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Singapore bride-to-be tests positive for Covid-19 five days before her wedding

aseanpr 23 10 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Five days before her wedding on Oct 6, Ms Pamela Soh, 30, tested positive for Covid-19. The administrative staff had mild flu symptoms, and her husband-to-be Casper Khoo, a 38-year-old sales executive, told her to do an antigen rapid test (ART) for the coronavirus. She tested positive on the ART twice. A polymerase chain reaction test done at the clinic later confirmed her infection. Ms Soh, who said she felt only "a bit sick", said: "My first thought when I tested positive was 'my wedding how?' I was shocked and scared." She had a low-grade fever, a bit of a runny nose, sore throat and cough. She recovered at home for 10 days and said her symptoms went away after the fourth day. The couple are fully vaccinated, with Ms Soh receiving her second jab about 10 days before she tested positive for Covid-19. Mr Khoo was not infected. Neither were Ms Soh's parents, whom she lived with. Mr Khoo postponed their nuptials to Oct 26. This was the earliest date they could do so, considering Ms Soh's recovery period, and their solemniser Joanna Portilla's and close family members' availability to attend the new date, he said. The couple will say "I do" at the Peach Garden Chinese Res...

Fujitsu Analyzes Japanese Election Data in Joint Project with Nikkei, Publisher of Japan’s Largest Financial Newspaper

ruth 18 10 月

5 minutes

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Fujitsu Limited conducted a joint data analysis project with Nikkei Inc., leveraging data analysis tools including Foundry from Palantir Technologies in order to provide new insights into the Japanese electoral process.Drawing on the knowledge of Nikkei, the joint project aims to provide readers and voters with in-depth coverage that combines data from previous election results with region-specific data, including employment rates, demographic data, etc. as well as information about political candidates running for office in parliamentary elections. The insights obtained from these analyses will be published in the Nikkei starting October 17, 2021.By gaining new insights from data, Fujitsu will further strengthen its efforts to drive "Digital Shifts" towards data-driven management models with the potential to innovate customers' businesses, industries, and society.BackgroundIn contrast to many countries in the world, where news outlets provide extensive, data-centric analysis for major political events like presidential elections, Japanese media coverage often focuses more narrowly on the results of the elections rather than ...

Singapore inks deal for antiviral pill to treat Covid-19 and its variants

aseanpr 6 10 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Republic has inked a supply and purchase agreement for an antiviral pill to treat Covid-19 that is said to be effective against all known variants of the virus, including the Delta variant. The drug was developed by pharmaceutical firm Merck in the United States and Canada, together with Miami-based Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Merck is known as MSD elsewhere in the world. The drug will be available in Singapore once it has received authorisation and approval for use, said MSD in an announcement on Wednesday (Oct 6). The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Health for comment. Known as molnupiravir, the drug comes in pill form and targets an enzyme that the virus needs to make copies of itself, by introducing errors into its genetic code. This particular enzyme - known as the viral polymerase - is conserved across different variants, making molnupiravir effective across the Gamma, Delta and Mu variants. Data from clinical trials suggests the drug is most effective when given early in the course of infection, said MSD. Interim trial results last Friday showed the drug may reduce the chance of hospitalisation or death by half for patients who are at risk of sever...

TraceTogether ‘not cleared’ issue for Covid-19 home recovery patients to be resolved soon: Ong Ye Kung

aseanpr 4 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - People who have recovered from Covid-19 at home, but find that their TraceTogether app still shows they are "not cleared", will have this issue resolved in the next few days, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in Parliament on Monday (Oct 4). The alert will be synchronised with their discharge dates, meaning that it will automatically disappear on the day they complete their home recovery, he said. This means that vaccinated people will be able to resume normal life after 10 days, while non-vaccinated people will be able to do so after 14 days. Mr Ong was responding to Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC), who said she had received several requests for help on the issue. Once a person tests positive for Covid-19 in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, the TraceTogether app test status will show that he is "not cleared". This prevents the person from entering most buildings, including for activities such as dining and grocery shopping. Typically, the test status would be cleared once he takes a second PCR test and obtains a negative result. But many patients on home recovery are not offered such a test. Mr Ong explained that fully vaccinated people are automatically discharg...

