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Parliament: Singapore not expected to move out of phase three any time soon

aseanpr 25 2 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore is not expected to move out of phase three of its reopening any time soon, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary on Thursday (Feb 25). Phase three is a "new normal" which will last until there is evidence on vaccine effectiveness in preventing future outbreaks, he added. In addition, a substantial proportion of the population must be vaccinated and the rest of the world must have the coronavirus under control. He noted that the coronavirus situation here and around the world remains dynamic. The authorities are awaiting more evidence that the vaccines approved for use here - which have been shown to protect against the virus - will also prevent viral transmission. "We are also closely monitoring their effectiveness against new viral variants," Dr Janil said. "Meanwhile, our best strategy is to continue to be disciplined about safe management measures, and achieve a high level of vaccination within our population to boost our collective immunity." He was responding to Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), who had asked about Singapore's plans to ease out of phase three, as well as the criteria that must be fulfilled for restrictions to be lifted....

Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq end at records after solid week

elean 13 2 月

2 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - Major Wall Street stock indices ended at records on Friday (Feb 12), concluding a solid week on expectations for more US stimulus and an economic rebound fueled by coronavirus vaccines. All three major indices finished at all-time highs, with the S&P 500 gaining 0.5 percent to finish at 3,934.83, up 1.2 per cent for the overall week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1 per cent to 31,458.40, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index also won 0.5 per cent to 14,095.47. Markets meandered through much of the week, but generally drifted higher following mostly good corporate earnings. Much of the economic data has been weaker, but investors view that dynamic as lending further momentum to President Joe Biden's stimulus proposal. "We can see that Biden wants to move forward with his package quickly," said Gregori Volokhine, president of Meeschaert Financial Services. "We can also see more progress on coronavirus vaccines." Among individual equities, Disney dropped 1.8 per cent after reporting strong growth in new subscribers for its streaming service, while its parks and recreation division continued to suffer during Covid-19. Disney reported quarterly profit...

Seniors across Singapore to start getting vaccinated against Covid-19 from Feb 22: PM Lee

aseanpr 12 2 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore's Covid-19 vaccination programme will enter its next phase on Feb 22, when seniors across the island start getting their jabs, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday (Feb 12). This comes after a month-long pilot, where those aged 70 and above in Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar - towns with a higher proportion of elderly residents - began receiving their vaccinations from Jan 27. The multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 will give more details and announce the schedule of these vaccinations, said Mr Lee, who reiterated Singapore's goal to get the country vaccinated by the third quarter or latest by the end of the year - provided no issues crop up. Mr Lee was speaking to reporters at Changi General Hospital after visiting essential workers on the first day of the Chinese New Year. Singapore has placed orders for the vaccines from multiple suppliers to ensure there is enough for everyone here, although there may be some disruptions and delays, noted Mr Lee, who said close to 260,000 people have been vaccinated to date. "I am reasonably confident that we will get the vaccines that we need this year," he said. The Ministry of Health (MOH) said last month that S...

President Halimah urges Singaporeans to get vaccinated in Chinese New Year message

aseanpr 10 2 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The response to Singapore's Covid-19 vaccination effort has been encouraging but could be better, President Halimah Yacob said as she urged all Singaporeans to get vaccinated against the virus. In a Chinese New Year message on Wednesday (Feb 10), she said Singapore is entering the Year of the Ox with a greater sense of hope and optimism because a Covid-19 vaccine is now available. "However, having the vaccine is only one part of the equation. What is of equal importance is to make sure that everyone is vaccinated," she said. "The response has been encouraging but we can do even better. So please get vaccinated to protect yourselves and your loved ones." Even with a vaccine, it will still be important to continue practising safe distancing, as it will take some time to develop immunity, the President noted. "The faster we resolve this health crisis, the quicker we will recover economically. Everyone has a part to play." Madam Halimah said she understood how difficult it will be to celebrate Chinese New Year with the various restrictions in place this year due to the coronavirus, but added that she hoped Singaporeans will still be able to spend time meaningfully with thei...

