REACH - 42. Your views on the  additional measures to protect the safety and well-being of Singaporeans and foreign workers with more infection from FW dormitories (SK)
6 Apr 2020 (10 am - 10pm)

REACH
[12:33 am, 06/04/2020] : [Sent by Gov.sg]
COVID-19: 5 Apr Update
New imported cases: 4
New local cases: 116 [50 linked to existing clusters, contact tracing ongoing for remaining 66]
Total cases in Singapore: 1,309
Discharged today: 23
Total discharged: 320
Total remaining in Hospital: 569
Most in hospital stable or improving. 25 in ICU.
Go.gov.sg/moh5apr
Do your part for contact tracing
- Download TraceTogether App to help contact tracers determine if you have been exposed to virus
- Keep your taxi receipts for 1 month to help contact tracing team, if you or your driver is infected
Go.gov.sg/traceapp
The health of all depends on each one of us.

[11:57 am, 06/04/2020] REACH: Dear REACH contributors,
Welcome back to our discussion ☺
 ⏰ Our chat will be open till 11pm today.
Thank you for your constructive suggestions and views. REACH constantly notes the feedback provided on our WhatsApp chats, and shares these with relevant authorities for consideration.
📢 Topic: 📢
Following the new clusters of confirmed cases in our foreign worker (FW) dormitories, additional measures have been implemented to minimise the spread of COVID-19 within FW dormitories.
What are your views on the  additional measures to protect the safety and well-being of Singaporeans and foreign workers — many whom are here working in essential services, as cleaners, in construction, as domestic helpers — who are here to help our economy?
👉 https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/additional-measures-to-minimise-further-spread-of-covid-19-within-foreign-worker-dormitories

Kevinn Wang
[10:02 am, 06/04/2020] : 1) ENFORCE MASK ON!!!! -> this is the same thing i spread to my team working today compulsory

Peter T Ng
[10:02 am, 06/04/2020] : Think there's a great deal of fear of the dorms becoming mega source of new cases. Perhaps greater insight of what has been done can allay these fears.

Kevinn Wang
[10:03 am, 06/04/2020] : 2) Everyone to be ambassador for mask on -> i saw on the street many still happily breathing fresh air .. and in my office no one bother to wear mask .. Minister L.Wong already suggest quote and unquote " please treat everyone is infected"

Jun
[10:04 am, 06/04/2020] : Following the Circuit Breaker, should just mandate that all who goes out need to wear mask. Many will probably use the "park and tabao" loophole to malinger around


Kevinn Wang
[10:04 am, 06/04/2020] : so i encourage staff to mask on esppically with the DORM!!! and hearing what happen to the dorm some are putting action of mask on

Carol
[10:04 am, 06/04/2020] : Why topic only foreigners??  Should be whole nation?

Kevinn Wang
[10:04 am, 06/04/2020] : YES NO MASK CANNOT GO OUT! that is the best

Carol
[10:05 am, 06/04/2020] : No excuse no mask given G giving all masks already

Alvin
[10:07 am, 06/04/2020] : What are your views on the  additional measures to protect the safety and well-being of Singaporeans and foreign workers — many whom are here working in essential services, as cleaners, in construction, as domestic helpers — who are here to help our economy?
Good measures. Not sure how effective this partial shutdown will be though and will only see results in 2 weeks time.
Question: Is the spike in the dormitory cases somehow linked to the rush to Sg as Malaysia enforced their for MCO? The timing of 2 weeks seem to have some correlation.
Question: Straits Times report "MOH said it does not currently have a breakdown of how many of these new cases are linked to clusters or unlinked. This brings Singapore's total to 1,309 cases." Does this mean we have given up on contact tracing?

Janice
[10:07 am, 06/04/2020] : The previous campaign to shame those wearing mask was highly effective. Takes time to turn around.
[10:10 am, 06/04/2020] : I hope we don't give up on contact tracing because that stems the rise of infections significantly.
Without contact tracing and subsequent tests and quarantine, the situation will be far worse
Create more jobs for unemployed PMETs to support contact tracing efforts to ease the load.

Adam
[10:13 am, 06/04/2020] : I notice a good  sign that more and more ppl are putting  on mask than before they  know  how serious the situation now .