Few vaccinated people in S’pore infected by Covid-19 develop long-term symptoms

aseanpr 3 10 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Only a small number of vaccinated Covid-19 cases in Singapore have developed "long Covid" symptoms so far. This is supported by overseas data showing the risk of developing the condition could be reduced by half in vaccinated people. The long Covid syndrome refers to residual symptoms that people continue to experience long after recovering from the disease. These include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, joint aches and "brain fog" - where one's thinking is sluggish - which tend to last for four weeks or more. However, the risk of developing long Covid could be reduced by half among vaccinated individuals compared with the unvaccinated, according to a study conducted in Britain, said Dr Barnaby Young, head of National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID)’s Singapore Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network. "This is an encouraging result, and I suspect that it may even be an underestimate of the effectiveness of vaccination against long Covid symptoms, which are a direct result of a severe illness," he said. While there certainly have been cases of long Covid among vaccinated people overseas, the number of cases locally so far appears to be small, said Dr ...

MOH unveils new Covid-19 map: Areas in Jurong, Bedok, Sengkang among those frequently visited by cases

aseanpr 1 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Jurong West Central, Aljunied, Bedok North, Tampines East, Sengkang Town Centre and Woodlands East are some areas that have been highlighted as places frequently visited by Covid-19 patients within the past three days. The public can now access this information on a map, published for the first time on Friday (Oct 1). Available on the Ministry of Health's Covid-19 situation report portal, the map breaks down Singapore's entire land area, including the southern islands, into subzones. A check by The Straits Times showed that as at Thursday, 12 subzones have been visited frequently by between 230 and 560 Covid-19 cases over the past three days. They are: Yunnan, Jurong West Central, Kian Teck and Jurong River area in the west; Aljunied, Geylang East, Bedok North and Tampines East in the east; Sengkang Town Centre in the north-east; and North Coast, Woodlands East and Senoko South in the north. There are five bands in all, with areas grouped and shaded according to the number of Covid-19 cases that visited. The highest is between 230 and 560 cases. The multi-ministry task force combating Covid-19 said last Friday that it hopes the map can help guide people on their movemen...

Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 when pregnant lets new mother have peace of mind

aseanpr 1 10 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - When she was 30 weeks pregnant, Ms Suzanna Tang decided to go for her Covid-19 vaccine shots as she was worried that getting infected could complicate her labour. The 28-year-old was hesitant at first as she had come across differing opinions about the vaccine online. "I did my own research - I read about studies being done and they put my mind at ease. I decided that the pros outweighed the cons, as pregnant women who are not vaccinated are at a higher risk of developing pregnancy complications if they get Covid-19," she told The Straits Times. "I didn't want to be separated from my newborn after giving birth." Ms Tang, who is the founder of Urban Origins, a start-up that promotes local sustainable food brands, received her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in early June at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital. She got her second dose in July. Over 85 per cent of pregnant women who are hospitalised due to Covid-19 infection are not fully vaccinated, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 29). Of these women, about 20 per cent experienced severe symptoms and required oxygen, while 10 per cent required high dependency and ICU (in...

Taxis and private-hire cars allowed only two passengers from Monday

aseanpr 25 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A two-passenger limit for taxi and private-hire cars will be reintroduced in line with updated restrictions as Singapore enters into a stabilisation phase from Monday (Sept 27) to Oct 24 to bring down the surge in Covid-19 cases. At the same time, carpooling services will also be suspended. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement on Saturday (Sept 25) that the measures are meant to minimise interaction between people of different households, to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission while commuting. This comes a day after the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 announced tighter restrictions to curb the number of daily Covid-19 cases, which has gone past 1500 in recent days. Among other things, people will once again be allowed to gather only in groups of two, down from five. The two-passenger limit for taxis and private-hire cars applies to passengers from different households who are travelling together. Those from the same household, such as a parent with two children, will still be allowed to travel with more than two passengers, said the LTA. Carpooling services that will be suspended include those matched by licensed ride-hail platforms such as ...

