the community, but how many of them are linked to existing clusters and how many are not, said MOH's director of medical services Kenneth Mak.



"It's all contingent, really, on us continuing to do our bit to not go out unnecessarily, not to mix and have too much close contact even as we start to carry out some of these (social) activities again," said Associate Professor Mak.

Echoing this, Mr Gan called on Singaporeans to remain vigilant, and not to let their guard down simply because the circuit breaker period officially ends on June 1.

Both the Government and the people have "worked very hard over the last few weeks and have maintained very tight circuit breaker measures" to keep the number of cases down, he said, as he urged Singaporeans to continue to cooperate with the authorities and support safe distancing measures so that the Republic can progressively open up with time.



"I know June 1 is approaching very quickly and there's a great expectation from among Singaporeans what will happen after June 1," he said.

"I have to say that we are not going to have a big party after June 1; it is still a very tight situation where we need to continue to impose many of the circuit breaker measures to ensure that our number of cases does not spike up, and we appeal to Singaporeans to bear with us."








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Singapore's COVID-19 circuit breaker ends on 1 June 2020; economy to reopen in three phases

May 20, 2020, 7:50 am
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Ministers spell out road map to keep nation safe and restart businesses over next months
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Singapore's circuit breaker will formally end on June 1, as the country gradually restarts its economy in three phases over the next several months.

This will not mean a return to life before the coronavirus, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday, outlining the broad plan for the months ahead.

Singapore will proceed with caution in the first phase, where many existing restrictions will continue. This phase is expected to last at least four weeks.

If all goes well, it will then move into the second transitionary phase, which could spread over several months.

Further easing of measures would follow in the third phase, where a "new normal" will remain until an effective vaccine or treatment is found.

New cases are expected to rise as people gradually resume activities, and stricter measures could be implemented at any point if the situation worsens.

While some may be disappointed that they will not be able to go out freely and socialise at the end of the circuit breaker, the reopening needs to be done carefully, said Mr Wong at a press conference yesterday.

"We have to do this in a careful and calibrated manner as we don't want to risk a flaring up of the virus. And importantly, we do not want to sacrifice the efforts all of us have put into controlling the outbreak," he said.

He added that the Government will continue to support businesses and workers that are unable to open on June 2.



In the first phase, dubbed "safe reopening", about a third of Singapore's workers will be able to resume work at their workplaces, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing. The rest will continue to work from home.

"This will allow three-quarters of our economy to resume normal operations," he said.

Priority will be given to critical sectors and businesses that operate in settings with lower transmission risks. Those returning to their workplaces or offices include workers or staff who are required to use machinery or specialised terminals.



Meanwhile, retail stores will stay closed, and there will be no dining in at restaurants, during this period.

Schools will gradually reopen next month and certain healthcare services will resume. Places of worship will also reopen, but only for private worship.

Social gatherings will still be prohibited, although exceptions will be made for people visiting their parents or grandparents. Visits will be limited to one a day, with a maximum of two visitors who should be from the same household.

Singapore will move into the second phase if community transmission rates remain "low and stable" and the dormitory situation remains under control.

In this "safe transition" phase, people will gradually be able to resume more social activities. More businesses will be allowed to reopen, including retail outlets, gyms and fitness studios as well as tuition and enrichment centres.

In this phase, which could last several months, small social gatherings and dining in at food and beverage outlets may be allowed.

The idea is to take the country towards its new normal phase called "safe nation", in which social, cultural, religious and business gatherings are expected to resume. However, limits will be put in place on gathering sizes.



Similarly, places offering services that involve prolonged close contact, such as massages, or with crowds in enclosed spaces, such as cinemas, will reopen only with strict safety management measures in place.

On public transport, commuters will have to wear masks and refrain from talking.

Singapore will also gradually reopen its borders for essential travel. However, this will be carried out separately from the three phases of restarting its economy as the global situation remains volatile.



























1 in 3 can return to work on-site as more firms reopen
More businesses allowed to resume on June 2 but most people to continue working from home
Businesses with lower transmission risks, little or no public interaction can restart first
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

From June 2, more businesses can resume operations with about one-third of workers able to return to work on-site, as Singapore gradually eases restrictions imposed to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Among the first to get the nod to reopen will be businesses that operate in settings with lower transmission risks and with limited or no interaction with the public, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said yesterday.



These include manufacturing and production facilities in the semiconductor, medical technology and aerospace sectors, as well as wholesale trade and finance companies.

Such businesses will get a class exemption to reopen, which means they can do it without seeking permission.

But they must submit information on workers required on-site - for instance, those who need to use machinery or specialised terminals - via the GoBusiness portal, and do so within two weeks of reopening.

Most retail shops and personal services will stay shut.

Dining in will not be allowed.

But some limited consumer services can resume from June 2.

For instance, hairdressers and barbers can offer all hairdressing services. Motor vehicle servicing, air-conditioner servicing and basic pet services are also on the list, among others.



About one-third of the workers in Singapore are expected to resume work on-site from June 2, up from about 17 per cent now.

The rest will continue to work from home, said Mr Chan.

"This will allow more than three-quarters of our economy to resume their normal operations," he added.

Businesses must ensure that health and safety measures are in place. Mr Chan stressed that priority was given to workers' health and well-being in the ministry's decision to let some industries reopen.



Other factors it considered include the criticality of the sectors and the companies' interactions with the public, he added.

"We really need the companies and the workers to work together and take joint responsibility (because) we want a progressive resumption of work.

"We will not want a situation whereby we start and stop, moving back and forth, between the different settings," he said. "If there is an outbreak in a particular company, (then) we will have no choice but to shut down either that operation or that part of the operation."



Staggered work hours, a ban on interactions among workers from different teams and ensuring a requisite level of hygiene and cleanliness are among other measures that firms need to take.

Strict checks will be done to ensure businesses follow safe distancing and sector-specific measures.

Those that fail to provide a safe workplace will have their operations suspended until they meet the requirements, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in an advisory issued yesterday.

It noted that "scheduled resumption of business activities from June 2 is ultimately dependent on the health situation".

"Should community transmission rise, the (ministry) will re-evaluate the timeline and the businesses that can resume operations," it added.



Businesses that are unsure if they can open next month can check the website covid.gobusiness.gov.sg

The Monetary Authority of Singapore said yesterday that financial institutions can reopen more customer service locations from June 2.

"This will be carried out with strict safe management requirements in place to minimise the risk of COVID-19 infections, in line with the Ministry of Health's three-phase approach to resume business operations," it added.















Curbs on dining in and meeting most kin to stay
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Though the circuit breaker will end after June 1, restrictions on activities such as dining in and meeting friends and most kin will remain as Singapore enters the first phase of reopening its economy.

This will disappoint people but the measures are necessary to avoid any risk of the coronavirus flaring up again, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong at a virtual press conference yesterday.

"The feeling of being cooped up at home for a long period of time is starting to have its effect on people... But I hope we can all maintain our discipline for a while longer," added Mr Wong, co-chair of the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic.

He warned that "if we were to open up too quickly and allow all these social activities to restart, there is a risk the virus will flare up, and we might see many more cases and clusters forming".

The minister made the point when outlining the three phases of reopening after June 1.



Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, fellow co-chair of the task force, said it could take at least four weeks to exit the first phase and enter the second one, which is a transition stage that will see the resumption of some social activities.

The reason for adopting this timeframe is that Singapore will, by and large, need to observe the situation for two incubation periods - or 28 days - after it rolls back the existing circuit breaker measures, he said.

But it is not set in stone. Adjustments will be made along the way as the situation evolves.

"We don't have a crystal ball to see what's going to happen... But at the minimum, we are not likely to make major shifts in the first four weeks," said Mr Gan.

In deciding on the right time to move into the second phase, the Government will not just rely on the number of new cases, he added.

Rather, a "whole basket of factors" will be considered in assessing risk, including the nature of transmission of new cases.

The task force will also consult professionals to help judge whether Singapore is ready for the second phase, he added.

"It is not 'yes' and 'no', it's not a table that you tick off and then say, oh, we have passed all these and therefore we can move into phase two," he said.

Should the number of cases soar and big clusters emerge in the first phase, some of the circuit breaker measures will be reintroduced in a targeted way. But this hinges on which sector has a higher risk profile, he added.

The minister also said Singapore is prepared to see a rise in the number of cases initially as people interact more. But if, among other things, the number of cases remains low over a sustained period, then Singapore can consider going into the second phase, he added.

Mr Gan warned that the second phase could also last for several months - three months, six months or longer - depending on the situation.



Mr Wong said there will be two stages in the second phase.

The first stage will kick off with lower-risk activities.

These may include some limited social activities, including letting people gather in small groups and dining in at restaurants.

In the second stage, higher-risk activities - such as events, entertainment and attractions with bigger crowds and close contact among people - will be assessed for reopening, he added.

In the third phase, when Singapore will be in a state of stability, new controls and safeguards have to be put in place until a vaccine is found, said Mr Wong.

It is not a return to life before COVID-19, he stressed.

While activities such as going to a theatre, cinema or place of worship will likely be possible during this phase, limits on group size and safe distancing measures will remain, he said.

Similarly, he added, baseline precautions such as basic personal hygiene, safe distancing and the wearing of face masks will continue to be a must throughout the three phases.

Mr Gan urged Singaporeans not to let up in the fight against COVID-19.

"We hope everyone will cooperate with us to support our plan and work together with us, so that we can safely remove the circuit breaker, safely open our economy and society," he said.

"And at the same time, make a safe transition towards a safe nation."















Visits to parents, grandparents to be allowed within limits
From June 2, each home can receive only up to 2 visitors from same household once a day
By Goh Yan Han, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Singaporeans will be allowed to visit their parents or grandparents from June 2, but with some restrictions in place.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday that each household can receive only up to two visitors once a day. These visitors must come from a single household.

As part of this policy, dropping off children at parents' and grandparents' homes for childcare will also be allowed. This comes on top of existing provisions for informal childcare arrangements for essential workers.

The same limit of up to two visitors from one household each day also applies, the ministry said.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said there will be some flexibility for households to visit their parents, in-laws and grandparents after the circuit breaker ends on June 1.

However, siblings will not be allowed to visit one another.



Mr Gan said the limit of allowing only one household to visit elderly family members once a day is meant to avoid having big family gatherings.

"I know this is very restrictive and there will be a lot of appeals and a lot of angst among the children, because everyone wants to see your parents and visit your grandparents all at the same time... We want to avoid having this gathering of people at the senior's house," he said.

Seniors should not leave their houses to visit family members, he added during a virtual press conference, encouraging them to continue staying home.

"You should not leave your home and visit your children and hop from household to household. This will increase exposure unnecessarily to a risk of infection," said Mr Gan, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force handling the coronavirus pandemic.



He added that there will be exceptions for seniors who do not have children, and appeals can be made for siblings or nieces and nephews to visit them.

"Seniors are a particularly vulnerable group and we must continue to take precautions to protect them," he said.

Asked how these rules would be enforced, the minister acknowledged that it would not be easy to do so. He urged people to instead focus on and abide by the spirit of these rules and regulations, which is to protect the seniors in their family.

Should there be complaints from neighbours about incidents of big gatherings, action will have to be taken, he added.



Separately, senior citizens will still not be able to take part in senior-centric activities such as group exercises and karaoke sessions for now, as such activities will continue to be suspended.

However, senior activity centres will gradually resume some activities, to cater to the psychological well-being of seniors with little or no social support otherwise.

Community-based centre services for people with disabilities will also gradually reopen with safe distancing measures in place.

Any necessary activities will be held in smaller groups while people with medical conditions are encouraged to stay home and receive home-based support, said MOH.

Staff will continue to take the necessary precautions, such as wearing masks, maintaining good personal hygiene and ensuring regular cleaning of activity equipment and shared spaces.















Commuters must wear masks on buses, trains
They can't talk on phones or to one another to avoid spreading droplets
By Tee Zhuo, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Commuters will have to wear masks and refrain from talking on the phone or to one another when taking buses and trains, to avoid spreading droplets in an enclosed space.

These were among the measures announced yesterday by the authorities as part of plans to keep commuters safe after Singapore exits the circuit breaker.

Speaking at a press conference, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said ridership on public transport will increase as restrictions are eased, with more people commuting to work and school.

"We fully expect that it will be difficult to maintain physical distancing in public transport, trains or buses, during the peak periods," said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry COVID-19 task force.



"Maybe not for the entire route, but for certain journeys on certain bus routes or MRT routes, it will be difficult to maintain physical distancing.

"So we will focus on other safe management measures for public transport," he said.

To minimise travel during peak periods, businesses will be required to stagger their working hours.

Public transport operators will "increase the capacity of trains and buses to the maximum" to meet the expected rise in demand, said Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a Facebook post.

He noted that trains and buses will be more crowded as public transport ridership increases.

Ridership on trains has fallen by 80 per cent since the coronavirus outbreak started in late January.

Before the pandemic, trains normally ran at intervals of two minutes or less during peak hours.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) reduced the frequency of trains earlier last month to reflect lower demand from heightened safe distancing measures.

It subsequently increased the frequency of trains from one every five minutes to every three, after reports of crowding on some MRT lines.

At the time, Mr Khaw said that he told LTA to "err on the side of generosity" and to "over-provide rather than under-provide", as the priority was safe distancing for essential workers who still took the train to work.



Yesterday, Mr Khaw said the risk of COVID-19 transmission among commuters is low, with the low community spread in Singapore.

The Health Ministry yesterday said the number of community cases has averaged three daily in the past week, down from six the week before.

One such case was reported yesterday.

To further reduce the risk, Mr Khaw said transport operators have stepped up their cleaning regime, and applied an anti-microbial chemical coating on frequently touched surfaces.

Similar coatings have already been applied on surfaces at Changi Airport and lift buttons at Housing Board blocks.

In his Facebook post, Mr Khaw also urged those who feel unwell to stay at home.

"Until there is a vaccine, and with so much still unknown about COVID-19, there is no foolproof way of avoiding infection.

"But we can minimise the risk to a manageable level," he said.

























Singapore schools to open in phases from June 2 after COVID-19 circuit breaker, but not all will go back to classrooms daily
Apart from Pri 6, Sec 4 and 5 graduating cohorts, rest will alternate between home-based learning and classes in school
By Sandra Davie, Senior Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Schools will reopen on June 2, but daily classes on school premises will be held only for the graduating cohorts of Primary 6, Secondary 4 and 5, who will wear masks or face shields while attending lessons.

All other students will alternate between home-based learning and classes in school on a weekly basis.

School-and community-based student care centres will also open from June 2.

For junior college and Millennia Institute students, half the student body has been given the go-ahead to be back in school at any one time from June 2, with their teachers ensuring that all students, especially the graduating cohorts, have more than adequate face-to-face time with them.

Physical education (PE) lessons will resume, but co-curricular activities will continue to be suspended.

During PE lessons, students and PE teachers will not be required to wear masks when engaged in strenuous physical activities.

Ministry of Education (MOE) centres will open for students sitting national examinations, including language papers.



MOE, which announced this yesterday, said that when there is a further easing of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, possibly in a few weeks' time, all students will start attending school every day.