Wet markets around S’pore still crowded days before CNY

aseanpr 9 2 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Wet markets around Singapore are still seeing huge crowds three days before the start of Chinese New Year. The Straits Times was at the wet markets in Kovan, Chong Pang and Potong Pasir on Tuesday morning (Feb 9) and some customers said they had to queue for more than two hours. Safe distancing measures did not appear to be observed in some queues. When ST visited the Kovan Market and Food Centre at Block 209 Hougang Street 21 at 10am, a queue of about 250 people had formed from the market all the way to Kovan MRT station, about a three-minute's walk away. Customers said they had been queueing for between one and two hours. A customer, who wanted to be known only as Madam S. Koh, 60, had been queueing for about 1½ hours and said this was the first time she had seen such a long queue in more than 50 years. She said: "I'm not surprised, it's quite expected. CNY is coming. I think people are doing last-minute shopping." Ms Sera Ho, 62, who works in a legal firm, said the queue was not so long when she visited the market last Saturday. Ms Ho, who usually spends about an hour to do her shopping but took three hours today, said: "The queue is very long because of safe distanc...

No need to check in at different shops in same mall when TraceTogether-only entry begins

aseanpr 2 2 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The inconvenience of checking in and out with SafeEntry at different stores within a shopping centre will be a thing of the past once compulsory TraceTogether-only SafeEntry kicks in. A single check-in with the TraceTogether app or token to public venues such as malls will suffice in the future, according to a written parliamentary reply on Monday evening (Feb 1). Currently, people who visit public places that have many visitors or have a high transmission risk of Covid-19 - malls, dine-in eateries and workplaces, for example - must check-in using SafeEntry or TraceTogether for contact tracing purposes in the event of a detected coronavirus case. After checking in, they have to do so again when entering other places within the venue, such as large shops in a mall. Check-ins using TraceTogether is not mandatory for now. But Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a written parliamentary reply to Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied) that with the better TraceTogether coverage after the implementation of TraceTogether-only SafeEntry at public places, "we will also remove some existing SafeEntry check-ins to minimise public inconvenience". "For example, after checking in to a mall via T...

Migrant workers in higher-risk dorms to get Covid-19 vaccines first: Tan See Leng

aseanpr 1 2 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Migrant workers in dormitories will be vaccinated by the end of this year, the same timeline as for the rest of Singapore, Second Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng said in Parliament on Monday (Feb 1). The workers - among the priority groups for vaccination - will be vaccinated based on the risk level of the dorms they reside in, with those at higher risk to go first, said Dr Tan. The minister was responding to a question from Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC), who asked for the timeline of the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out for migrant workers and the measures taken to encourage their uptake. In his reply, Dr Tan said the communal living and working conditions of migrant workers in dorms put them at higher risk of infection and the formation of large clusters. Vaccination will be made available to them as part of the national vaccination strategy to protect all Singaporeans and long-term pass holders living in Singapore, he added. Vaccination of migrant workers helps to reduce the viral load, which in turn lowers the overall risk and helps protect the wider community from an outbreak, he pointed out. "This will also reduce the potential load on our healthcare workers and facil...

Four who had severe allergic reactions from Covid-19 vaccine have recovered, none needed ICU support

aseanpr 1 2 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - The four people who experienced a rapid onset of severe allergic reactions after receiving their Covid-19 vaccinations have all recovered, with none needing intensive care unit (ICU) support. Responding in Parliament on Monday (Feb 1) to questions from several MPs about the supply and side effects of the vaccine, Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary added that the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risks. Singapore's Covid-19 vaccination drive began on Dec 30. So far, front-liners such as medical personnel and aviation and maritime sector workers, and the elderly, have started receiving their Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine jabs. Dr Janil told the House that among those who have been vaccinated so far, there were four reported cases of anaphylaxis, which is the rapid onset of severe allergic reactions. They were all in their 20s and 30s, and developed multiple symptoms such as rash, breathlessness, lip swelling, throat tightness and giddiness, he said. "Three of the individuals had a history of allergies, including allergic rhinitis and food allergy such as to shellfish, but none had a history of anaphylaxis which would have precluded them from receivi...