Kevinn Wang
[10:14 am, 06/04/2020] : Govt show broadcast those clips on how ppl suffer when they got the corona virus to wake up those selffish self entitle mindset
[10:14 am, 06/04/2020] : if govt can put so call gross pic on ciggi box
[10:14 am, 06/04/2020] : why not do it on national tv given this is a crisis for covid!
[10:15 am, 06/04/2020] : critical period calls for critical action if the public still dun listen and practise, they are leading us into a full lock / extension .. which no one should or wish for it

Jonathan Lim
[10:20 am, 06/04/2020] : But now I think contact tracing also not useful already as now already have community spread that's why there are a lot of cases

Min
[10:20 am, 06/04/2020] : Dorms in a shut down mode feel like ship situations.

REACH
[10:54 am, 06/04/2020] :
CCS speech

Spike in Cases 200405

Dear friends
We are in a very serious situation now.
Many may not fully grasp the gravity of the situation. We need everyone’s help to spread the message.
We need to take the “Stay at Home” message seriously.
We must advise everyone to immediately cease going out except for critical work and obtaining food/essentials for our families.
The virus do not operate according to our timeline to only stop non-essential work from Tues.
Now is also not the “time for a final drink or a final purchase before Tues”.
Too many clusters are breaking out from social interactions. This will further strain our medical resources and contact tracing teams.
The dorm situation is a stark reminder how cases can spike rapidly even as we try our best. We are trying to space them out better to take care of them and minimise transmission.
We need to break the transmission chains decisively by having everyone minimise social contact to the minimum necessary.
Now is also not the time to seek waiver for our businesses to continue operations because of the inconveniences we face.  The truly essential ones we can understand and will facilitate.
We can understand everyone’s economic difficulties but let’s prioritise our efforts to break the transmission chain first. If we are successful, we will pick up the pieces together after the crisis. We promise and we will help each other through this tough situation.
Please remind everyone to stay at home and not stray around.
Thank you.

Carol
[11:01 am, 06/04/2020] : https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3078511/coronavirus-can-remain-face-masks-week-study-finds

Ron Ho
[1:15 pm, 06/04/2020] : Dear REACH, you asked what can we do to protect our foreign workers. I suspect this comes about due to the high infection rate seen at the FW Dormitories. Frankly, the infection and contagion at highly dense living spaces is expected but can be contained. If we dont, and infection spreads, the Dormitories will be ringfenced and quarantined for 14 days and all work will stop on the island. Here are my suggestions >>>> (1) all people outside must be masked regardless. This is a decision which our govt is still softpedalling and is the weak link in our prevention chain. Bite the bullet. Get the people masked.  (2) the dormitories must be re-evalualted, one by one, for density safety. Spread the people out out of their condensed living   (3) get all dormitories to be cleaned, purged and sanitated regardless of infection or not  (4) test all Dorm residents and isloate the sick ones. Do a clean sweep   (5) Mask all Dorm residents even while contained in the Dorm area. No choice.  (6) Audit and check all Dorms and ensure continual flow of fresh air throughout the premises and rooms  (7) for next 60 days, all FTs in Dorms are not allowed to go out of the Dorms when not working - insulate them from the public as community spread outside the Dorms are still prevalent   (8) When finally released to work, all FTs must be masked. This will help with their health as they are exposed to dust and we need to protect their lungs from silicosis.

Min
[1:16 pm, 06/04/2020] : agree, need to treat this like a cruise ship

[1:26 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
NOVEL CORONAVIRUS CASES IN SINGAPORE
New cases announced on Apr 5 120
Confirmed cases so far 1,309
Recovered 320
Still in hospital 569
In isolation 414
Deaths 6

[1:32 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

KS Foong
[2:01 pm, 06/04/2020] : I saw some videos on the current situation of FW domitories, i think it is really a challenge to get these group of people to stay in their room. During meal time, all come out without any care of social distancing ! I really hv  concern here !

Ron Ho
[2:17 pm, 06/04/2020] : https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3326389574043838&id=100000184854385 a good read
[2:18 pm, 06/04/2020] : Above read is on Taiwan and their actions. Read on about masks.