All schools will continue with the safety measures that have been further tightened since late January, such as students staying in class groupings, and using fixed exam-style seating and practising appropriate distancing.

Staggered recess times and dismissals, daily temperature taking and wipe-down routines will continue. Teachers, like their students, will also be subject to the new measure of wearing masks or face shields.



Polytechnic students will continue attending lectures and tutorials online, while Institute of Technical Education students will rotate weekly between online and on-campus lessons. They will return to campus primarily for practical and laboratory sessions.

Undergraduates from the Singapore Institute of Technology and Singapore University of Technology and Design will continue having lectures and tutorials online.

Students at the other four autonomous universities are currently on vacation.



Speaking at the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force briefing, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said that despite the strict safety measures in place, some parents will be worried.

But he said: "All over the world, countries are opening schools in phases carefully because COVID-19 will be with us for some time. We must be able to regain our lives, while taking all necessary precautions."

He noted that when the coronavirus took hold early in the year, many countries closed schools, although for some of them, the school year had recently started.

As a result, there is concern among educators over learning loss for some students.

"It may set them back for many years," Mr Ong said, adding that even when his ministry decided to close schools from April 8, it did not take the decision lightly.



Parents had mixed reactions, with some seeing the need for the weekly rotation of students doing home-based learning and lessons in school.

Accountant Susan Neo, 40, whose two primary school-going children will be doing home-based learning on different weeks, said the arrangement will be inconvenient for her.

She said: "I was looking forward to going back to work at the office; so was my boss. But now, I probably have to work from home for another month."




























Pre-schools in Singapore to open from June 2 in stages, with K1 and K2 kids returning first
Centres must adhere to safety measures such as wearing of masks when they reopen
By Amelia Teng, Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

From June 2, pre-schools will resume general services for children in stages, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said yesterday.

Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 children - five-and six-year-olds - will be the first to return to pre-school from June 2, while Nursery 1 and Nursery 2 children may go back a week later, from June 8.

From June 10, the youngest group of children in infant care and playgroups may return.

In line with circuit breaker measures, pre-schools have been closed since April 8 to most children except for a small group who need care support.



When the centres reopen, they must adhere to safe management measures, such as compulsory wearing of masks or face shields for all staff and children aged two years and older, having smaller groups of children during activities, as well as staggering drop-off and pick-up timings.

Speaking at a news conference of the multi-ministry task force tackling COVID-19 in Singapore, Mr Lee said that as the circuit breaker comes to an end, workplaces will reopen and parents will need childcare support.

Student care centres for older students will reopen fully on June 2, with precautions in place, he added.

Early intervention centres - for children with special needs - will also reopen in phases, starting with children with higher needs or those who attend only such centres.



The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said yesterday that all other children, who attend both pre-school and programmes at early intervention centres, will continue to be supported with remote learning to reduce any risk of transmission across centres.

"We will work with providers to safely and gradually resume intervention services for these children, with priority for K2 children," it said.

Supplementary programmes, such as enrichment and early intervention services by providers which move across various centres, remain suspended, it added.



Mr Lee said pre-schools are reopening in phases to give children, parents and staff time to adapt to stepped-up measures, and ease the transition for young children.

"While we cannot eliminate the risk of transmission, we can minimise the risks. Therefore, rules and practices in pre-school and early intervention centres will have to change," he said.

For instance, staff and children aged two and older will wear a mask or face shield in school, a practice already in place among those now at the centres.

Temasek Foundation is providing face shields to all 180,000 children in pre-schools and early intervention centres, as well as 30,000 staff.

Mr Lee said that the ECDA will devote the first two weeks of reopening to reinforcing public health awareness and ensuring staff, children and parents develop "COVID-safe" habits. This will take priority over the resumption of normal classes.

He also said pre-schools and early intervention centres will be guided by a set of "COVID-safe ABCs" in their reopening. The guidelines are aimed at ensuring safe access to the centres, and restricting the entry of visitors.

The pre-school community will, among other things, adopt safe hygiene measures, including frequent hand washing and cleaning of premises and equipment, as well as having smaller group activities in a class.

They will also stagger the use of common areas and facilities as well as suspend cross-deployment of staff.

Mr Lee said: "We ask our pre-school community of staff and children and parents not to see this merely as rules and regulations, but measures that are essential to safeguard the health and well-being of all in the centres."




















Places of worship will reopen for limited private prayer
By Goh Yan Han, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Places of worship here will reopen for private worship from June 2, with a limit of five members of the same household praying at a time.

No congregational services will be allowed, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong at a virtual press conference yesterday.

"The religious leaders across all faiths are being briefed on these requirements. They will help to manage the situation in the different settings and ensure that safe distancing, safe management practices are put in place," he said.



Bigger groups could be allowed to gather in places of worship when Singapore moves to the subsequent phases of reopening the country, added Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many places of worship began suspending services in February and March due to the coronavirus outbreak, though they still allowed private worship.

These places later had to close fully after the circuit breaker measures kicked in on April 7.

Some of the earlier coronavirus clusters included churches such as The Life Church and Missions Singapore as well as Grace Assembly of God, which was at one point Singapore's largest cluster with 23 cases linked to it.

Marriage solemnisations will also be allowed to take place in-person again, with up to 10 people present, said the Ministry of Health.

Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee had previously said 2,723 couples were scheduled to have their marriages solemnised between April 7 and June 1, but had to postpone their plans due to the circuit breaker.

Parliament passed a law on May 5 allowing couples to say their wedding vows remotely via live video links, in the virtual presence of their witnesses, and, in the case of Muslim marriages, also the wali, or the bride's lawful guardian.

The new law came into force last Friday.

Families can continue to gather for wakes and funerals, limited to 10 people at one time.

Other non-essential activities and social gatherings will remain prohibited, so as not to bring together more people living in different households, said the Health Ministry.

Sports and recreation facilities remain closed, it added.

In the next phase of reopening the country and allowing more activities to resume, social activities in small groups may be permitted, and sports, recreation and outdoor facilities will be able to reopen.






Basic training to resume for 8,000 national servicemen from 26 May 2020
Move essential for operational needs; strict health and safety measures will be in place
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Basic training for about 8,000 servicemen will resume from May 26, seven weeks after it was suspended in line with nationwide circuit breaker measures to stem the spread of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in separate statements yesterday that the resumption of training for these two batches was necessary for front-line or operational units to be staffed and for commanders to be trained.

About 6,300 Singapore Armed Forces recruits will be informed of their reporting dates, which range from May 26 to the middle of June, said MINDEF.



For about 1,700 police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) full-time national servicemen (NSF) trainees, their reporting dates will be between May 26 and June 8, said MHA.

The ministries said the staggered dates will reduce congestion and allow safe distancing measures to be implemented.

They added that strict health and safety measures will be in place, like having all trainees and instructors undergo health screening when they return for training.

Those with symptoms of respiratory infection will be immediately separated from the rest and tested for COVID-19.

Existing measures, such as twice-daily temperature taking and staggered meal times, will remain in place.

Training will also be adjusted to be done in smaller groups, the ministries said.



Yesterday, the multi-ministry task force in charge of handling the virus outbreak announced plans for business, school and other community activities to resume in a gradual manner from June 2, as Singapore exits its circuit breaker period.

Both MINDEF and MHA had announced on April 6 that basic training would be suspended from April 7 to May 4. This was extended to June 1 in line with the Government's extension of the circuit breaker.

MINDEF yesterday said the resumption of basic military training was necessary to generate operational units as well as select commanders for training at the Officer Cadet and Specialist Cadet schools.

These schools have continued training throughout the circuit breaker period since April 7 with precautionary measures in place.



MHA said basic training has to resume to ensure the continued development of commanders and NSFs for deployment to front-line units in the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and SCDF.

Like with the SAF, Home Team training that is considered essential - such as officer cadet training for SPF and SCDF trainees - has continued.

Affected servicemen include those who were "administratively enlisted" in April and May so far.

This means they are considered to have been enlisted, but do not have to report to camp until they receive their next reporting date when the suspension ends.

During the suspension, trainees have to stay at home and go out only to buy food or for other essential activities, similar to restrictions on other people during this period.

Basic Military Training Centre recruits have to do home-based learning with provided online training content.

On April 1, the SAF highlighted measures it introduced to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.

These included having recruits move from place to place in a section - comprising a maximum of 16 people - instead of in a platoon, which has up to 64 recruits.















Singapore's COVID-19 testing rate of 49,000 tests per million people among highest in the world - over 281,000 done so far
By Timothy Goh, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Over 281,000 tests for COVID-19 have been carried out on 191,000 individuals here so far, the Health Ministry's director of medical services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, said yesterday.

This comes to around 49,000 tests per million people in the country, he added.

Speaking at a virtual press conference, Prof Mak said: "We continue to expand our test capacity and we remain committed towards performing the tests needed for the various strategies that we put in place, to return people to work (and) back into the community safely, to ensure that the risk of spread remains under control."

He added that Singapore is looking at new methodologies to maximise the benefits it gets from such tests.

These include pooled testing methodologies, particularly in settings where the risk of spread remains low.

Such a strategy would work best when it comes to surveillance for selected parts of the population that the authorities are concerned about, said Prof Mak, without elaborating further.



The multi-ministry task force that was formed to tackle the spread of the coronavirus in Singapore had earlier this month announced its intention to ramp up the number of tests done here to 40,000 each day.

Yesterday, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the task force, pointed out that the Republic has already drastically increased its volume of daily tests.

"Not too long ago, we were testing at (a rate of) 2,000 tests a day. Today we're doing 8,000 a day... Our plans to ramp up that capacity, test kits, personnel, laboratories, remain on track," he said.



Mr Wong added that the ability to ramp up so quickly was due to the fact that such plans had started months ago.

He said: "We're today already testing at a rate that's among the highest in the world, and we want to do even more beyond this. As we reopen the economy, as we resume activities, testing capability and testing capacity will be a critical enabler for us to do all of these things safely."










DPM Heng Swee Keat to unveil fourth package of financial support next Tuesday, 26 May 2020
By Grace Ho, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 20 May 2020

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will announce a new round of COVID-19 support measures for businesses and individuals next Tuesday in Parliament.

The package, the fourth since February, will help them adapt and build resilience amid thecoronavirus pandemic.

Mr Heng will deliver the ministerial statement at 3.30pm and it will be live on radio and television.

When it is over, the statement will be published on theSingapore Budget website.



In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Heng said learning from the experience of other countries, the resumption of economic and social activities here must be done "cautiously and gradually".

"If we reopen too quickly, we risk new waves of infection, which could be even more disruptive to lives and livelihoods," he added.

For workers and businesses that are unable to resume activities immediately after the eight-week circuit breaker ends on June 1, Mr Heng said the Government will help them tide over the period.

How it will help them will be spelt out in his ministerial statement.



National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said at a press conference by the multi-ministry task force yesterday that support measures during the circuit breaker period will continue to be given to businesses that remain closed during the first phase of reopening.



"Beyond that, we will look at other items in the Budget. This will be the fourth Budget in a year - it is really unprecedented, and we are doing all we can to support businesses and workers," he said.

The Government earlier announced a total of $63.7 billion in aid under three COVID-19 support packages. Over $16 billion in COVID-19 government aid has been given to Singaporeans and businesses so far.




















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NDP 2020: Together, A Stronger Singapore

May 22, 2020, 1:06 am
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National Day Parade 2020: Focus on celebrating at home, many segments moved to the heartland and smaller-scale evening show
It will have no central location, fewer participants and be split into two shows
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 21 May 2020

In a nod to these sombre times, this year's National Day Parade (NDP) will do away with large crowds and a central location - for the first time - and drastically reduce participant numbers to stick with COVID-19 guidelines.

But NDP 2020 plans to involve more Singaporeans than ever before by shifting many parade segments into the heartland and handing out about 1.2 million funpacks to all local households.

Brigadier-General Frederick Choo, chairman of this year's NDP executive committee, said during a virtual media briefing yesterday: "This year's NDP will be the first of its kind, in a format that Singaporeans have never seen before. For the first time, we will be bringing NDP across the island into every Singaporean home. NDP will look, sound and feel very different from what we are used to."

For the first time, for example, the parade is being split into morning and evening shows and held across multiple locations instead of a central one such as the floating platform in Marina Bay.

Singapore's 55th birthday bash on Aug 9 will be streamed live over television and Internet platforms.

The morning show will start with a nationwide broadcast of the Prime Minister's National Day Message and a "dignified and compact parade" at the Padang, reviewed by the President.



Around 200 participants will be involved in the parade - compared with about 1,800 people last year.

To bring the NDP "into every Singaporean home", the state flag and F-15SG fighter jets will be flown around the island.

The Red Lions free-fall jump will also take place in different locations, paying tribute to front-line workers against COVID-19. Meanwhile, the mobile column will travel through neighbourhoods.

The morning proceedings will be accompanied by flag-raising ceremonies across Singapore during the singing of the National Anthem.

An evening show at The Star Performing Arts Centre in Buona Vista will feature films and performances by Singaporeans, culminating in a fireworks display at over 10 sites across the country. Only 80 to 100 performers will take part - down from 2,600 last year - with safe distancing measures in place.

In between the morning and evening segments, Singaporeans will be able to participate in various virtual and home activities, such as an NDP-themed workout and a family cooking activity.

"Like the past 54 NDPs, NDP 2020 will be an unyielding reminder that Singapore will keep going on. COVID-19 will not deter us, we will continue to celebrate, but differently," said BG Choo, who is commander of the Singapore Army's 3rd Singapore Division.

He added that the health and welfare of participants are of the utmost importance.



No rehearsals have been held so far, though they typically start in March. Rehearsals will begin only after the circuit breaker period ends on June 1.

There will also not be any national education or preview shows this year, BG Choo said.

At the moment, there are no plans to allow spectators to attend either the parade or the evening show. The committee also aims to ensure crowds do not form to watch highlights such as the mobile column.

Unlike previous years, there will not be large numbers of people from the Singapore Soka Association, People's Association or Ministry of Education taking part.

Performers will largely be from the Home Team, Singapore Armed Forces, and Music and Drama Company, and include some local artists.


Asked if there could be a scenario in which this year's NDP would be scrapped, BG Choo said that since the committee started work in July last year, and with the situation developing, its members were determined to have an NDP on Aug 9 "come what may".

"We believe that as long as there is a Singapore, there will be an NDP," he said.





































































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COVID-19 pandemic hastens Singapore’s Smart Nation drive

May 22, 2020, 3:28 am
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With enterprises, institutions, workers, students and families going digital, S'pore is speeding up its embrace of digitalisation
By Irene Tham, Tech Editor, The Straits Times, 21 May 2020

Digitalise or die.

The choice has never been so stark, and the consequence so immediate, as cities come to a standstill amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic that is forcing governments to shut down offices and schools to reduce transmission risks.

Overnight, many private and public institutions in Singapore have had to think of new ways to continue their operations as tightened safe distancing measuresforbid eating out and mandate shutdowns of non-essential businesses.

The swift adoption of digital alternatives - from the rise in cashless payments to the use of messaging and social media tools to promote and sell hawker food- has been nothing short of startling.



In many ways, COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation here, giving Singapore's Smart Nation projects a much-needed push.