Singapore to suspend green lane arrangements with Germany, Malaysia and South Korea for 3 months from Feb 1

aseanpr 30 1 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore's reciprocal green lane arrangements with Germany, Malaysia, and South Korea will be suspended for three months from Monday (Feb 1). This is in view of the resurgence of Covid-19 cases worldwide, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Saturday. Singapore will review the reciprocal green lane arrangements at the end of the suspension period. Green lanes allow essential travel for business or official purposes between two countries. Travellers who have already been approved to enter Singapore under these arrangements can continue to do so, MFA said. Singapore had agreed on a green lane with Germany in October last year. Green lanes with Malaysia and South Korea were operational from August and September last year respectively. More on this topic Related Story Malaysia records new high as daily cases exceed 5,000 Related Story Outbreaks in South Korea’s Christian schools drive surge in Covid-19 cases Related Stories: Related Story Hong Kong’s Covid-19 pandemic management disappointing: Carrie Lam Related Story Outbreaks in South Korea’s Christian schools drive surge in Covid-19 cases Related Story Panic buying, circuit breaker and reopening: A timeline of ...

3,000 hotel staff in S’pore receive Covid-19 vaccination

aseanpr 28 1 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - About 3,000 workers in the hospitality industry have received the Covid-19 vaccine as at Monday (Jan 25), after an inoculation programme for the industry was rolled out on Jan 15. About two-thirds are staff in stay-home notice (SHN) dedicated facilities, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan on Thursday. He was speaking on the sidelines of a visit to the vaccination centre at Raffles City Convention Centre, where he witnessed hospitality staff receiving their first shot. The industry was picked as an early recipient of the vaccine, as its workers have been on the front line since March last year, with 70 hotels serving as SHN dedicated facilities, said Mr Tan. He emphasised that vaccination is just one of the country's pillars in the fight against Covid-19, alongside testing, contact tracing and safe management measures. Mr Tan said the inoculation programme will give workers in the industry confidence, especially with the risk of exposure to the virus when attending to those travelling from overseas. Singapore Hotel Association president Kwee Wei-Lin hopes the vaccination programme will also help return the industry to some normalcy. "We hope it bring...

S’pore starts Covid-19 jabs for seniors, with AMK, Tanjong Pagar residents receiving shots

aseanpr 27 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Seniors in Ang Mo Kio began receiving Covid-19 jabs at the Ang Mo Kio polyclinic on Wednesday (Jan 27), under a pilot scheme that will eventually be expanded to seniors in other precincts. With appointment letters in hand, they began streaming into the polyclinic from as early as before 9am. This includes retiree Ang Beng Giap, 73, who received the Covid-19 vaccine at around 9.30am. "I wanted to get the jab so that my family members won't have to worry about me getting the virus," he said. The process of booking an appointment was a smooth one, he said. "I received a letter on Monday and went down to the community centre the next day to book a slot. It wasn't much trouble at all," said Mr Ang, who used to run his own business. Seniors in Ang Mo Kio as well as Tanjong Pagar have been invited to get vaccinated under the scheme, and between 5,000 and 10,000 in each of the two towns will receive letters inviting them to book appointments to do so, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said last week. This number may increase or be reduced, depending on the response. The two pilots will help the Ministry of Health (MOH) iron out operational processes before it proceeds to scale up th...

Singapore rolls out Covid-19 vaccine for seniors: How to get your jab

aseanpr 27 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Two community vaccination centres began operations on Wednesday (Jan 27), in the latest phase of Singapore's Covid-19 vaccination drive. The two venues, at Teck Ghee Community Club in Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar Community Club, will cater to elderly residents aged 70 and above, and can give jabs to 2,000 residents daily. This is how the process works: Step 1: Booking your appointment Elderly residents who require help in booking their appointments can head to the community clubs where volunteers will help them with the process. You must bring along your NRIC. Step 2: Vaccination day Volunteers waiting to receive the Covid-19 vaccine during a trial run at the vaccination centre at Tanjong Pagar Community Club on Jan 26, 2021. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Head to the venue with your vaccination card and NRIC. After answering a few questions about your medical history, you will be directed to a waiting area. Step 3: At the vaccination booth A medical professional will administer the vaccine. Roll up your sleeve, and after an alcohol swab is rubbed on your arm, you will be given the injection. Step 4: 30-minute observation period You will then proceed to wait in an observation area...