[5:20 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: ----
This message will not be posted to REACH.

But this is for us to take stock and do Reflection - what else we can help in providing ideas to improve the covid-19 situation - when now unlink cases seems to spike - a whopping 66 cases on 5 Apr 2020 - our worst fear have unfold.

The following is what we have proposed and have been adopted by the Government :-

1. Suggest using washable reusable mask. (Joint effort)
- Gov adopted by issuing 1 washable reusable mask per person - and encourage its used.
- But not mandating it as compulsory to wear in public.
- Observation :- only about 20% to 30% put it on in public and in transport.

2. Suggest using crowd mapping of mobile signals and GPS for contact tracing. (Joint effort)
- Gov adopted with spaceout - to monitor crowd traffic in malls.
- Gov adopted through NPark - to monitor crowd in park.
(through Singapore satellites - possibly NUS, NTU, ST Engineering
- But no mention for used in contact tracing.

3. Point out the urgency to look at unlink cases - that have been increasing since early March - that may fail to flatten the infection curve. (Joint effort)
- Gov announce "circuit breaker measure" to be implement on 7 Apr 2020 - where non-essential work - to work at home, school to do home-based-learning, and travel only to buy food and essential.

4. Suggest not using alcohol-based sanitizer as it is inflammable and can trigger explosion and fire if used to disinfect house, can inflame lungs if infected with covid-19 when consume, can cause skin-rashes if used too often.
- Temasek Foundation issue non-alcohol based sanitizer to each household.

Other measures that we can proposed --- with the backdrop of more unlink cases discovered --- that signify community spreading/

(1) Mandate compulsory to wear mask in public ?

(2) More targeted testing ? not sure how ...

(3) More updates on vaccines development locally and overseas ...?

(4) More updates on treatment development locally and overseas ... ?

what else .......... ????

---

Rama
[3:17 pm, 06/04/2020] : Singaporean are most fortunate to have a far sighted government.
[3:17 pm, 06/04/2020] : Our reserves are an important part of our survival to be used sparingly.

Elena Woo
[3:19 pm, 06/04/2020] : Yes, if no reserves, it will just be empty talk and cannot support or barely support just like some other countries.
[3:19 pm, 06/04/2020] : And when such crisis happens the amount of money required is huge, usually can just wipe out years of reserves in 1 go.
[3:20 pm, 06/04/2020] : That is why a saying goes, you have to scrimp over long period to save, but you only need 1 second to spend what has been saved

Rama
[3:20 pm, 06/04/2020] : So, treasure our leaders and give them the due respect to lead us for the next new term.

Ben
[3:42 pm, 06/04/2020] : South Korea for the first time since 29 February reported fewer than 50 new coronavirus cases. For the last month, South Korea has been reporting around 100 new coronavirus cases per day.
Germany reported its fourth straight drop in daily cases. Germany’s confirmed coronavirus infections rose by 3,677 in the past 24 hours to 95,391 on Monday, the fourth straight drop in the daily rate of new cases, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases.

[3:42 pm, 06/04/2020] : Daily death tolls slowed on Sunday in Italy, Spain and France. Italy registered 525 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, the lowest daily rate since March 19. Spain recorded 674 deaths in the past 24 hours – the lowest daily death toll reported since March 26. In France, 357 people died from Covid-19 in hospitals, compared with 441 in the previous 24 hours.

REACH
[5:20 pm, 06/04/2020] : Parliament: Circuit breaker measures might be extended if coronavirus situation not under control, says Chan Chun Sing
https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/parliament-circuit-breaker-measures-might-be-extended-if-situation-not-under-control-says?xtor=CS3-18&utm_source=STiPhone&utm_medium=share&utm_term=2020-04-06%2017%3A04%3A57

[7:17 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: ---
Joint contribution with my close friend :-

What Other measures that we can proposed --- with the backdrop of more unlink cases discovered --- that signify community spreading :-

(1) We are toying with 2 measures :-
a. Break the transmission chains
- strong messaging at various platforms including social media.
- Deploy the old fashion elections campaign technique of driving a loudspeaker all around Singapore to ask people to Stay at Home!!!.
- Uniform groups to patrol around to check on people and chase them home.
(Backdrop - A bit of frustration as we see the local transmission keep going up - new clusters forming and more and more unlink cases.
People are not taking it seriously. What else? Iron fist method to keep people at home. Enough of 苦口婆心).

b. Slow the transmission.