1. CASHLESS DREAM FINALLY A REALITY

Physical handling of coins and notes is viewed as a viral risk, spurring many to go for cashless options.

The volume of cash withdrawals and deposits at Singapore's largest bank, DBS Bank, fell by an unprecedented 11 per cent during the three months from January to March compared with the same period last year. The rate of decline in cash transactions had hovered at around 5 per cent yearly since 2017.

Instant digital payment transfers have spiked for all banking customers. The Association of Banks in Singapore said 34.4 million PayNow transactions - instant payments using mobile phone numbers - were made from January to last month, nearly double last year's figure.

PayNow Corporate transaction numbers - payments received by organisations - went up five times from 600,000 to three million in the same timeframe.

Also, half a million migrant workers now have bank accounts.

Employers set up these accounts to pay salaries as physically contacting these workers was not possible after Singapore entered circuit breaker mode on April 7, requiring many businesses and schools to shut down and most people to work and study from home.

Last month, DBS added 41,000 new POSB savings accounts for migrant workers - more than three times the usual monthly sign-ups of 11,000 to 13,000. It has made the registration process fully online, with no minimum deposit required.

As of the end of last month, the total number of POSB bank accounts belonging to migrant workers swelled to 500,000, about two-thirds of the work permit holders in Singapore, excluding foreign domestic workers.

2. WORKING FROM HOME THE NEW NORM

Working from home, once for the privileged few, is now the norm for the majority of office workers.

At the height of the circuit breaker, only about 17 per cent of Singapore's workforce commuted to work as they were in essential services.

Some workers might have struggled initially with cyber-security settings on laptops to dial into their office networks, or setting up video conferencing calls involving multiple parties.

Having adapted to these now, some 90 per cent of employees here wish to continue working from home in some capacity, a survey by employee engagement and performance software provider EngageRocket found. It was based on responses from more than 8,800 people as of last Friday.

Three out of five respondents also said they take less or the same amount of time to achieve the same productivity as when they are working in the office.

The ability to work from home will be a new and important perk in the ongoing talent war even after the pandemic blows over.

This will force employers to find ways to bolster productivity such as issuing laptops instead of desktops, and offering resources such as printers and accessories, firewalls and more reliable broadband connections.

3. MASSIVE HOME-BASED LEARNING PILOT

Studying at home went through a large-scale pilot for about a month from April 8 to May 4 when primary, secondary, pre-university and special education schoolsclosed, and students turned to e-learning.

Teachers' appetites for technology vary, resulting in some students experiencing uncoordinated online delivery of lessons across Ministry of Education (MOE) schools and even within the same school.

Some teachers went through the motions by assigning online homework to students on the MOE-backed Student Learning Space without teaching or going through corrections. Others required paper worksheets to be scanned and uploaded onto hastily created shared storage platforms such as Google Drive for marking.

These are kinks to be ironed out.

The more progressive teachers created videos of themselves going over concepts and commonly made mistakes, and shared the link to these videos with their students.

They provide a model for other teachers when schools reopen on June 2 after a month-long holiday.

More importantly, there is a need for coordinated pedagogical planning as half the lessons for most students will be home-based when schools reopen.

Home-based learning should not be an afterthought any more. Done right, Singapore's home-based learning system can offer the Republic a competitive advantage. Opportunities lie in redesigning courses meant for the physical classroom to suit online platforms, and infusing ways to maximise student engagement.

4. SMALL ENTERPRISES DIP TOES IN DIGITAL OCEAN

Many enterprises experimented with digital modes of sales during this pandemic.

Many old-school hawkers - who saw takings plunge by up to 90 per cent when the dine-in ban kicked in on April 7 - are joining Facebook groups such as Hawkers United - Dabao 2020.

The page was started by duck rice seller Melvin Chew to help fellow hawkers promote and sell their food online. It has more than 260,000 members, including many food lovers who scour the posts to order food directly from the hawkers, typically over WhatsApp.

A related Facebook group dubbed Delivery United, which has 5,400 members, was set up last month to connect delivery drivers with hawkers.

The simple Facebook page connects hawkers directly with customers, bypassing delivery platforms such as Deliveroo and Foodpanda, which charge commissions of about 30 per cent. Hawkers say they cannot afford such commissions, given their low profit margins.

About 230 hawkers are also using an order form dubbed Take.sg, created by a software engineer at Facebook, to help hawkers organise orders received via WhatsApp. Take.sg also has a distance calculator to help stall owners quote delivery prices to customers.

Help is also available for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) going digital. A mobile commerce tool by Nanyang Polytechnic's Singapore Institute of Retail Studies, payment services firm Nets and mobile payment firm SCash aims to help more than 2,000 SMEs set up their e-stores.

In a potentially significant move, Facebook is letting businesses set up free storefronts on its social network and Instagram, with payment options on the cards.

5. TELE-EVERYTHING

Telemedicine is more common now, as people avoid visiting clinics because of fears about COVID-19.

Daily calls from patients here to licensed telemedicine providers such as MaNaDr, WhiteCoat, Doctor Anywhere and MyDoc have shot up - by up to five times for some providers.

Via these platforms, patients can consult doctors from the safety of their homes, receive e-medical certificates and have medicine delivered to their doorsteps.

More public services have also gone online. A Bill was passed in Parliament earlier this month to allow couples wanting to tie the knot to solemnise their marriages via a video link. The first couple here to tie the knot via a video link did so yesterday.

Court hearings are also being held remotely via teleconference and videoconference for the first time.

6. ROBOTS INVADE PUBLIC SPACE

Robots have been unleashed for all kinds of tasks at no better time than this, when humans must minimise contact with one another.

The SPOT robot dog has been patrolling Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park to remind people about safe distancing since early this month.



Originally developed by American company Boston Dynamics, SPOT has been enhanced by GovTech with remote control, 3D-mapping and semi-autonomous operations as part of the trial.

The four-legged robot is on trial too at the Changi Exhibition Centre community isolation facility to deliver essential items such as medicine to patients.

Last month, an autonomous robot known asO-R3 was deployed in Bedok Reservoir Park by national water agency PUB as a safe distancing ambassador.

There are plans to use more robots to patrol more parks and reservoirs.



Hundreds of disinfection and cleaning robots are also being rolled out in shopping malls, transport hubs and healthcare institutions to lessen front-line workers' exposure to the coronavirus.

Drones, which have already been used for building and park inspection, are being used to deliver goods for the first time in Singapore.

Last month, Singapore's first drone delivery service started, with the first parcel containing 2kg of vitamins dropped onto a ship anchored off Marina South Pier. It was part of a one-year deal inked between shipping giant Eastern Pacific Shipping and Singapore start-up F-drones.

In an interview with Money FM 89.3 last month, Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran said the ongoing crisis has made more businesses see the value of digitalisation.

The closure of many traditional bricks-and-mortar shops - more than 8,600 closed down permanently last month, the highest monthly figure in years - is a grim reminder that time is a luxury few can afford now.









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Singapore residents to get improved version of reusable masks from 26 May to 14 June 2020, as part of the third mask collection exercise

May 22, 2020, 11:32 pm
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New free masks more comfortable, have better filtration
Residents can collect them from CCs, RCs or vending machines from Tuesday, 26 May
By Calvin Yang, The Straits Times, 22 May 2020

Singapore residents can collect new reusable masks from Tuesday, in a third mask distribution exercise that will span three weeks.

The latest distribution of these masks - which are more comfortable to wear and have better filtration qualities - will take place until June 14. The previous two rounds in February and April lasted about a week each.

About six million reusable masks have been prepared for this exercise, similar to the previous one. Collection counters will be set up at 109 community clubs (CCs) and 661 residents' committee centres (RCs) across Singapore.

This time, residents can also pick them up from 24-hour vending machines. About 400 machines will be placed at all CCs for those unable to pick up their free masks from the collection counters.

Residents with a valid identification card can collect one reusable mask each. This includes foreign domestic workers, foreign workers not living in dormitories and international students living in hostels. The Manpower Ministry will distribute masks to foreign workers living in dormitories.



Residents who want to pick up their masks from CCs or RCs can do so only from 10am to 6pm daily during the first week of the collection period, from Tuesday to June 1.

Those who want to collect their masks from vending machines can do so at any time during the three-week period.

This will give everyone access to the masks without having to rush for them, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing told reporters yesterday during a visit to Pek Kio Community Centre.

The vending machines, provided by Temasek Foundation, will be operational from 10am on Tuesday. Each machine has an attached guide comprising three steps on how to collect the masks.

The reusable masks, available in adult and children sizes, use new materials to improve their comfort and resistance to droplets.

They are made of at least three layers of material and have a filtration efficiency of at least 95 per cent, even after 30 washes.

Mr Chan, who is also deputy chairman of the People's Association, said the Government had distributed the first generation of reusable masks last month because they were the "fastest available" at that time.

It was already looking for newer materials to make better masks back then, he added. "So, there was a gap between the first batch of reusable masks, which was a basic cloth material, and the second batch of reusable masks, which is an improved cloth material."

To avoid crowding at the collection points, residents are encouraged to collect the masks on behalf of those who live with them. They have to bring along their household members' identification cards, birth certificates or any government-issued identification with a barcode.



Safe distancing measures and temperature taking will be in place at the collection points. The high-touch areas of the vending machines are treated with a self-disinfecting coating that can last for three months. The machines will be cleaned and restocked regularly.

Priority for children-size masks will be given to those aged 12 years old and below.

Mr Chan said stockpiling masks for future disruptions has to be an ongoing effort.

"Nobody knows how long and how widespread this pandemic will be, and one should never be complacent about any supply lines, including masks," he added.























Pre-school children, students to get face shields and hand sanitiser from Temasek Foundation
By Jolene Ang, The Straits Times, 22 May 2020

Pre-school and primary school pupils will receive a reusable face shield each, as an alternative to face masks, as they prepare to head back to school from June 2.

Temasek Foundation said on Friday (May 22) it is partnering the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Ministry of Education in this initiative.

Pre-school, primary, secondary, special education and junior college students will also each be given two bottles of hand sanitiser - one 50ml pocket-sized sanitiser to carry with them, and a larger bottle of 500ml to refill the smaller one.

The sanitiser solution is made up of 40 per cent isopropyl alcohol and 0.1 per cent benzalkonium chloride - a disinfectant that can be used against coronaviruses.

Temasek Foundation said it is working with its partners to ensure that all schools can receive these items by June 8.

"Given the logistics involved, some students may not receive the items on the first day they return to school. Should this be the case, we encourage parents to ensure their pre-school and primary school children use their own masks or face shields in school in the interim," the foundation added.



All pre-school teachers and staff will also receive a face shield and an oximeter, which measures the level of oxygen in blood, as they may have to come into closer contact with children.

Some have already received these, while others will receive them over the next few weeks, the foundation said.

Meanwhile, students, service contractors and staff at the Institute of Technical Education will each be given a pair of MaskSafe DET30 reusable masks, one 50ml pocket-sized hand sanitiser to carry with them and a 500ml bottle of sanitiser.

With a "wash one, wear one" approach, the pair of MaskSafe reusable masks can be used daily for up to two months.

The initiative is expected to benefit more than 650,000 students, and 42,000 teachers and contract staff.



Ms Koh Lin-Net, chief executive of Temasek Foundation Nurtures, said: "These efforts are part of our Stay Prepared initiative to support the Singapore community during this COVID-19 period.

"We would like to do our part and help our children and teachers to stay safe by equipping them with a face shield or mask and also hand sanitiser that will come in handy when they have no immediate access to soap and water."

ECDA chief executive Jamie Ang said face shields and sanitisers are important for safe management practices.

"These contributions will help our community stay COVID-safe together as we prepare to resume services in phases from June 2," said Ms Ang.














 




 




 




 



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At ground zero: First-line defenders at National Centre for Infectious Diseases COVID-19 screening centre

May 24, 2020, 11:51 pm
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For those manning the COVID-19 screening centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital-National Centre For Infectious Diseases (TTSH-NCID), going eight hours without a loo break, playing agony aunt and facing down their fears are all in a day's work
By Wong Kim Hoh, Deputy Life Editor, The Sunday Times, 24 May 2020

On the first day of Chinese New Year in January, Dr Ang Hou cooked, as he usually did, for his extended family who came to visit.

But his mind was not on the claypot rice he was making - his attention distracted by the constant WhatsApp messages coming through on his phone.

"I'd usually cook more, and make sio bak," he says, referring to Chinese roast pork. "But I was in no mood; in fact, I was a bit antisocial that day," says the head of the emergency department (ED) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

And understandably so, because he knew he had a big battle on his hands, with a coronavirus causing a disease which the world now knows as COVID-19. The enemy had, at that time, already pummelled Wuhan, bringing the Chinese city to its knees, and was starting to assault other parts of China and the rest of the world.

Two days before, on Jan 23, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Singapore: a 66-year-old Chinese national from Wuhan who flew in from Guangzhou. The following day, two more cases surfaced. Dr Ang knew the numbers would grow. Having experienced SARS and H1N1, the authorities moved fast and turned the National Centre For Infectious Diseases (NCID) - which last year took over the functions of TTSH's former Communicable Disease Centre - into ground zero for Singapore's response to this new virus.

Dr Ang and his ED staff were tasked with setting up and running a daily 24-hour screening centre, with additional manpower support from TTSH.

On top of leading the charge in fighting the virus, they still have to run TTSH's ED, the busiest ED among all the hospitals in Singapore. On a typical day, they handle at least 400 medical emergencies, ranging from heart attacks, strokes and severe infections to accidents and emerging infectious diseases.

FIRST-LINE DEFENDERS

Dr Ang and company were chosen to be first-line defenders for a reason. They are professionals used to crisis management, and trained to multitask, work under pressure and remain calm amid chaos.

The ED, after all, is the entry point to other areas of medical care.

Set up in just two days, the screening centre was up and running on Jan 29. Initially designed and equipped to test more than 100 patients a day, it can now accommodate - with the addition of two tents - more than 280 people.

Nearly 400 nurses, allied health workers and operations personnel from other departments in TTSH have been deployed here until the pandemic is over. On the medical side, an extra 51 doctors from the surgery division are also attached here - at any given time - to help the 20 to 25 ED doctors on daily duty.

Before the screening centre was set up, suspected COVID-19 cases were tested in a fever room which could accommodate only 29 people, seated 2m apart.

"It's the nature of the ED to move fast," says Dr Ang who has been working in the department since 2002 and took over as head in 2018.

"We're always on the lookout for things happening in the world, like outbreaks of diseases. So we're on a year-round surveillance for TTSH," says the father of three who first heard of the virus last December while on holiday with his family.

The likelihood of a pandemic like COVID-19 erupting was never in doubt. It was a question of when, not if, says Dr Ang.

"We were setting up the screening centre even before we got the official go-ahead from the Ministry of Health. You don't know the scale but you have to be ready," says the doctor who has donned his personal protective equipment (PPE) each time Singapore was threatened by a virus, from SARS to MERS to H1N1.

As it turned out, COVID-19 is, in more ways than one, a show-stopper. Globally, it has already infected more than five million people and claimed more than 330,00 lives. In comparison, there were only about 8,000 cases of SARS worldwide and 774 deaths.

In Singapore, the number of COVID-19 infections has gone past 30,000, with 23 deaths.