Seniors discouraged from attending religious activities, no religious classes for kids until Oct 10

aseanpr 25 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Seniors aged 60 and above are strongly encouraged to avoid attending religious activities even if they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and children will be barred from participating in non-congregational religious activities, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) on Saturday morning (Sept 25). These follow the previous day's announcement by the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 about tightening community safe management measures from Sept 27 until Oct 24. From Sept 27, non-congregational religious activities, such as religious classes and pastoral services, for children aged 12 and below will be suspended for two weeks until Oct 10. They will still be allowed to attend worship services held in line with safety measures. Those above the age of 12 may continue to attend activities such as religious rites and classes as long as these are conducted in gatherings of 50 or fewer people, with each group comprising no more than two people. MCCY encourages a 2m distance between groups of people attending religious classes, and religious organisations are strongly encouraged to conduct classes online if possible. From Sept 27, funerals, wakes, ...

4-week suspension of hospital visits begins, visitors welcome stepped-up Covid-19 measures

aseanpr 24 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - At the start of a four-week suspension of hospital visits on Friday (Sept 24), only a few visitors were seen trickling in to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) in the morning. They were among a small minority of people allowed to visit their loved ones. During this suspension from Friday to Oct 23, visitors are allowed only for patients such as those who are critically ill and for women who have just given birth, on a case-by-case basis. They will have to produce a valid antigen rapid test (ART) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result, obtained within 24 hours of each visit. This restriction comes amid a rise in Covid-19 cases and with more cases being detected among hospital staff, patients and visitors. On Thursday, Singapore recorded 1,504 new Covid-19 cases, the highest since the pandemic began last year. Changi General Hospital was one of the large clusters, with 58 cases among its staff as at Sept 8. When The Straits Times visited TTSH, signs had been placed at the ward registration area of the hospital, reminding the public that no visitors are allowed. A designated area for antigen rapid testing had been set up, with about 30 cubicles. It is not known whether ...

S’pore doing its best to scale up Covid-19 operations, make sure all patients well cared for: PM Lee

aseanpr 22 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore is doing its best to scale up its Covid-19 operations amid growing case numbers, to ensure all patients are well cared for, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 22). "I know this is a stressful time for those with family members who have Covid-19," he observed, adding that some people had written to him to express their frustrations with the current situation. In recent weeks, many people have been reporting long lag times between testing positive and being taken to a hospital or community care facility for further care. Others had said they were unable to contact the Ministry of Health (MOH) to ask what they should do after testing positive. In his post, PM Lee said he visited the Covid-19 Case Management Task Group Operations (CMTG) office on Tuesday. This group administers the entire process for patients, including assigning them to appropriate care facilities, arranging for transport and briefing them on what they need to do, especially if they are recovering at home. "The CMTG have a very demanding task," Mr Lee wrote. "They operate 24/7 in a rapidly changing situation. Case numbers are still growing and we are doing o...

934 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in S’pore, highest since April last year

aseanpr 18 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - There were 934 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Friday (Sept 17), the highest daily number since April last year. There were 838 new cases in the community and one imported one, as well as 96 cases among dormitory residents, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its daily update. Of the new local cases, 241 are seniors above 60 years old. This brings Friday's total tally to 935 cases. A new Covid-19 cluster with 26 cases emerged at Sembcorp Marine Admiralty Yard, where the cases include 23 members of staff. There are currently 813 Covid-19 patients in the hospital, down from 837 the day before. There were also 90 people in need of oxygen supplementation, and 14 in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Of those who have fallen very ill, 82 are seniors above 60 years. The cases requiring oxygen in Singapore have seen more than a threefold increase in a week, from 25 cases on Sept 10. The total number of infections in Singapore now stands at 75,783. Orange Valley Nursing Home in Simei now has a total of 17 infections after three cases were added to the cluster. The Blue Stars Dormitory in Upper Jurong Road cluster is at 71 now after adding 17 new cases. Av...