US stocks end mostly lower on grim Covid-19 news

elean 23 1 月

2 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - Wall Street stocks finished mostly lower on Friday (Jan 22) as investors grappled with worries over new coronavirus strains while confidence in continued fiscal and monetary stimulus supported equities. The Nasdaq edged to a fresh record, but both the Dow and S&P 500 retreated as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned a newer Covid-19 strain may be more deadly, and US President Joe Biden said fatalities in the hard-hit country are expected to exceed 600,000. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.6 per cent lower at 30,996.98, while the broad-based S&P 500 shed 0.3 per cent to 3,841.47. But the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.1 per cent to 13,543.06, finishing at a record for a third straight session. "The market is underpinned by a great deal of momentum," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare, noting that the Federal Reserve and the newly-installed Biden administration are intent on taking sufficient measures to boost the economy. "A lot of people are still fearful about being out of the market," O'Hare said. New data showed existing home sales in December rose more than expected, capping a strong 2020 as Americans took advantage of low borr...

SIA launches one-stop online portal for pre-departure Covid-19 testing

aseanpr 20 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Passengers of Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir flying out of Singapore, Jakarta and Medan will now be able to book pre-departure Covid-19 tests and receive their results via a one-stop online portal. The pilot programme launching on Wednesday (Jan 20) is the SIA Group's latest effort to restore confidence in international travel, which has been decimated by the pandemic. If proven successful, the portal will be expanded to more cities in SIA and SilkAir's network over the next few months, the airline said in a statement. With the new portal, passengers can choose from a list of recognised testing facilities and book appointments for pre-departure Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology tests up to 48 hours before their required testing window. Their test results will be delivered to them within 36 hours via the same portal and passengers can then present these results when checking in at the airport. Airport check-in staff and Singapore immigration authorities can use an accompanying quick response (QR) code to authenticate the results, SIA said. This is part of a digital health verification process that SIA has been trialling since December last year,...

New local cluster formed; 8-year-old boy is latest case in para-vet group

aseanpr 20 1 月

3 minutes

The wife and the housemate of a 33-year-old Chinese national who tested positive for Covid-19 last Saturday have also tested positive for the infection, forming a new local cluster, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement last night. The two Chinese nationals are work permit holders who were identified as close contacts and put on quarantine last Friday. Both tested positive on Sunday. The woman is 48 years old and is employed as a food processing worker at Soon Lee Heng Satay Foodstuff Manufacturer located in Woodlands Loop, while the housemate - a 31-year-old man - is a co-worker of the previous case at Golden Bridge Foods Manufacturing in Senoko. The announcement of this new cluster follows the warning on Monday by multi-ministry task force co-chair Lawrence Wong that additional measures may be necessary as community cases inch up in Singapore. Mr Wong is also the Education Minister. This is the second local cluster that has been discovered in recent weeks. MOH also reported that another case has been linked to the para-vet cluster, bringing the number of cases to seven. The latest case linked is an eight-year-old boy who is the son of an administrative officer ...

S’pore plans for more than 30 new Covid-19 jab centres as it ramps up vaccine drive

aseanpr 19 1 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore is preparing to take its vaccination programme into high gear as the pandemic continues to rage around the world, with plans for new centres and roving teams that could potentially deliver over 70,000 shots daily across the island. The Ministry of Health (MOH) wants to appoint a vendor to set up 36 Covid-19 vaccination centres from February, according to tender documents seen by The Straits Times. These centres should be able to cater to at least 2,000 people a day. The vendor will also set up 10 mobile teams to provide mass vaccinations for sites such as nursing homes. The centres and the teams will be set up progressively and the number required is subject to change. Vaccination sites could include vacant schools, community clubs and sports halls. The assigned vaccination centres will operate for up to 12 months. With the nation aiming to complete all vaccinations this year (2021), appointed vendors will also have to make sure that vaccines are stored and handled properly, and that supply is sufficient. This includes ensuring strict compliance with the cold chain management of the Covid-19 vaccines, which must be transported in a temperature-controlled envir...