Like Dr Ang, many of the first-line defenders at the screening centre are battle veterans. Dr Charmaine Manauis, the leading infectious disease consultant at TTSH's emergency department, not only took charge of setting up the centre but also established the protocol as well as trained the doctors deployed from other departments.

"They come from all departments including pathology, radiology and neuroscience. Even heads of department come and they work like medical officers here. We have to be role models for our juniors. Many of them volunteer to do repeat stints," says Dr Manauis who has worked at TTSH for 14 years.



Hers is a stressful job, made even more difficult by the crafty virus. The mother of a nine-year-old boy has had to refine safety and work protocols multiple times because of new information and discoveries about COVID-19.

"Clinical protocol is now version 68, work instructions version 79, foreign worker protocol version 46 and the recovering/recovered COVID protocol version 2," she says.

She often takes her work home, sometimes getting by on just two or three hours of sleep.

The 42-year-old recalls one "terrible Monday" when more than 500 people arrived to be tested. Even the tentage outside had to remain open until 3am.

That was the day before Singapore closed its borders to tourists and short-term visitors. By then, many Singaporeans had also returned home as they fled the disease in other parts of the world where they were working, studying or living.

"When the volume is high and everyone is busy, there is no time for breaks. It's hard to go to the toilet because you need to degown," she says, referring to the full PPE suit that medical staff at the screening centre have to wear. "Our bladders are trained. I can hold mine for an eight-hour shift," she quips.

Senior nurse manager Atiqah Tanty, 44, says: "When you're busy, you forget you need to pee. You just focus on the work at hand."

Her colleague, senior nurse clinician Christina Xie Fang, agrees: "You just drink less water."

Both of them - who train nurses from other departments deployed to the screening centre - have been with the ED for two decades and have also fought SARS and H1N1 on the front lines.

"When SARS happened, we just focused on SARS. This time around, we handle COVID-19 on top of our usual ED work," says Madam Xie, 40. "The other difference with COVID-19 is the transmissibility is so high."

This makes their job riskier.

A patient who is brought to the hospital after collapsing from trauma could, for instance, also be infected with the virus. "That's why in the resuscitation area, we also wear a full PPE suit," she adds.

Nurse manager Sundramalar Mathiaparanam, 44, helped to manage the first three resuscitation cases which came through the screening centre.

"There's no time to be afraid. You just have to be calm and stabilise them before transferring them to the wards," says Madam Sundramalar who, like Madam Atiqah and Madam Xie, is part of a team of ED nursing officers who have been actively preparing for large-scale infectious disease (ID) outbreaks since H1N1.

Because they are so busy, most medical staff keep their PPE suits on for the duration of their shifts of between seven and 10 hours. Their cheeks are lined with deep furrows when they take off N95 masks after their day is done. Dr Ang says: "I don't see TTSH as not ever being at the front line of any outbreaks. During SARS, some of our colleagues got infected and died.

"Although it has risks, this is our job and our responsibility is to do it well so that we can protect our friends and our colleagues. My family is supportive of what I do," says the amiable man who is married to a homemaker.



Like Dr Ang, many of these front-liners have supportive families. Interestingly, quite a few of them have spouses who are front-line health workers too.

Dr Manauis' husband is an ED doctor, so is Madam Xie's husband.

Madam Atiqah, meanwhile, is married to a paramedic.

"He's even more careful than me. When he comes home, he doesn't want to touch anyone. He'll put his specs in front of the doorstep and then he'll shower. After that he'll take his specs to the balcony and start cleaning them. Only then will he talk," says Madam Atiqah, who has three children aged between seven and 17.

Because of the pandemic, she doesn't get to spend much time with her family.

"Sometimes, my weekends are also spent at work. But they understand why. Before home-based learning, I made it a point to take my children to school every morning to make up for the little time I have with them."

There are other sacrifices.

Madam Ilayaraja Bhuvana, 41, has volunteered to be on the permanent night shift at the screening centre. Married to a pharmaceutical executive, the clinical instructor feels that night shifts help to balance her time with her family.

Her two children, aged eight and nine, are asleep while she is at work. She also gets to spend time with them and prepare meals for the family before she heads for the screening centre in the evening.

To minimise physical contact, she has been sleeping in a separate room since she started working at the centre.

"I need to protect this house. I need my family to be safe so that I can go out and protect others," says Madam Ilayaraja who has been with TTSH for 12 years.

Co-ordinator Jamaluddin Kasa, who provides operational support for the ED, has not seen his wife and 13-year-old son, who live in Malaysia, since January.

His role involves procuring equipment and supplies for the screening centre. The former coordinator in the construction industry took a pay cut to work in the hospital because he was grateful to medical staff who helped to look after his late mother when she was ill.

Despite undergoing heart surgery barely two years ago, he has been putting in extra hours at the screening centre over the last few months. "Once there is teamwork, nothing is difficult," says Mr Jamaluddin.

Senior nurse manager James Ang, 37, agrees. "What amazes me is seeing a culture being built up so quickly. Although these people come from all over the hierarchy from different departments, I have never experienced such a high level of teamwork.

"When you're in crisis, you fight together. There is no drama, social alienation. Everybody is just so united," says Mr Ang who has documented the camaraderie of his colleagues in comic strips.

He has seen many of them coming back to work on their days off, and beavering away way after their shifts are over.

PAYING IT FORWARD

They are even paying it forward. Many of the doctors and nurses pooled money to buy NTUC vouchers for housekeepers and porters working alongside them.

The concern and solidarity are also extended to the migrant workers who now make up 80 per cent of the 200 or so people who now turn up daily to get tested.

Dr Manauis says: "Aside from screening them, we have to make sure they are transported back to dorms that can separate them."

Because migrant workers can't isolate themselves, the hospital holds them for about eight to 10 hours after they have been given the swab test.

Mr Ang says: "You can see the fear in their eyes while they are waiting for their results. There is a lot of tension because 70 or 80 per cent of them will test positive."

Many front-liners have stepped up to allay these fears.

In the beginning, many contributed to a fund which was used to buy hot meals of curry and rice for these migrant workers who were not used to the biscuits or porridge served. Based on their feedback, the TTSH kitchen now serves hot meals more suited to the palates of these workers.

There were other initiatives: recliners so that the migrant workers could rest while waiting for their test results, videos to ease their anxiety, and morning exercises for those who have to wait overnight.

There's even a tea trolley offering snacks and beverages which makes the rounds once every two hours in the screening centre.

"Some of my colleagues even initiated a flash card system to ask them if they have a cough or other symptoms since many do not speak English," says Madam Ilayaraja.

Often, they play agony aunt too.

Madam Sundramalar says: "It's obvious from their faces they are worried. They're worried about their jobs, whether they will be paid because they are breadwinners in their families, so I do my best to reassure them."



Madam Atiqah says: "Over the years, Singapore has relied on these foreign workers. They live here and are equally threatened by any disease. It's our duty to look after them to the best of our abilities. In nursing and medicine, there are no boundaries."

Although the number of people going to the screening centre has decreased, the work is still intense.

"The upside of being close to five months into the pandemic is that I can now tahan the PPE and N95 mask for the whole shift without going for a break. Before this, I'd feel faint after two to three hours," says Dr Manauis, using the Malay word for tolerate.

Meanwhile, the battle continues, around the clock.

Fear? Mr Jamaluddin sums it up best: "I have no fear. I have a lot of doctors around and I know they will help me. If you do good, God will never forget it."










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Fortitude Budget: Singapore Government sets aside $33 billion more to help workers, businesses in fourth COVID-19 support package

May 27, 2020, 7:45 am
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$33 billion set aside in Fortitude Budget, Singapore's fourth Budget in less than four months, bringing Singapore's COVID-19 war chest to nearly $100 billion
Unprecedented crisis calls for landmark package to help Singaporeans: DPM Heng Swee Keat
By Lim Yan Liang, Assistant Political Editor, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday announced a $33 billion supplementary Budget aimed primarily at helping workers and businesses pull through the COVID-19 pandemic and the bleak economic outlook ahead.

Called the Fortitude Budget, Singapore's fourth Budget in less than four months sets aside $2.9 billion to extend job protection and co-pay salaries to help firms retain workers. It also provides for the $3.8 billion that went towards helping Singaporeans tide over the extension of the circuit breaker measures.

Together with the earlier Unity, Resilience and Solidarity Budgets, the Government is dedicating close to $100 billion - or nearly 20 per cent of gross domestic product - to support Singaporeans in this battle against COVID-19, said Mr Heng, who called it "a landmark package, and a necessary response to an unprecedented crisis".

Singapore's economy has been deeply impacted by the global shocks caused by COVID-19, said Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, as he introduced the Budget in Parliament.

He noted that the resident unemployment rate rose to 3.3 per cent in March, the highest in over a decade. The economy is now expected to shrink between 4 per cent and 7 per cent this year, potentially Singapore's worst recession since independence.



Still, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Republic is in a strong position to overcome this crisis and emerge stronger due to the Pioneer Generation's sacrifices and stewardship, and the fiscal prudence and discipline of successive governments.

"Saving and creating jobs will be our priority," wrote PM Lee on Facebook yesterday, while stressing that no one will be left behind.

"We will help businesses adapt and transform, create new jobs and provide more training opportunities to workers."

Mr Heng also underscored the focus on jobs. Payments under the Jobs Support Scheme will be extended by one month to provide more relief to firms as they reopen after the circuit breaker period.



In total, the Government will disburse $23.5 billion to support firms' wage costs for 10 months, said Mr Heng.

Businesses such as retail outlets, gyms and cinemas that cannot reopen immediately after the circuit breaker period ends on June 1 will continue receiving 75 per cent wage support until August or when they can resume operations, whichever is earlier.


There will also be help for businesses in the construction and offshore and marine sectors which cannot resume operations on-site for now. They will see the foreign worker levy waiver and rebate extended for up to two months.

Business costs will be cut further as the planned increase in Central Provident Fund contribution rates for senior workers will be deferred by one year to January 2022.



As a landlord, the Government will lead by example by providing two more months of rental waivers for commercial tenants and hawkers, and one more month of rental waivers for industrial, office and agricultural tenants.

A Bill will be introduced next week mandating that landlords grant a rental waiver to their tenants who are small and medium-sized enterprises and have suffered a significant revenue drop.



Households with at least one Singapore citizen will also get a one-off $100 Solidarity Utilities Credit to offset their utility bills, on top of the U-Save Special Payment that was previously announced.

Mr Heng also launched an SG United Jobs and Skills Package to create close to 100,000 opportunities in three areas - 40,000 jobs, 25,000 traineeships and 30,000 paid skills training places.

This Budget will require a further $31 billion to be drawn from past reserves, which President Halimah Yacob has given in-principle support for. In all, the Government is looking at drawing up to $52 billion from the reserves this financial year, said Mr Heng.

"While we will try to preserve jobs in the midst of this crisis, we cannot protect every job," he said. "However, you have my assurance that the Government will protect every worker."

"Our promise to workers is this: As long as you are willing to pick up new skills and adapt, to access available opportunities to work or learn, the Government will provide our strongest support to help you."



Parliament will debate the Budget when it next sits on June 4.




















President Halimah backs further draw on reserves: DPM Heng Swee Keat
Second withdrawal of $31 billion from Singapore's reserves to cushion coronavirus impact
By Tham Yuen-C, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Singapore will draw another $31 billion from its reserves to fund a fourth package of measures to cushion people and the economy from the coronavirus pandemic.

The second draw in the span of two months reflects the impact COVID-19 has had on Singapore's open economy as businesses grind to a halt all over the world. It brings to $52 billion the amount of past savings tapped this financial year.



Explaining the decision to dip into the reserves again, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat told Parliament yesterday it is "necessitated by the very exceptional nature of the COVID-19 crisis".

To fund the three Budgets earlier this year, the Government had used up almost all of its accumulated surpluses from its current term, he said. "But what we need to deal effectively with COVID-19 has grown so much that we have no choice but to draw on our past reserves." The Government's current five-year term will end by April 14 next year.

Mr Heng said he had thought long and hard about the move and had gone through rounds of deliberations and discussions with Finance Ministry staff and his Cabinet colleagues before seeking President Halimah Yacob's approval.

She has given her in-principle support in consultation with the Council of Presidential Advisers.



Already, an unprecedented move was made earlier this year to dip into the past accumulated savings to the tune of $21 billion.

Mr Heng said the sum has gone towards saving jobs, keeping the economy going and giving direct aid to Singaporeans during this period.

Since then, the impact of the pandemic has deepened, with the number of coronavirus cases worldwide exceeding five million, and the death toll rising over 340,000.

The number of cases in Singapore has crossed 30,000, with 23 dead, as the country prepares to lift restrictions on movements and business activities that kicked in 51 days ago.

"Lives and livelihoods are at stake, and we are moving to secure our future," said Mr Heng.

"After a challenging circuit breaker period, we are now preparing to reopen our economy. To do so in a safe and calibrated manner, and to continue to support our people, we are proposing a further draw on our past reserves."


He added: "We have a responsibility to make the best use of these resources, to keep our people safe, to save jobs and transform businesses, and to emerge stronger.

"Every dollar that we have saved has been saved by careful counting over the years. In spending this national savings now, we must make every dollar spent count."































Budget deficit expected to hit $74.3 billion, largest since Singapore's independence in 1965
Largest Budget deficit; $13 billion set aside for contingency
By Tham Yuen-C, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Amid increased spending and a record four Budgets totalling some $92.9 billion announced this year, Singapore expects to record its biggest deficit since the country's independence in 1965.

Announcing the Fortitude Budget in Parliament yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said the deficit of $74.3 billion will amount to 15.4 per cent of gross domestic product.

It is a combination of two factors: Increased spending and expected drop in government revenue as safe distancing measures reduce production and consumer spending that, in turn, will further drive down fiscal takings.

The revised operating revenue of $68.8 billion is lower than the estimated $76 billion. It marks a big departure from the balanced or surplus budgets that the Government has maintained over the years.

Mr Heng, who is also Minister for Finance, said yesterday that the exceptional circumstances sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic have made it necessary for the Government to dig deep into its pockets and also into past reserves to bolster Singapore's economic and social resilience.

Another thing it has had to do is to set aside $13 billion in the Contingencies Fund and the Development Contingencies Fund. These are for urgent, unforeseen expenditures.



Under the Constitution, Parliament can create the funds to pay for unexpected requirements which are not provided for in the Supply Act. The President must consent to the advance.

Each year in the Budget, the Government puts aside a buffer of $3 billion altogether into the two funds, but the larger sum this time around will allow the Government to react to any needs swiftly amid the fast-changing coronavirus situation, said Mr Heng.

Noting how four Budgets have had to be deployed within less than four months to help Singaporeans through the crisis, he added: "While we have the resources and the will to do what is needed in fighting COVID-19, we must continue to stay nimble and adaptive in this rapidly evolving situation."

"With COVID-19, we are facing unprecedented levels of uncertainty - it is uncertain how the pandemic will evolve, if there will be a second or even third wave, and if, and when, vaccines will be available," said Mr Heng.

"The uncertainty on the medical front is fuelling the uncertainty in the global economy."