Little India shops look forward to business boost from pilot scheme for migrant workers

aseanpr 10 9 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - For the past year and a half, shopkeepers in Little India have been hit hard by a drastic fall in income as migrant workers who would throng the area on weekends were confined to their dormitories as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Crowds of more than 200,000 workers on a typical pre-pandemic weekend dwindled to just a few thousand who live outside of the dorms, said Mr Ruthirapathy Parthasarathy, honorary secretary of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (Lisha). So the announcement of a long-awaited pilot scheme allowing up to 500 vaccinated migrant workers to visit Little India weekly is music to the ears of businesses. Mr Ruthirapathy, 52, told The Straits Times that Lisha has been working with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to turn the pilot programme into reality. Two weeks ago, it held an on-site meeting with MOM to discuss the possibility of having workers visit Little India. Last Saturday, it conducted a site visit with MOM officers, going to Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Masjid Angullia and various shops in the area. Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple will extend its visiting hours to accommodate workers in the pilot scheme, said Mr Ruthirapathy. M...

All 8 cases from Covid-19 cluster at madrasah in Braddell Road from the same Primary 4 class

aseanpr 8 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - All eight cases of Covid-19 at the Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah in Braddell Road involved pupils from the same Primary 4 class. The cluster was reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Sept 7). The first two cases were detected last Friday (Sept 3) and the pupils were last in school on Sept 1. They were well when they attended, said the school in a Facebook statement on Wednesday morning. Teachers and classmates of the affected pupils were placed under a quarantine order by MOH. Since then, another six pupils from the class have tested positive, bringing the cluster to a total of eight. All Primary 4 pupils in the school have been placed on leave of absence. All physical activities in the school have ceased, including supplementary classes for Primary 6 pupils, which are now online. Primary 1 to Primary 5 students will also have home-based learning (HBL) when the new term begins on Sept 13. Primary 6 pupils will be allowed to return to school after the holidays to prepare for their Primary School Leaving Examination. Classrooms will be thoroughly disinfected to facilitate the return of the students. The school has said it is prepared to conduct HBL for ...

Touching vegetables at market could have led to Covid-19 spread: Infectious disease experts

aseanpr 7 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - People who contracted Covid-19 at Bukit Merah View Market and Hawker Centre in June typically had three things in common. They were not vaccinated, did not wear their masks properly and tended to touch fruit and vegetables with their bare hands. These were the findings of a National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) study on the market cluster, which had a total of 94 cases and saw all 182 market stalls closed for two weeks. The cluster was Singapore's largest for some time, with smaller clusters subsequently emerging in neighbouring blocks. The Health Ministry subsequently conducted multiple rounds of testing which covered more than 200,000 residents. As part of the study, researchers interviewed people affected by the market's closure, including stallholders and customers, said Adjunct Associate Professor Matthias Toh, who is director of the National Public Health and Epidemiology Unit. They zoomed in on the market outbreak because of the large number of seniors who frequent the area, given that seniors have borne the brunt of the outbreak, added Professor Leo Yee Sin, NCID's executive director. Naturally, people who spent less time in the market were also less li...

askST: Will I be considered ‘unvaccinated’ if I do not take booster shots?

aseanpr 4 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - With the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots expected to start this month, The Straits Times tackles key questions about the programme, including whether someone will be considered "unvaccinated" if they do not get the booster shots. Q: Why is there a need for booster shots? A: Booster shots will increase vaccine effectiveness and help in maintaining a high level of protection against more severe infections, said Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong in a press conference on Friday (Sept 3). The strength of vaccine protection will come down as antibodies wane several months after the vaccination, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. Despite this, vaccines continue to be very effective in protecting against severe illnesses and deaths, should one be infected. Internationally and in Singapore, more breakthrough infections - where fully vaccinated individuals are infected with the Delta variant - have been observed, he said. Israel, among the countries in the world with the highest vaccination rates, began offering those aged 60 and above a third vaccine dose in late July. They are eligible five months after their second dose. Other countries such as the United Stat...