37,000 front-line workers in aviation, maritime sectors expected to get Covid-19 vaccine within 2 months

aseanpr 18 1 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - A mass exercise to vaccinate 37,000 front-line workers in the aviation and maritime sectors began on Monday (Jan 18) and is set to be completed within two months. About 13,000 workers have registered to get their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine this week, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung told reporters during a visit to the vaccination centre at Changi Airport Terminal 4. The vaccinations are a very important step towards reviving Singapore's air hub, which has been decimated by the pandemic, he said. If a substantial number of workers in the aviation and maritime sectors is vaccinated, "whoever comes through will know that it is safe, (that) our people are cohesive and we work as a team". "This is a huge advantage in terms of our brand name," he stressed. Singapore Airlines can be the first vaccinated international airline of the world, Mr Ong said. Inoculating front-line workers will also protect Singapore, he added, noting that while the situation here is largely under control, the virus is "raging like wildfire" abroad. "All our 37,000 front-liners, they're defenders of our borders because the borders are a key vulnerability," he said. The authorities have set asid...

Tackling Covid-19 through Total Defence a key focus in N.E.mation! competition this year

aseanpr 17 1 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Covid-19 pandemic was a key issue tackled by teams in this year's N.E.mation! competition. The annual contest sees students and youth produce short animation clips to express their views on total defence. Of the 1,064 submissions for the student and youth categories this year, 70 per cent highlighted how Singaporeans could apply the concept of total defence during the pandemic. Themed "Together We Keep Singapore Strong", the 15th edition of the annual competition moved online this year due to Covid-19. Teams in the youth category produced animation clips with online mentoring from industry partners. The mentors include Lucasfilm, the production firm behind the Star Wars franchise, and Singapore Press Holdings' content marketing agency Sweet. Participants in this category are aged 17 to 25, from post-secondary educational institutions. This year, those in the student category - for participants aged 13 to 16 - competed in storyboarding instead of animation production. Only the top three teams turned their concepts into animation clips, while the other seven teams within the top 10 had their storyboards turned into illustrations. The N.E.mation! open house was held at...

Pasir Ris resort fined, barred from accepting bookings for a month after 19 people gathered in its units

aseanpr 17 1 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Cherryloft Resorts & Hotels in Pasir Ris has been fined $1,000 and ordered to suspend bookings for a month after it breached multiple safe management measures and allowed 19 people to gather on its premises. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Sunday (Jan 17) said the resort will not be allowed to accept new bookings for 30 days between Sunday and Feb 15. It may continue to fulfil existing bookings made before Sunday. A joint operation by STB and the police last Friday found that 19 people had gathered in two adjoining units at the resort, which was formerly known as Costa Sands. All 19 were fined $300 each for breaching the maximum group size of eight people allowed under Singapore's Phase 3 restrictions. Hotels here are currently not allowed to have gatherings of more than eight people in a room or adjoining rooms, except where the gathering consists of people from the same household. Cherryloft had also failed to conduct entry screening and ensure its guests performed SafeEntry check-ins for contact tracing, STB added. On its Facebook page, the resort says it has 180 villas. The law requires visitors entering hotels or hostels to be screened, including having th...

Big Biden stimulus no balm for US stocks, Dow loses 0.6%

elean 16 1 月

3 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - President-elect Joe Biden's massive plan to help the US economy did not shake Wall Street's downbeat sentiment on Friday (Jan 15), with major indices losing ground in the last full trading week of Donald Trump's presidency. Markets opened to news that retail sales in December had slid farther than expected as consumers and businesses struggled under the weight of rising Covid-19 cases, while major banks unveiled mixed earnings reports while hoping Covid-19 vaccines will bring better days. The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial average closed down 0.6 per cent at 30,814.26, while the broad-based S&P 500 lost 0.7 per cent to finish at 3,768.25. The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index closed at 12,998.50 after losing 0.9 per cent, underscoring Wall Street's retreat from records set last week. Overall, the Dow lost 0.9 per cent for the week, and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 lost 1.5 per cent. Trump will on Wednesday hand over power to Biden, who has proposed spending US$1.9 trillion (S$2.5 trillion) to help the US economy come back from the mass layoffs and sharp downturn in growth caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The package, unveiled after markets closed Thursday, includes everyt...

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