He said the money will allow the Government to respond quickly to any unforeseeable developments, such as if the medical or economic situation deteriorates and more public health or fiscal measures must be put in place.

"We will do our best to avoid this, but we must be prepared for any eventuality," said Mr Heng.

The Cabinet, President Halimah Yacob, and the Council of Presidential Advisers were all briefed before the funds were set aside, he said, stressing that the use of the funds is subject to proper governance and accountability.

While the Minister for Finance may use money from the contingencies funds if he is satisfied that there is an urgent and unforeseen need, the money can be advanced only if the President concurs as well.

After that, the amount advanced has to be included in a Supplementary Supply Bill or Final Supply Bill, which will be presented to Parliament to be voted on.

"This approach is appropriate and prudent, given the fluid situation which may require the Government to act swiftly in the coming months," said Mr Heng.






























Higher wage subsidies for Singaporean workers extended to more sectors hit by COVID-19, support to last 10 months: DPM Heng
Jobs Support Scheme extended by a month, so employers get 10 months' wage support
By Joanna Seow, Assistant Business Editor, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

More firms in sectors such as construction, retail and aerospace will be eligible for higher tiers of wage subsidies under the latest $2.9 billion enhancement to the Jobs Support Scheme, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

The scheme, first announced in February, will be extended by one month to cover wages paid in August, he said in a speech on the fourth COVID-19 support package.



This means employers will receive wage subsidies for all local employees for 10 months instead of nine. This will cost the Government $23.5 billion in all.

Firms will receive the additional month of subsidies in the October payout - the last of four payouts.



The Jobs Support Scheme covers between 25 per cent and 75 per cent of the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages for all 1.9 million Singaporean and permanent resident employees.

These workers are employed by more than 140,000 enterprises, many of which have been hit hard by both demand and supply shocks due to COVID-19, said Mr Heng. "Businesses are trying hard to get back on their feet and reopen safely as they emerge from the circuit breaker. We are fully behind them, and will further strengthen our support for businesses on the 3Cs - cash flow, costs and credit," he said.

Those that cannot resume operations immediately after the circuit breaker ends on June 1 will receive higher subsidies of 75 per cent of wages until August or when they are allowed to reopen, whichever comes earlier. These include retail outlets, gyms and fitness studios, and cinemas, he added.

The higher subsidy level of 75 per cent was originally provided to all employers of local workers for April and May, to tide businesses through the circuit breaker period.

Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said the types of firms eligible for the different tiers of support under the Jobs Support Scheme will be reclassified to help those more severely impacted.

Originally, only firms in tourism and the aviation sector would get support/subsidies of 75 per cent of wages after the circuit breaker. Firms in the food services industry would receive 50 per cent of wages while other firms receive the base level of 25 per cent.

Now, firms in the aerospace sector - including those in maintenance, repair and operations - as well as money changers and regional ferry operators, among others, will also receive 75 per cent wage support. Cinema operators, certain retailers and marine and offshore firms are among those that will get 50 per cent support. Eligible firms will receive retrospective payouts by July to top up what they have received so far.

Firms in the built environment sector, which includes construction, will receive higher subsidies of 75 per cent for wages paid between June and August, as they are affected by the phased and gradual resumption of activities, he said.

Mr Heng thanked firms that have returned or donated their Jobs Support Scheme payouts as they have not been as badly affected, and urged others to use the subsidies to retain their staff, speed up adaptation and move towards a viable business model.

"Please make full use of the schemes available to train workers and upgrade your corporate capabilities. Time is running out, please act fast!" he said.

Most businesses are expected to reopen by July, and the support in this year's Budgets would enable most sectors to recover in the coming months, said Mr Heng.

The Government will consider more help for some sectors, such as aviation and tourism, which will remain affected by restrictions on global travel for the foreseeable future. The help will depend on the situation and longer-term shape of these industries, and plans for the economy, he added.

Mr Heng said the pandemic comes at a time when enterprises are facing not only immediate challenges, but also structural changes that threaten their survival. Some workers will lose their jobs, and some of these jobs will not come back, while others will look different going into the future.

He stressed that the tripartite structure of cooperation between the Government, employers and unions that has served Singapore well will need to be reinforced.

"Each of us must do our part - businesses need to adapt and transform, and workers need to adapt and reskill. You have my assurance that the Government will provide strong support, to bring all parties together to navigate through these turbulent waters," he said.










Cash grant to help SME tenants with rent costs
SMEs to get more rent relief; new Bill in the works to make landlords give rental waiver
By Grace Leong, Business Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will get a cash grant to offset their rental costs as part of efforts to help them get back on their feet after the circuit breaker period.

Meanwhile, if SMEs have seen their revenues fall significantly in recent months, then their landlords may be obliged to grant them rental waivers, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said in Parliament yesterday.

The plan is to ensure this through a new Bill that will be introduced in Parliament next week. It aims to grant eligible SME tenants in commercial properties a total of four months of rental relief. This is to be shared equally between the Government and landlords and should help more affected SMEs stay afloat, analysts say.

The new cash grant, which will be disbursed through property owners, will cost about $2 billion in total, said Mr Heng as he unveiled the fourth round of support measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.



It will be disbursed by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore to property owners from end-July. Landlords are required to pass on the benefit to their SME tenants.

Taken together with the property tax rebate, the Government will offset about two months of rent for eligible SME tenants of commercial properties. The landlords, on their part, will have to chip in with two months' rental waiver if the SME tenants have seen revenues fall significantly.

The Government will, through the grant, offset about one month's rent for eligible tenants of industrial and office properties.

SME tenants are those with not more than $100 million in annual turnover, based on corporate tax and individual tax returns for the 2019 assessment year.

"We will also expect landlords to do something, and that will be legislated," said Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister.

The new Bill, to be introduced by the Law Minister next week, will also cover provisions on temporary relief from onerous contractual terms such as excessive late payment interest or charges. It will also allow tenants to repay their arrears through instalments, he added.

"The Government does not ordinarily intervene in contracts after they have been entered into. However, in exceptional situations, the Government needs to intervene, through legislation, to safeguard the economic structure for the common good," Mr Heng said.

Government tenants will also receive more rent relief, he added. Commercial tenants and hawkers will have two more months of rent waived, bringing the total rental waiver to four months for commercial tenants. Stallholders in hawker centres and markets managed by government agencies will get a total of five months of rental waiver.

Industrial, office and agricultural tenants of government agencies will receive one more month of rental waiver, bringing the total to two months of rental waiver.

Mr Heng added that the Government will also ensure that these measures help sub-tenants, many of whom are SMEs.

But Ms Christine Li, Cushman & Wakefield's head of research for Singapore and South-east Asia, argued that smaller landlords with a larger proportion of SME tenants in their properties may find it hard to support SME tenants.

"The new Bill should not make things too onerous for landlords, as some could have been hit hard themselves due to their tenants not being able to operate and pay rent during the extended circuit breaker period," said Ms Li.

"It might be wise to stay targeted, rather than making it mandatory to save every business."










CPF contribution rate increases for senior workers deferred by a year to 2022: DPM Heng
By Joanna Seow, Assistant Business Editor, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

The planned increase in Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates for senior workers will be deferred by one year to Jan 1, 2022.

This is to help employers manage costs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday.

The increase, initially to take place on Jan 1 next year, will see employers and workers contribute either 0.5 percentage point or 1 percentage point more for workers aged 55 to 70, based on the worker's age.

CPF contribution rates of those aged 55 to 70 will be gradually raised during this decade until those aged 60 and younger enjoy the full CPF rates. Currently, the rates begin to taper down from 37 per cent after workers turn 55.



The CPF Transition Offset scheme, announced in this year's first Budget speech in February, will similarly be deferred until the higher contribution rates take effect, Mr Heng told the House. The offset scheme covers half of the increase in employer CPF contribution rates for one year.

Yesterday, Mr Heng thanked the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation for supporting the one-year deferment.

NTUC deputy secretary-general Heng Chee How said in a Facebook post after the announcement that the move will help save jobs for more older workers.

"The clear timeline also makes clear to older workers that their longer term interests remain the joint commitment of the tripartite partners," he said.

Pointing to how the Ministry of Trade and Industry had downgraded Singapore's 2020 growth forecast to minus 7 to minus 4 per cent yesterday morning, Mr Heng Chee How said many will find it very difficult to keep their livelihoods in the months ahead.

Workers will also find it harder to maintain their take-home pay because of the poor business environment, he added.

"In this situation, we must strenuously avoid adding cost from a particular segment of workers who are already vulnerable to businesses as it would only increase their risk of retrenchment.

"We must also avoid reducing their take-home pay in this hard time through the increase in employee contribution rates.

"Saving jobs for older workers is the imperative," he said.




















All households with at least one Singaporean will receive $100 subsidy on utility bills: DPM Heng
Sum to be credited in utility bills in July or August, and covers all property types
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

All households with at least one Singaporean member will receive a one-off $100 subsidy to cover their utility bills.

This sum, known as the Solidarity Utilities Credit, will be credited in their utility bills in July or August, and cover all property types.

Announcing this yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said it is a way of thanking Singaporeans for doing their part in the fight against COVID-19 by staying home.




"Singaporeans have given us feedback that while they are saving on transport fares and other charges, they are expecting to spend more on their utility bills, as they stay home during the circuit breaker period," he noted.

The sum comes on top of Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebates given to all eligible Housing Board households as part of the Goods and Services Tax Voucher, which helps households offset their utility bills.

Larger households with five or more members can receive up to $1,000 in U-Save rebates for the financial year 2020.

The Government will continue to provide help for immediate needs, stressed Mr Heng.

Another $800 million will be set aside for the COVID-19 Support Grant, which supports those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, employees placed on no-pay leave and those who will see their salaries reduced significantly in the coming months due to the pandemic, among other criteria.

It provides up to $800 per month for three months.

The Government has received about 48,000 applications in the three weeks after the support grant started this month.

An initial sum of $145 million was set aside for the COVID-19 Support Grant, the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) and to give social service offices more flexibility in dispensing ComCare aid.

The TRF, which gives a one-off payout of $500, helped 450,000 people who needed immediate financial help last month.

Mr Heng said: "We are committed to providing help to those who have been badly affected."



Singaporean households will also be receiving more payouts in the coming months, he said.

Besides the Solidarity Payment of $600 in cash, which adult Singaporeans received last month, other components from the Care and Support Package will reach Singaporeans in the coming months.

For instance, lower-and middle-income Singaporeans will receive their remaining Care and Support payouts of $300 or $600 next month.

Citizens with at least one Singaporean child aged 20 and below this year will also receive a $300 cash payout next month.

These come on top of permanent support like the cash component of the GST Voucher, which will be paid out in August.

The self-employed will also receive direct cash assistance through the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme, which offers a $9,000 payout over nine months. More than 100,000 self-employed people will be getting their first payout of $3,000 this week, said Mr Heng.

Those who do not automatically qualify or have marginally missed the criteria can approach the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), which has received more than 60,000 applications so far.

Applicants can expect to hear from NTUC within a month of submitting their application, he added.















$2 billion package to create 100,000 job and training opportunities for workers hit by COVID-19 slowdown
This will include 40,000 jobs, 30,000 skills training chances and 25,000 traineeships
By Olivia Ho, Arts Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

A new $2 billion jobs and training package will create close to 100,000 opportunities for workers affected by the COVID-19 economic slowdown, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday.

He told Parliament in his speech on the fourth Budget this year that the support, dubbed the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, would include 40,000 jobs, 25,000 traineeships and 30,000 skills training opportunities.



Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said: "In the tough months ahead, we must be prepared for some job losses.

"While we will try to preserve jobs in the midst of this crisis, we cannot protect every job. However, you have my assurance that the Government will protect every worker.

"Our promise to workers is this: As long as you are willing to pick up new skills and adapt, to access available opportunities to work or learn, the Government will provide our strongest support to help you."

JOBS

The 40,000 and more new jobs that the package will create, said Mr Heng, include 15,000 in the public sector. These will encompass both long-term ones in areas such as early childhood education and healthcare, as well as short-term ones related to COVID-19 operations, such as healthcare declaration assistants and swabbers.



The public sector will also give local job seekers two-year positions and train them with an eye to eventually placing them in relevant private sector jobs.

Meanwhile, government agencies will also work with businesses to create 25,000 jobs, he said.

"Many businesses have stepped forward with openings in a wide range of job roles, such as computer engineers and machine operators.

"I encourage more businesses to do even more in the coming months."


He said the Government will expand capacity in career conversion programmes such as Place-and-Train under the Adapt and Grow initiative, which will be scaled up to more than 14,000 places this year, and company-led training programmes under the TechSkills Accelerator.

Launched in the 2016 Budget, TechSkills Accelerator has trained more than 1,000 people in partnership with firms such as Accenture, DBS Bank and Google as of last December.

More than 90 per cent of them have been placed in roles related to information, communications and technology.

TRAINEESHIPS

The Government aims to create about 25,000 traineeship positions this year, said Mr Heng.

Of these, 21,000 will come from the SGUnited Traineeships programme, which was announced in March for local first-time job seekers and will now have its places more than doubled from 8,000 previously.

Workforce Singapore will fund 80 per cent of qualifying training allowances for up to 12 months with host companies.

Mr Heng said more than 1,000 host companies have shown strong interest, as has the public sector.

Some of the traineeships on offer are in technology-related areas that are in high demand or emerging rapidly, as well as in research and development.

The Defence Science and Technology Agency will offer diploma holders the opportunity to build skills in areas like IT and engineering.

The universities, Agency for Science, Technology and Research institutes, AI Singapore and SGInnovate will work with local deep-tech companies and start-ups for trainees to work with industry partners on real-world science and technology projects in areas such as software learning and artificial intelligence, he noted.

These will be offered progressively from June 1.

Another 4,000 traineeships will come from a new scheme, SGUnited Mid-Career Traineeships, for unemployed mid-career job seekers.



SKILLS

A new initiative, the SGUnited Skills programme, will expand training capacity for about 30,000 job seekers looking to upgrade their skills while job-hunting.

Participants will get an allowance of $1,200 per month in the course of their training, to cover basic subsistence expenses.

They will take industry-relevant, certifiable training courses full-time at subsidised rates, with the course fees substantially, if not fully, offset by their SkillsFuture Credit.

They will get opportunities to apply their training through attachments or participation in company projects, and will also receive career guidance and job placement support.

This programme will be rolled out progressively from July.



HIRING INCENTIVES

Mr Heng said employers will get a hiring incentive to take on local workers who have gone through eligible training or reskilling schemes.

He had earlier announced such an incentive in February under the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Support Package, for eligible workers aged 40 and above.

He will now double the incentive to cover 40 per cent of their salary over six months, capped at $12,000 in total.

The incentive will also be expanded to eligible workers under 40, covering 20 per cent of their monthly salary over six months, capped at $6,000 in total.

Mr Heng added that he was heartened by tripartite partners' support for these various initiatives.

He noted that the Singapore Business Federation, which is the programme manager for SGUnited Traineeships, is working hard to bring companies on board and as quickly as possible.

The National Trades Union Congress is also reaching out to fresh graduates to consider the traineeships programme as an option.

"Some employers have stepped forward to offer jobs and traineeships," said Mr Heng.