No evidence yet of Covid-19 clusters at bus interchanges spreading virus to commuters: Iswaran

aseanpr 3 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - There is currently no evidence that Covid-19 clusters in bus interchanges have resulted in spreading the virus to commuters, said Transport Minister S. Iswaran on Friday (Sept 3). "The experts have said that there is no evidence of any spread to commuters but we will continue to make sure we observe all the safeguards that have been put in place," said Mr Iswaran. "If there is a need to do more, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will work with public transport operators to do so." Mr Iswaran was speaking to the media on the sidelines of Land Transport Industry Day at the LTA office in Bedok. He said the priority now is to ensure that both transport workers and commuters are safe, and that the public transport system continues to function. As at Wednesday, 314 cases - including 284 bus drivers and service staff at bus interchanges - have been reported. The rest are their household contacts and members of the public. The bus depot clusters grew to 341 cases on Thursday. On how the drivers could have been infected, Mr Iswaran said medical experts are still studying the issue. "It's plausible that they may have contracted (the virus) from the community, but at the same tim...

Tighter measures at bus interchanges needed after Covid-19 clusters

aseanpr 2 9 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - The growing Covid-19 clusters at bus interchanges suggest that workplace practices across different interchanges could be causing the virus to spread, said an infectious disease expert. This warrants closer investigation, said Dr Leong Hoe Nam from the Rophi Clinic, as he called for measures at these places to be tightened. There were 314 Covid-19 cases at eight bus interchanges as at Wednesday (Sept 1). "It could be the rest areas, the way they hand over and talk. There might also be a need to look at toilets, where they take out their masks, wash their faces - the toilet may turn out to be the most contaminated place," he said. "The really essential workers, who cannot afford to fall sick, should wear proper surgical masks instead of cloth masks. I still see some people using last year's National Day Parade masks - those are not good." There are about 9,500 bus drivers here, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has said that 99 per cent of front-line public transport workers have completed their first dose of a vaccine. More than 95 per cent are fully inoculated, and in the light of recent developments, workers have been told to take their meals and smoke breaks alo...

TANAKA Memorial Foundation to Offer Precious Metals Research Grants of up to 5 Million Yen

ruth 1 9 月

5 minutes

TOKYO, Sep 1, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The TANAKA Memorial Foundation (Representative Director: Hideya Okamoto) announced that it will take applications for research themes for FY2021 Precious Metals Research Grants between September 1 (Wed) and November 30 (Tue). Applications will be accepted from Japanese educational institutions and public research institutes conducting research and development using precious metals. In this 23rd year of the research grant, recipients will receive 5 million yen for the Platinum Award, 2 million yen for the Gold Award, 1 million yen for the Silver Award, 1 million yen for the Young Researcher Award, and 300,000 yen for the Encouragement Award.Applications for the Precious Metals Research Grants are open to themes in all fields related to new technology and research and development in which precious metals can make a contribution. Applications can be submitted using the application form on the TANAKA Memorial Foundation website (https://tanaka-foundation.or.jp), and, after strict examination, award recipients will be announced at the end of March 2022.The TANAKA Memorial Foundation aims to contribute to the development and cultiva...

Singapore ‘strongly condemns’ Kabul bombings

aseanpr 27 8 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore on Friday (Aug 27) strongly condemned the bombings outside Afghanistan's Kabul airport that killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. "These acts of violence are deplorable and cannot be justified," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement. Singapore also conveyed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a full recovery. "Singapore continues to urge all parties, including the Taleban, to ensure the safety of civilians and facilitate the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals who wish to leave Afghanistan," added the MFA. Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), an affiliate of militants who previously battled United States forces in Syria and Iraq, struck the crowded gates of the airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday. At least two explosions tore through crowds that had thronged the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport desperate to leave since the Taleban seized power almost two weeks ago. The bombings killed at least 60 civilians and 13 US troops, and leaving hundreds injured. US President Joe Biden has vowed to go after the perpetrators, saying he had asked the Pentagon to develop ...

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