"This not only contributes to the national effort, but is also a farsighted move to build longer-term capabilities for their companies.

"I encourage employers to also make good use of the strong support we provide to upskill their existing workers during this downtime, so that they can emerge stronger when business picks up."

Job seekers can find out more at www.mycareersfuture.sg.




















Tharman to chair new National Jobs Council
By Olivia Ho, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will chair a new council to oversee efforts to help Singaporeans master skills needed to stay employable in a challenging economy.

Announcing his appointment in his supplementary budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said Mr Tharman, who is Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and was formerly finance minister and education minister, has "both detailed knowledge and deep expertise in this issue".

"I have requested him to chair a National Jobs Council to oversee this very important work, and I thank him for agreeing," he told Parliament yesterday.



Mr Tharman led SkillsFuture when it was started in 2014 to develop a system of education, training and career progression, and foster a culture of lifelong learning.

He also chaired the tripartite Council for Skills, Innovation and Productivity to help sectors keep pace with structural changes in the economy.

It was renamed the Future Economy Council in 2017, which was given an expanded mandate.

Mr Heng said the National Jobs Council will focus on creating jobs and building deep skills.

"This important effort will be integrated with the work of the Future Economy Council on the overall upgrading of our economy, through the Industry Transformation Maps in each cluster," he added.

"In this way, we can marshal all our experiences and expertise to manage the huge changes that are coming our way."

The National Jobs Council will provide details at a later date.





Students, seniors to get more help to access digital technology: DPM Heng
By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

More help will be given to students and seniors to enable them to access digital resources, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

He noted that in the ongoing stay-home period, families have been making fuller use of digital technology for home-based learning, entertainment, ordering meals and keeping in touch with their friends and family members.

The value of having access to digital technology is clear, he said in his fourth Budget speech this year, adding that it has enabled people to connect with and support one another safely during the corona-virus pandemic.

"In a post-COVID world, having all on board digital channels will open up exciting new possibilities for different members of the community to engage with and support each other," Mr Heng, who is also the Finance Minister, told Parliament.

"Going forward, digital inclusion should be an important way for us to strengthen social resilience," he said.

"Regardless of age or resources, all members of our society should have access to digital resources, with no one left behind."

Mr Heng said the Ministry of Education will "accelerate the timeline" for all secondary school students to own a digital learning device as part of its longer-term plans to support digital literacy for all students.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung will announce details of the accelerated timeline when they are ready, he added.

In March, Mr Ong announced during the debate on his ministry's budget that every secondary school student would own a digital learning device, which can be subsidised using Edusave funds, by 2028.

He said that all students would get a $200 Edusave top-up to support the purchase and those from lower-income households would get further subsidies so they would not have to pay any of the cost out-of-pocket.

Students have already gone through about four weeks of home-based learning during the circuit breaker period, which ends next week, but some students from lower-income families may not have digital access at home, Mr Heng said yesterday.

He said the Education Ministry has loaned out more than 22,000 computing devices and Internet dongles to these students for them to benefit from full home-based learning and continue to connect with their teachers and friends.

For senior citizens, Mr Heng said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will launch a "Seniors Go Digital" movement to support them to adopt digital channels and equip them with the digital skills to do so.

He said this will enable seniors to stay in contact with their families and friends, and help care teams and volunteers to reach out to seniors more effectively.

The move will require support from family, friends and the wider community, Mr Heng said.



A "Digital Ambassadors" movement will also be launched to rally the community and volunteers to help seniors acquire digital skills, he added.

"For seniors from lower-income households who wish to learn but are unable to afford the devices, we will also provide them with financial support," he said.

Mr Heng encouraged young people with digital skills, as well as corporate companies, to step forward and be involved in the programme.

The Minister for Communications and Information and the IMDA will announce more details at a later date, he added.





Foreign worker levy waiver, rebates extended by up to 2 months for firms unable to resume work after circuit breaker
By Joanna Seow, Assistant Business Editor, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Businesses that are not allowed to resume operations on-site immediately after the circuit breaker ends on June 1 will have their foreign worker levy waived for up to two more months.

Levy rebates for them will also be extended for up to two more months, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat told Parliament yesterday.

This is part of a fourth round of budget measures to help firms manage costs amid the pandemic, and will include all businesses in the construction, marine and offshore, and process sectors.

The waiver will be 100 per cent in June, and 50 per cent in July, while the rebate will be $750 in June, and $375 in July.



Mr Heng first announced in his Solidarity Budget speech in April that the foreign worker levy due that month would be waived, and firms would receive a rebate of $750 that month for each work permit or S Pass holder, from levies paid this year. After the circuit breaker was extended for another four weeks, requiring most workplaces to close, the waiver and rebate were extended by a month.

Mr Heng highlighted the built environment sector, which includes construction, as one that needs additional support. It has many significant infrastructure projects, including MRT lines and public housing, that must continue to be planned and built, he said. The Government will co-share the additional costs that businesses will incur to meet extra requirements in order to resume their existing projects safely, he added.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong and the Building and Construction Authority will announce the details later, said Mr Heng.





F&B and retail businesses can get up to $10,000 under new digital transformation scheme
By Choo Yun Ting, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Companies in the food and beverage and retail sectors, which will be most affected by safe distancing requirements as Singapore reopens its economy, could get up to $10,000 each under a new scheme to accelerate digital transformation.

They will be the first to benefit from a new Digital Resilience Bonus, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat told Parliament yesterday.



It gives eligible businesses a payout of up to $5,000 if they adopt PayNow Corporate and e-invoicing, as well as business process or e-commerce solutions. An additional $5,000 is available for F&B and retail businesses which incorporate advanced solutions.

The new scheme is part of over $500 million allocated to support businesses in their digital transformation in the fourth round of budget measures announced yesterday.

"Those who are willing to transform will not be left behind," said Mr Heng, highlighting that digital solutions will become more deeply embedded in everyday lives.

He noted that the Emerging Stronger Task Force is studying two key shifts which have been accelerated by the pandemic - the rise of digital transformation and the decline in support for globalisation, which has affected global supply chains. The task force was set up to study how sectors in Singapore's economy can adjust to future changes in a post-COVID-19 world.



Stallholders in hawker centres, wet markets, coffee shops and industrial canteens will also get bonus payouts of $300 a month, over five months, for adopting e-payments.

The bonus is contingent on sustained use of the e-payment solution, with a minimum number of transactions per month. The Government will also bear the transaction fees until Dec 31, 2023.

This will help businesses which have not done so to start using digital tools, said Mr Heng, noting that the take-up for e-payments has risen sharply, with 50,000 more enterprises adopting PayNow Corporate from last month.

Around $250 million will also be set aside to help businesses digitalise in partnership with platform solution providers and industry champions, he said.

Schools and higher institutes of learning must also make full use of digital technologies for learning, Mr Heng said.

The Education Ministry and the National Research Foundation will share more details on how new digital platforms for online learning and teaching can be developed, integrating the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and learning sciences.

A new set of National Innovation Challenges will also be introduced to develop industry-led solutions for challenges which all businesses face, especially measures to reopen Singapore safely, he added.

Mr George Kokkinis, general manager of Greek restaurant Bakalaki, said the new Digital Resilience Bonus would help the restaurant implement more digital solutions on top of the online delivery options it recently introduced.

The payouts would contribute to its short-term cash flow and help with cost savings in the long term, he added.

Restaurant Laut Collective's co-founder Frank Shen said upgrading back-end systems is often not a priority for F&B operators, given the substantial investment involved and the focus on more pressing service and operation needs. "If the Government is willing to help support (businesses like ours to upgrade our systems), we would definitely look to and hope to grow the business in any way we can," he said.















$285 million for promising start-ups
By Choo Yun Ting, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Promising start-ups will get financial help to bolster their innovation and entrepreneurship activities as well as give them a leg-up to gain access to credit, under new financing measures in the fourth Budget for this year.

A total of $285 million has been allocated to catalyse and match private investments, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in Parliament yesterday.

The money will help bridge the financing gap they face amid the COVID-19 crisis, which could result in the loss of good jobs and companies if not addressed, he added.

"It is important to preserve what has been built up in our innovation ecosystem so painstakingly over the years," he said.

Earlier this year, about $300 million had been set aside to help deep-tech start-ups under the Startup SG Equity scheme, in which the Government co-invests with qualified third-party investors in eligible start-ups. Artificial intelligence and alternative proteins are some examples of deep technologies.

Mr Heng also highlighted that loan schemes introduced in the earlier Budgets, like the Temporary Bridging Loan Programme, have benefited about 5,000 businesses which have received loans totalling about $4.5 billion so far.

This amounts to more than three times the loans catalysed in the whole of 2019, he noted.

On top of these loan schemes, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, plus banks, finance companies and insurers, have introduced relief measures to help individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises to pay for their loans and insurance cover, Mr Heng said.





Top-ups for 2 fund-raising programmes to boost social service sector
By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Two fund-raising programmes under the Tote Board and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) will get top-ups to help the social service sector tide over the coronavirus pandemic.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday that charities and social service agencies have been facing difficulties such as falling donations.

He told Parliament during his speech on the fourth Budget for this year that the Tote Board's Enhanced Fund-Raising Programme will get an additional $100 million on top of the $70 million it had already set aside.

The programme will allow charities to receive dollar-for-dollar fund-matching from the Tote Board on eligible donations raised from projects implemented from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021, capped at $250,000 per charity.

This includes donations raised through approved digital platforms such as Giving.sg

If a charity hits the $250,000 cap, it will still be able to get a further 40 per cent in fund-matching for eligible projects, capped at $100,000 per project.

Charities must be registered with the Commissioner of Charities to be eligible, and the fund-raising project must not have benefited from other government matching funds such as the Cultural Matching Fund or the Bicentennial Community Fund.

Another programme, the Invictus Fund set up by the NCSS, will get a top-up of $18 million.

The fund is supported by donations raised through the Community Chest, which receives 20 per cent fund-matching from the Bicentennial Community Fund.

It was started to help social service agencies maintain service continuity, retain staff and adopt technology to transform their work amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

As of May 22, the Invictus Fund had raised $6.2 million, and 171 social service agencies had app-lied for it during the first round of applications.

More details on the next round of applications for the fund will be given later.

Mr Heng said these agencies and charities are key partners which have been supporting families and vulnerable groups during the pandemic.

A stronger social service sector will be even more critical in the years ahead, he added.

"I urge our social service agencies to accelerate their digitalisation efforts, scale up capabilities, and share resources and efforts to solve common challenges," Mr Heng said.

"We will continue to provide our strongest support for you."




















Singaporeans must continue to stand together as nation recovers: Heng Swee Keat
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 27 May 2020

Singaporeans need to continue to stand together as the country recovers from the coronavirus crisis, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat told Parliament yesterday as he unveiled Singapore's fourth Budget for the year.

The Fortitude Budget, as he calls it, will commit an extra $33 billion to bolster the country's efforts to ride through the pandemic. Combined with the three earlier Budgets, this takes the total amount the Government is dedicating to this cause to $92.9 billion.



"The battle against COVID-19 will be a long one. The road ahead will be uncertain, with more ups and downs," said Mr Heng, who is also the Finance Minister.

"Our generation must have the fortitude to persevere, to adapt and to emerge stronger, just like our founding generation. This is why I have named this our Fortitude Budget - courage in adversity."

Singaporeans from all walks of life have responded to the crisis with "unity, resilience and in solidarity", he said, acknowledging the efforts of various groups of people.

The country is building up its local production of surgical and cloth masks, and steps have been taken to control the spread of the corona-virus in migrant workers' dormitories, he added.

"Our agencies pulled out all the stops to set up centres in a matter of days, and have been running major operations to take care of the workers. NGOs (non-governmental organisations), such as the Migrant Workers' Centre, and volunteer groups, such as the COVID-19 Migrant Support Coalition, are also providing significant support.

"Many are coming forward to contribute their resources, skills and gifts to help the wider community get through this together."



More than 32,000 people in Singapore have been infected with COVID-19. Most of the new cases have been foreign workers living in dormitories.

Mr Heng also spoke of the good work of others - from arts company 3Pumpkins' online programmes for Malay, Mandarin and dialect-speaking audiences, to the people who provide emotional support via the 24-hour National Care Hotline.

"This spirit of Singapore Together will be critical, as we come together to recover and rebuild for a stronger, more sustainable tomorrow."



Singapore's circuit breaker measures will be eased in phases from June 2 onwards. Mr Heng urged Singaporeans to comply with these measures.

"Our collective action protects us, our families, our community and our lives."

He also encouraged businesses to support one another.

"Larger businesses can bring forward procurement and payment schedules to help their suppliers. Our trade associations and chambers (TACs) have stepped up to support businesses. For example, the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has formed a COVID-19 task force to raise funds to support their micro-SME members.

"And, of course, landlords can support their tenants."

The Emerging Stronger Task Force is partnering business leaders, owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industry experts and TACs as it studies how the country can emerge stronger in the post-COVID world, he added.

"In the spirit of Singapore Together, I hope Singaporeans will participate to share your ideas."

Mr Heng also said society must take special care of its more vulnerable members, such as seniors, those with special needs and people who have lost their jobs. The Government is implementing many help schemes to address their needs, he added.

"Some groups have been more severely affected, such as low-wage workers in informal jobs and self-employed persons, whose incomes have fallen sharply. We will continue to assist them, and help to strengthen their longer-term social security.

"Our social service agencies, charities and volunteers have stepped up - let us mobilise everyone to do our part to build a more resilient Singapore."









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DPM Heng Swee Keat on Singapore GE: The sooner we get it done, the earlier we can rally everybody together to fight COVID-19

May 29, 2020, 12:23 am
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COVID-19 crisis poses challenges over next 5-10 years: DPM Heng Swee Keat
Country needs to rally together to tackle them and also deal with very significant uncertainties
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 28 May 2020

Singapore's economy faces significant long-term challenges that need to be dealt with over the next five to 10 years, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

And the sooner the general election is held, he said, "the earlier we can rally everybody together to deal with these very significant challenges ahead, and also to deal with these very significant uncertainties in the months and years ahead".

Singapore's next election must take place by April 14 next year, and Mr Heng's remarks, in an interview with TV station CNA, are the strongest hint by a minister to date that the polls could be called soon.



Asked whether Singaporeans will have to wait until phase three of resuming economic activity before the election, Mr Heng said: "The sooner that we can deal with the longer-term challenges, the better Singaporeans will emerge out of this, and Singapore will emerge stronger.

"So I would say that, yes, elections are coming nearer by the day, and you have to be prepared for it. If you look at what other countries have done, they have been able to do it (hold an election), even under very difficult circumstances. South Korea has done it and in fact, they had a record turnout."

"When we do so, the public health considerations and public safety will be a foremost consideration," he said. "Even the way in which elections are to be conducted will be different from before."

A law allowing special, temporary arrangements to be implemented, if the election takes place amid the coronavirus pandemic, came into operation on Tuesday.

The Parliamentary Elections (COVID-19 Special Arrangements) Act allows some voters who are under stay-home notices to vote under special arrangements, and lets aspiring candidates authorise a representative to file nomination papers for them if they are unable or unfit to do so.



On Tuesday, Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, announced a $33 billion supplementary Budget - Singapore's fourth support package this year. The Fortitude Budget, as it is called, aims to help workers and businesses tide over the COVID-19 crisis and the grim economic outlook. Combined with the three earlier Budgets, it takes the total amount the Government is dedicating to this cause to $92.9 billion.

The latest Budget requires a draw of $31 billion from past reserves. Altogether, the Government is looking at drawing up to $52 billion from past reserves this financial year.

"Our financial position will be a lot weaker in the coming years. And I'm thinking hard about this, about what we need to do, and how we need to continue to find ways that we can manage this difficult financial situation," Mr Heng told CNA.

"For now, the most important thing is first, keep our people safe. And second, let's get the economy going again, as much as possible. It will not be easy. But if we put our minds to it, we can emerge stronger. And with that, we can begin to rebuild our resources over time."



In the latest Budget, Mr Heng also set aside $13 billion in the Contingencies Fund and the Development Contingencies Fund, for urgent, unforeseen expenditures - more than the $3 billion set aside every year for both funds - to "respond swiftly to a rapidly changing situation".

He said: "I hope that we do not need to have a fifth Budget in order to respond, because if the situation deteriorates, it is going to be very, very fast."

A key focus is protecting jobs, including enhancing the Jobs Support Scheme that co-pays salaries to help firms retain workers.

A new SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package will also create 40,000 jobs, 25,000 traineeships and 30,000 paid skills-training places - about 100,000 positions in total.

Asked if the Government expects 100,000 jobs to be lost in the next few months, Mr Heng said: "There is a range of projections on the expected job losses. We have taken that into account, together with the number of new entrants that enter the labour market every year. So, this is how we've sized it, and I believe that for now, that will be sufficient. But if there is a need for us to do even more, we have the resources to do that."




















Limit to reducing reliance on foreign workers: DPM Heng
By Toh Wen Li and Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 28 May 2020

There is a limit to how far Singapore can go in reducing the need for manual work, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said. "We still need to rely on a significant proportion of our foreign workers to do very difficult jobs which many Singaporeans will not want to do," he told CNA in an interview.

He noted that the use of digital technology could make Singapore's built environment sector more efficient and productive as it grapples with a shrinking local labour force. "For us, a combination of men and machines will be a very powerful one, and therefore we must make the best use of how digitalisation can enable us to be more productive and more efficient," he added.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 among migrant workers in dorms has seen calls for Singapore to rethink its reliance on such labour.

Asked during the interview if there are plans in the pipeline to review the structure and reliance on foreign workers, Mr Heng said the key issue is Singapore's domestic labour force is "insufficient", and will decline as the population ages.

"We are going to put our focus and effort on how we can revamp the built environment (sector) to create better jobs for our people, and to see how we can reduce the manual portion," added Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister.

"Still, I must caution that there is a limit to how far we can go."



Asked if there were plans to bring forward large-scale projects to boost the economy, he said "certain projects, particularly infrastructure projects, they will have to be built".

"We are hoping to carry on with these projects, if not bring (them) forward. But the critical issue here is, are we able to reopen safely?

"That is why there is a lot of work that is going on to look at how we can manage our foreign workers in the dorms well, and how we can reopen safely."

Public infrastructure projects can also be brought forward, he added.

Yesterday, several business groups and trade associations criticised the calls to reduce the number of migrant workers, saying this could hurt the economy.

Mr Thomas Ang, president of the Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore, suggested that higher costs and inconveniences would result.

Singapore Contractors Association president Ng Yek Meng said transforming the construction industry, so that it can build more with less labour, "will take time".

Less foreign labour would mean higher construction costs, and make it more difficult for companies to compete for strategic projects, such as building new manufacturing facilities, energy plants and tourist attractions, he said.

He added that higher construction costs would also cause housing prices to rise, and these homes would take longer to build.














Trade associations and chambers issued four statements on the issue of migrant workers in Singapore yesterday. Here are extracts.


COMPETITIVENESS AT STAKE

"Given Singapore's limited workforce, we would not be able to stay competitive in certain sectors if not for migrant workers. We are an ageing society with no hinterland to draw workers from. Migrant workers take on many of the lower-end jobs in Singapore. This allows the vast majority of Singaporeans to take on PMET jobs, and help in creating an innovation-based economy as well. Thus, we urge the Government and Singaporeans to carefully consider the next steps on migrant workers."

THE SINGAPORE INDIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, SINGAPORE MALAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AND SINGAPORE CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, in a joint statement.



CRUCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

"Labour is required in numerous stages of the manufacturing process. A large number of these roles are supported by migrant workers.

In the marine and offshore sector, Singapore shipyards are able to compete internationally for marine and offshore and oil and gas projects because we have the technical competencies and manpower resources to do so... With the support of these migrant workers, our marine and offshore sector has been able to contribute to the construction and maintenance of vessels to sustain sea trade and oil and gas exploration and production globally."

THE SINGAPORE MANUFACTURING FEDERATION, ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE PROCESS INDUSTRIES AND ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE MARINE INDUSTRIES, in a statement.



CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS

"We hope the Government and Singaporeans will consider the very real implications of these suggestions (to reduce migrant worker numbers) carefully, and in the longer-term interest of Singaporean jobs and the economy. One important question is whether Singaporeans can accept higher costs and inconveniences if many of the rank-and-file jobs that keep our industry running are hard to fill. There would be further strains on the maintenance of our network of lifts and escalators if we had fewer migrant workers working alongside our locals in this line. Apart from costs, there would be spillover effects on the safe operation of buildings that other industries and workers rely on."

MR THOMAS ANG, president, Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore.



BEWARE OF IMPACT

"There have been calls by some non-governmental organisations for a reduction in the number of foreign workers. These workers contribute significantly to Singapore's construction industry and development. They support the creation of our housing, transport infrastructure and overall landscape. Reducing the number of foreign workers would hamper the current speed at which Singapore continues to grow and redevelop. This will inadvertently impact Singapore's economy and business viability.

Today, we have approximately 300,000 foreign workers in the construction sector. They form the backbone of the construction industry (which currently employs close to 100,000 locals)."

MR NG YEK MENG, president, The Singapore Contractors Association.










Reducing migrant worker numbers will hurt Singapore: Trade bodies
Industry leaders warn of higher costs, slower growth and impact on Singaporeans' jobs
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 28 May 2020

Reducing the number of migrant workers in Singapore, in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak, will hurt Singapore's economic recovery and harm the job prospects of Singaporeans, several business groups and trade associations said yesterday. 

In a flurry of statements, these groups came out strongly against recent calls to restrict the number of foreign workers in Singapore, cautioning that such steps were unwise and could backfire on Singaporeans.

Migrant workers account for more than 90 per cent of the 32,876 confirmed COVID-19 infections in Singapore as of yesterday and some political commentators have argued that the Republic should consider reducing its dependence on them in the light of the outbreak in the dormitories.



Countering this, the industry groups, between them, asked Singaporeans to consider three central implications of cutting back on migrant worker numbers: Singaporeans might have to put up with higher costs; Singapore's economy might become less competitive; and Singaporeans might not be able to focus primarily on white-collar jobs, as they can now when foreign workers take on the low-paying jobs.

In a joint statement, the Singapore Indian, Malay and Chinese chambers of commerce and industry said: "Given Singapore's limited workforce, we would not be able to stay competitive in certain sectors... if not for migrant workers."

They said migrant workers take on many lower-end jobs in Singapore. This allows the vast majority of Singaporeans to take on PMET jobs, and help in creating an innovation-based economy as well, they added, referring to jobs for professionals, managers, executives and technicians. "Thus, we urge the Government and Singaporeans to carefully consider the next steps on migrant workers."

As of March, there were 720,800 work permit holders in Singapore, excluding foreign domestic workers. Of that number, 287,800 of them were in the construction industry. There were 194,900 S Pass holders, and 193,800 on employment passes.



The Singapore Contractors Association said the 300,000 foreign workers in the construction industry formed the backbone of the sector, taking on labour-intensive jobs that locals preferred not to do. "Reducing the number of foreign workers would hamper the current speed at which Singapore continues to grow and redevelop."

The Specialists Trade Alliance of Singapore put it starkly: Would Singaporeans accept higher costs if jobs such as maintaining lifts cannot easily be filled by locals?

Meanwhile the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, the Association of Singapore Process Industries, and the Association of Singapore Marine Industries rejected suggestions that foreign worker numbers should be cut. The manufacturing sector accounts for about 20 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product.

They pointed out that businesses in Singapore had been severely tested by the pandemic.

"However, when demand for goods and services returns, we will need workers to keep businesses going and recover," they said. "Without sufficient migrant workers working alongside Singaporeans in key sectors, our economy will be at stake. Our businesses and Singaporeans' jobs will be at stake."










Workers' Party calls for ground rules on election campaigning during COVID-19 pandemic to be published promptly
By Kok Yufeng, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

The Workers' Party (WP) has called on the Government to publish ground rules on how political parties should campaign if a general election were to be held amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement yesterday, WP said there has been a "distinct lack of clarity" as to how campaigning would be modified in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Several ministers have made vague and unspecific comments since March that campaign methods would need to be modified. However, despite the party's calls, there has been no definitive announcement by the Elections Department (ELD) on these anticipated changes," WP said.



Political parties risk squandering resources due to this uncertainty and the window of time to find suitable suppliers of relevant services was narrowing, it added.

For example, while it has been said that the streaming of videos may be employed during the next general election, it is not known if there will be regulations governing the content and format of these videos.

WP added: "While Singaporeans continue to focus on overcoming COVID-19, general elections are an essential feature of our democracy that should not be taken lightly. Contesting parties should know the ground rules as soon as possible, in order to be well prepared to offer Singaporean voters their best efforts at the polls."

The call comes a day after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat hinted during an interview that polls could be called soon.

When asked whether Singaporeans will have to wait until the third and final phase of resuming economic activity before going to the polls, Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said the election was coming nearer by the day.

The sooner the general election is held, he said, "the earlier we can rally everybody together to deal with these very significant challenges ahead".

Singapore's next general election must take place by April 14 next year.



Separately, yesterday, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) also addressed the issue of election campaigning during the pandemic and made several suggestions, including extending the official campaigning period to 21 days, instead of the current nine.

"Already, mass rallies will not be a big feature (if they are allowed at all) during the hustings. This puts the opposition at an even greater disadvantage," the party said.

Urging the Government to give contesting parties "equitable access to the electorate", the SDP also called on the authorities to provide all parties with daily access to radio programmes and free-to-air television channels, reserve space in newspapers for parties to publish manifestos and ideas, and allow parties to address residents at food centres, void decks and common areas.

"Now, more than ever, Singaporeans need a fair, transparent and democratic system of governance which only a fair, transparent and democratic (general election) can bring about," it said.

On Tuesday, a law allowing special, temporary arrangements to be implemented if the next general election takes place amid the COVID-19 pandemic came into operation.

The Parliamentary Elections (COVID-19 Special Arrangements) Act allows some voters who are under stay-home notice to vote under special arrangements, and lets aspiring candidates authorise a representative to file nomination papers for them if they are unable or unfit to do so.

During the debate on the draft law, the issue of safe and fair campaigning was brought up by several backbenchers, including WP chairman Sylvia Lim, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Ong Teng Koon, as well as Nominated MPs Walter Theseira and Anthea Ong.

In response, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, who spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, said election campaigning rules were outside the scope of the Bill and the ELD would share campaigning guidelines in due course.

He said the ELD's practice has been to issue an advisory on campaigning guidelines, together with other authorities such as the police and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The ELD will also work with the Ministry of Health on the health and safety aspects of campaigning before issuing its advisory.

"This will be done with sufficient time for political parties and aspiring candidates to prepare," added Mr Chan.


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Singapore could move to Phase 2 of COVID-19 reopening before end-June 2020

May 29, 2020, 6:42 am
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Task force fleshes out plans for next steps in reopening Singapore economy
It will decide in mid-June whether to move to phase two of process by end of the month
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

Even as Singapore prepares for the lifting of the circuit breaker measures on Tuesday, 2 June, a ministerial task force yesterday fleshed out plans for how the country might move on to phase two of opening up the economy by the end of next month.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that a decision will be made in mid-June on whether conditions are right for Singapore to allow a broader range of activities by the end of the month.



This move into phase two of Singapore's calibrated reopening will hinge on keeping the community spread of COVID-19 low and stable over the next two weeks, he said, adding the caveat that the time-line could change, given how fluid the situation is.

If this timeline is given the go-ahead, then, subject to restrictions, people will be able to dine in at food outlets, exercise at stadiums, visit swimming pools and have small gatherings before the end of next month.

"We will decide by the middle of June on whether we want to take the next step to move to phase two," said Mr Wong, who is co-chair of the multi-ministry task force tackling the coronavirus pandemic.



But for this to happen, fellow co-chair and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong stressed the importance of exercising caution even after Tuesday, when Singapore exits the circuit breaker and enters the first phase of its reopening: "I think if we start with a big bang party, we are going to get into trouble."

About 75 per cent of the economy can resume operations in phase one, which the authorities had earlier said would last four to six weeks but may now give way to phase two earlier. In the first phase, schools will gradually restart, and more Singaporeans will return to workplaces, though dining in will still not be allowed.

Almost the entire economy is expected to reopen in phase two. Retail shops and consumer services can open for business, but masks will still be compulsory for anyone stepping outside his home.

Eateries will reopen but no more than five diners will be allowed per table at food and beverage outlets, including hawker centres. Tables will have to be placed at least 1m apart.



Mr Wong said people will be able to catch up with their friends and relatives, but social gatherings will be capped at five per group. He said the number struck a "reasonable balance" between the risks involved and allowing families to meet.

Meanwhile, some activities - which involve close contact in enclosed spaces - are deemed to carry higher risk of transmission and may be allowed to resume only later in phase two, when sufficient safety measures are in place. These include going to cinemas, religious services, bars and clubs.

"All of these venues, based on our experience and overseas experience, have been instances where there have been cases of transmissions in such settings, and so we want to take a more cautious approach for activities in these areas to resume," said Mr Wong.

Stressing that things can change if the situation worsens, he added that the task force was sharing its plans so that businesses can start planning ahead. "But importantly, those that are looking ahead to reopen should make use of this time now to start preparing and putting in place all the necessary safeguards and precautions."



Asked if the timeline had been moved forward on account of pressure from businesses, Mr Wong said the timeline "is premised on what we think is safe to do from a public health point of view".

Meanwhile, Singapore announced a change in discharge criteria for its COVID-19 patients. Mr Gan said all those who are assessed to be clinically well by the 21st day of their illness can be discharged. Previously, they needed two negative swab tests, 24 hours apart.

As a further precaution, these patients must stay at home or in their dormitories for a further seven days.




















Almost entire economy to reopen under phase two
But certain high-risk locations, activities may not resume immediately: Lawrence Wong
By Timothy Goh, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

Phase two of Singapore's exit from the circuit breaker will entail the resumption of a wider range of activities and the reopening of almost the entire economy, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong yesterday.

But certain high-risk locations may not reopen immediately, he added at a virtual press conference.

Around 75 per cent of the economy will resume operations in phase one next Tuesday, after the circuit breaker ends.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling COVID-19, said the authorities will monitor the situation in the first two weeks of next month before deciding whether to proceed to phase two. "If the community transmission (and) infection rates over these two weeks remain low and stable, then we will decide by the middle of June whether we want to take the next step... And that means that phase two could happen before the end of June," he said.



Phase two will see the reopening of retail shops and consumer services, as well as sports facilities such as stadiums and swimming pools.

Wearing masks will remain compulsory when leaving the home, but social gatherings and dining in at food and beverage outlets will be allowed in groups of five or fewer.

Households may receive up to five visitors per day as well.

However, higher-risk activities and locations such as religious services, art galleries, libraries and museums may not reopen as quickly.

The same goes for large-scale events and venues such as conferences, exhibitions, concerts and trade fairs, as well as entertainment venues such as bars, nightclubs, karaoke outlets, cinemas and theatres, along with other indoor and outdoor attractions.

Said Mr Wong: "All of these venues and settings, based on our experience and overseas experience, have been (settings) where there have been cases of transmission... so we want to take a more cautious approach."



The authorities will discuss the various safeguards that need to be put in place with the relevant businesses and organisations, and work out the precise timing when they can resume activities within phase two, he added.

"They may not all resume at the start of phase two, but if they have the safeguards and precautions in place, they could resume later, but still within phase two," he said.

Asked if the move to phase two was being accelerated due to calls from businesses which want to reopen early, Mr Wong said the timeline was, in fact, consistent with what was previously announced.

"It's still within the timeframe that we have been talking about. It's just a little bit more clarity now on what people can expect in terms of the coming weeks," he said.



Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who also co-chairs the task force, said restrictions may be tightened again, depending on the situation.

This might take the form of targeted, specific controls, rather than a broad circuit breaker approach.

Mr Wong also cautioned that the start date of phase two is contingent on infection numbers remaining low and stable.

Thus far, Singapore seems on track for a move to phase two before the end of next month, he said.



However, he warned: "But anything can happen. You know how the virus is. You know how the situation is... I think all of us are fully aware that things can be fluid and completely unpredictable."

He said: "It is even more important for everyone to take responsibility for their actions." He added that the likelihood of transmission will rise with more activities.

"So it's all the more important for us to stay vigilant... Do not just rely on government measures or government rules. All of us have to do our part as individuals."




















MOH revises discharge criteria for COVID-19 patients, those who are well by day 21 can be discharged
They must remain in their home or dorm for next 7 days; changes take immediate effect
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

Coronavirus patients who are clinically well by the 21st day of their illness will be discharged, as more scientific evidence shows they are no longer infectious.

But as a precaution, these people will have to stay at home or in their dormitories for another seven days, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday.

They will be allowed to return to work after day 28.

"This revised approach will allow recovered patients who are well and no longer infectious to return to the community in a timely manner," Mr Gan said at a press conference, adding the change will take immediate effect.

However, this will not apply to patients with weakened immune systems, who may continue to shed viable virus for a prolonged period.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) had previously required patients to test negative twice over 24 hours before they could be discharged, even if they had not been ill for some time.

But local and international scientific evidence has since shown that the virus is no longer viable after the second week of illness, even though tests may pick up traces of the virus' genetic material and therefore yield a positive result.

Patients are not likely to be infectious after day 14, and are not infectious by day 21, MOH said.



Professor Leo Yee Sin, who is executive director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, also highlighted three local studies on the subject.

The first study, involving 18 people, showed that virus shedding is highest during the early onset of clinical illness.

Another study showed that seven in 10 patients test negative for the virus by day 21, with more than nine in 10 testing negative by day 33.

This shows that a very small number of patients continue to test positive for a long time, Prof Leo said.

The final study found that once the viral quantity in a patient's respiratory sample dropped to a certain level, the virus could no longer be cultured. This happens around the 10-or 11-day mark.

"So if we were to take all this scientific information together, we are confident to say that by the time (patients) reach day 11, and by the time they reach two weeks of their clinical illness, we no longer have any viable virus that we can culture from the respiratory sample," Prof Leo said.

The World Health Organisation recommended on Wednesday that it is safe to discharge coronavirus patients 10 days after their symptoms first appear, if they remain symptom-free for at least another three days after that.



Singapore is requiring that patients stay isolated even longer than that, said Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, MOH's director of medical services.

"So it's a really with an abundance of caution that we have put together a protocol that allows us now to safely move away from needing to test every individual before we discharge them," he said.

Other countries have also begun using or recommending similar criteria to discharge COVID-19 patients. They include Estonia, Ireland, the United States and Britain.

These countries have typically discharged patients between seven and 14 days from the onset of their symptoms, MOH said.

South Korea discharges asymptomatic patients from isolation three weeks after they have been diagnosed with the disease.










New criteria for discharge will free up testing capacity
By Linette Lai, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

The decision to discharge clinically healthy COVID-19 patients without the need for further tests will free up testing capacity, said Associate Professor Kenneth Mak.

This means that more tests can be diverted to the diagnosis of migrant workers in dormitories, for example, or to screen staff looking after vulnerable seniors.

"There will be some realignment of our strategies to accommodate the increase in capacity we now have," said Prof Mak, the Ministry of Health's director of medical services.

Yesterday, the ministry announced that it will discharge all coronavirus patients considered to be clinically well by day 21 of their illness.

Previously, patients had to test negative twice over 24 hours before they could be discharged, even if they had not been ill for some time.

Apart from diagnosis, some of the freed-up testing capacity will be used to ascertain the prevalence of COVID-19 in dormitories, Prof Mak said.

It will also be used to ensure that workers are clear of the virus so that they can return to work as Singapore prepares to ease circuit breaker restrictions and restart its economy.

Prof Mak stressed that Singapore is continuing to test at a "high rate".

More than 330,000 tests have been carried out for more than 210,000 individuals so far. This works out to more than 58,000 tests per one million population.

"So, we have never stopped aggressively testing," he said. "It is just that the strategy, where we prioritise, might change now that we have some free capacity that we can divert for other priorities."

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that Singapore's testing strategy will change over time, depending on its objectives.

"So, as we begin to open up more in our economy and our community, I think regular testing of workers will become increasingly important," he said.

"This will allow us to identify, to pick up cases in the community early, so that we can prevent a surge of cases in the community and also prevent the emergence of clusters."

In response to a question on how many patients will be allowed to go home under the new discharge criteria, Prof Mak said the total number had not yet been worked out.

"But I would imagine that there would be a few very happy patients... who would be looking forward to being able to go home, after having spent weeks in one of our community care facilities," he said.















Coronavirus: 13 pre-school staff have tested positive but at least 11 are old infections
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

Thirteen pre-school staff have tested positive for COVID-19 since active screening for that group began this month, said the Health Ministry yesterday.

However, subsequent testing showed that 11 of these were old infections and the staff had recovered - meaning they were no longer infectious, said the ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak during a virtual press conference.



Results of the serology test, which detects antibodies to tell if a person has been infected, are pending for two staff.

Patients have antibodies around two weeks after they recover from the infection and will not have them at the point of infection.

More than 39,000 pre-school staff have been tested for the coronavirus so far. Of these, 13 staff - about 0.033 per cent - have tested positive.

All pre-school staff have to undergo a one-time swab test for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure before the centres reopen next month.

"The results of the serology tests, together with the polymerase chain reaction tests that we performed, were then critically evaluated. The evidence suggests that these are not active, fresh infections, but old infections," Associate Professor Mak said.

"The test results suggest that these staff members have all recovered from the infection. As a result, it is our evaluation... that none of these staff members is currently a risk to either other colleagues within the pre-school setting, or to the children who are supported and cared for by pre-school staff. And this, of course, means that they are not infectious."

He said the authorities are unable to say for sure when these people had been infected. The majority of the staff were asymptomatic.

"It reaffirms our assessment that previously, prior to the circuit breaker, there was some level of community spread. But with the circuit breaker in place, we've seen the number of community active cases coming down very significantly, consistent with our assessment that the circuit breaker has been effective."

The country's circuit breaker measures will be eased in three phases from next Tuesday.














Dining in, meeting friends allowed in phase two, but capped at groups of 5
By Timothy Goh, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

When phase two of the post-circuit breaker measures kicks in, people will once again be allowed to dine in at food and beverage outlets, meet friends and visit family members.

But they will be allowed to do so in groups of only five or fewer, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong at a virtual press conference yesterday.

Dining in at eateries and meeting people outside one's household have generally been prohibited since April 7, the first day of circuit breaker measures aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 here.



In the lead-up to the circuit breaker, people were allowed to gather in groups of only 10 or fewer, as part of social distancing measures.

But Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force dealing with the pandemic, said: "We are not going back to pre-circuit breaker (regulations) precisely, in fact, we are going to be a little bit tighter."

The new regulations will mean that if a household of more than five people wants to dine in at an eatery, they will have to sit at separate tables, said Mr Wong.

Tables at these establishments will also have to be placed 1m apart from one another.

Those who wish to visit their relatives can do so in a group of only five or fewer but, in a loosening of measures from phase one, visitors can be from different households.

When asked how the task force had decided on a group size of five, Mr Wong said: "There is really no magic number. You can set two, you can set five, you can set eight, 10, and if you look around the world, you will find different countries setting different numbers.

"We think that five is a reasonable balance, looking at the assessment of risks and the assessment of the situation that we are in today."

He added that if the authorities were to permit groups of up to 10, as was the case pre-circuit breaker, it could potentially lead to the formation of larger clusters.

"Because there are 10 people, each person may have another 10 contacts, then all that multiplies."



On the other hand, limiting social gatherings or dining in to just two people might be "a little bit too tight" as it may prevent many families from gathering.

"So the balance we struck was about five," said Mr Wong.

He added that the number was not static.

"Of course, as we progress along phase two... as we gain confidence that the virus is under control, the infection rate remains stable, then over time, that number can increase to a larger number. But we will start with five as the rule."










Job security of migrant workers depends on employers, economy
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

The job security of migrant workers who return to work after quarantine will depend on their employers and the state of the economy, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.

He was responding to a question from a reporter who noted that migrant workers, such as those in quarantine dormitories, are worried about their future.

"We will take care of the migrant workers during this period when they are in quarantine. That is our commitment," Mr Wong said at a virtual media conference.

"But once workers are recovered and are released to the workforce to work, then whether or not they will continue to work depends on the employers."



Mr Wong said the same holds true for Singaporean workers.

"Because if the state of the economy remains dampened, and demand is weak, it may very well be possible that employers might decide to slow down... businesses may fold," he noted.

Singapore is heading for its worst recession since independence. The economy, which has been hit hard by COVID-19, is projected to shrink by 4 per cent to 7 per cent this year.

The $33 billion supplementary Budget announced on Tuesday - the fourth Budget this year - aims to cushion the economic fallout by creating 100,000 jobs and training opportunities for local workers, among other support measures.

Mr Wong said: "For expatriates, for pass holders, for migrant workers who are here, if indeed (retrenchments) were to happen... they can certainly try and find other opportunities if there are employers who are looking to hire. But if the state of the economy is weak... (if they are) unable to find jobs, they may decide to go back."

More than 33,000 people in Singapore have been infected with the coronavirus, the majority of whom are foreign workers living in dormitories. Many live in crowded spaces, and rights groups have called on the authorities to improve their living conditions.

Plans to improve the living conditions of foreign workers remain a work in progress, Mr Wong said.

"We are certainly in the process of looking at building new dormitories for migrant workers, and these new dormitories will be built quite soon," he said, adding that these new spaces could have a lower density of occupants.

Dormitories in Singapore have been designed for communal living, with shared facilities, but "in this new environment, we will have to design (them) in a very different manner", he added.

"We are getting designers, architects (to think) about how the new dormitories can be designed for the well-being of migrant workers, but also to ensure that the infection controls are raised to a much higher level."

New facilities will be built to house migrant workers who are mildly ill or no longer infectious, the Manpower Ministry said earlier this month, adding that many of these spaces will be in dormitories most severely affected by the outbreak.

New dormitories will also be constructed to house some of the healthy and recovered workers.















Singapore in talks to set up 'travel bubbles' with countries where COVID-19 is under control to allow essential travel, no leisure travel yet
Testing, contact tracing measures for business travellers as curbs are eased
By Cheow Sue-Ann, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

New measures and procedures such as compulsory testing will be put in place as Singapore looks to progressively ease restrictions on essential business travel. The plan is to establish "green lanes" and "travel bubbles" with countries where COVID-19 is under control, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

He stressed, though, that mass travel will still be out.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force on COVID-19, said protocols for essential travel would include testing travellers leaving and entering Singapore.



"With these testing protocols in place, we can have assurance that the traveller is free from infection, and then essential travel can resume, step by step, depending on the countries that we have established these green lanes or travel bubbles with," he said.

A traveller entering Singapore will first have to undergo a pre-departure COVID-19 test to determine if he is infected, or a serology test if he had been infected before. On arrival here, another test might have to be done, Mr Wong said.

Visitors will also have to download the TraceTogether app or carry a wearable dongle to ensure that contact tracing can be done quickly if needed.

These measures will ensure that Singaporeans can continue to work, not just here but in places where they need to travel for business, Mr Wong said.

He noted that while these protocols will allow essential travel to resume, mass travel "will take a lot longer to resume, not just in Singapore, but also internationally".

The discussions with other countries to establish "travel bubbles" and "green lanes" are currently at varying stages, with some at more advanced levels while others have just commenced, he added.

Details will be announced when agreements have been reached.

Essential work travel agreements are given priority because these are important for the economy, for businesses and to protect jobs for Singaporeans, Mr Wong said.

"Because if a business says, 'Look, my people cannot move around, then I might as well relocate to another country', then jobs will be lost."



Still, Mr Wong stressed that even with such arrangements, the number of travellers will be limited and quotas set. "We will have to prioritise who can travel for such reasons."

For those who have family members or spouses who are living overseas, allowances are already in place to allow people to come back, Mr Wong said.

This is subject to a quota as returnees must serve a 14-day isolation at dedicated facilities, which have limited capacity.

He added: "So, as we look at the situation, if our facilities expand... if our testing capacity expands, then potentially the daily quota for returnees coming back can increase as well over time."









Singapore, KL in talks to ease border curbs, but with safeguards in place
By Cheow Sue-Ann, The Straits Times, 29 May 2020

Singapore and Malaysia are in talks to ease travel restrictions, with the necessary protocols and measures in place, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.

He said: "For Malaysia, it's also more than just about business travel by air; there's also the issue of workers moving up and down through our land crossing."

Mr Wong noted that while Malaysia still has its movement control order and Singapore has the circuit breaker in place, eventually both countries will have to see how best to accommodate workers who want to travel between both sides in a safe manner.

He said: "We'll look at putting in place the necessary protocols, whether it's testing of workers, or for that matter, having them subject to some quarantine arrangements when they come in and out.

"The bottom line is that there will need to be new safeguards and precautions."

Mr Wong noted that even after travel restrictions between Malaysia and Singapore are eased, the situation will not return to how it was before when large volumes of people moved through the land crossings.

"I don't think either side would want to see that happen without any safeguards or precautions," he said.

"If we will have all that in place, we should be prepared that the volume of people sort of commuting daily will likely come down."





















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