(2) Give those infected time to recover and discharged.

(3) Prepare for what life would be post pandemic.

(4) Mandate compulsory to wear mask in public - for those who need to buy groceries or essential since washable reusable masks have been issued by the Government.

(5) More targeted and comprehensive testing - to include those that have been contact traced.

(6) More updates on vaccines development locally and overseas.

(7) More updates on treatment development locally and overseas.

(8) Though we are happy that the Government is supporting individual and business with the 3rd Solidarity Budget --- that in total amount to $60 billion.
But it is a very big sum --- considering the fact that our Temasek Holdings seek fund is $100 billion.
Now $60 billion is gone ---- though at the back of our mind ---- this is a very severe crisis (where China is worried that this even could trigger a 2nd Deep Depression - that the World could experience).

-------

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS CASES IN SINGAPORE
New cases announced on Apr 5 120
Confirmed cases so far 1,309
Recovered 320
Still in hospital 569
In isolation 414
Deaths 6

-------

[9:13 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
See the spaceout satellite and mobile signal showing a maximum crowd in Westgate and Jem.
Wonder why no social distancing to regulate the crowd there?
Also whether all these crowd wear mask?

[9:17 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
Clarke quay another one with max crowd.

Wonder will government take preemptive actions to chase the crowd to go home?

Eugene
[9:18 pm, 06/04/2020] : everyone gg out before the closure of non-essential services kick in tml

David Murugan
[9:18 pm, 06/04/2020] : Where to get this app? Playstore?

[9:19 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: https://www.spaceout.gov.sg/


Kelvin Law
[9:21 pm, 06/04/2020] : 100% occupancy at Clarkey Quay?  Seriously?

[9:21 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
This i believe is Singapore launch satellites by NUS, NTU, ST Engineering etc.
They can do GPS and use mobile signals to do crowd mapping.

Now this is put to good used.

[9:26 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
Every one with mobile signal can be logged now - and contact tracers can napped all these crowd that appear in these crowded places.

[9:32 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
All their aggregate mobile signals determined the crowd density.
If the mobile signal exceeded the space capacity - it shows max out.

REACH
[9:47 pm, 06/04/2020] : https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/three-rounds-stimulus-packages-will-be-vain-if-sporeans-dont-comply-circuit-breaker

Alvin
[9:33 pm, 06/04/2020] : yes this
[9:33 pm, 06/04/2020] : wifi have max connections
[9:33 pm, 06/04/2020] : not sure how many are in the dorms

[9:33 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: This is not WiFi.

Alvin
[9:33 pm, 06/04/2020] : but unless you're telling me you have enterprise level wireless AP then possible to support all the numbers

[9:34 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: The mobile signal is 4g.

[9:35 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心: You are referring to the dorm or the satellite and mobile base station?

[9:40 pm, 06/04/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
I talk about the satellite and mobile base station.
I think you are talking about the dorm WiFi.
Wrong topic.

Ron Ho
[9:47 pm, 06/04/2020] : [06/04, 9:37 pm] Ron Ho: REACH: why can't our Infocom Ministry set up Wireless@SG at these FW Dorms? Surely we can afford to make their lives a bit more pleasant.
[06/04, 9:37 pm] : wireless @ sg is sucky
[06/04, 9:38 pm] : Haha wireless@sg.. I think they would use their own 4G .
[06/04, 9:41 pm] Ron Ho: Reach Contributors, if you feel Wireless@SG is pathetic, don't forget we pay income tax and some of that money go to the maintenance of that system. You should demand through REACH that Ministry of Communications fix the problem. We cannot ignore inefficiency. Hammer the Ministry till they fix it.
[06/04, 9:44 pm] Ron Ho: If it is not fixed, then the Chief has to go. LKY said that.
[06/04, 9:44 pm] : Precisely I understand G aren’t paying good money to maintain the wireless@SG service .  Reach , please request for more budgets from MCI to fund this.

Otherwise , please block all the media content on wireless@sg so that only good browsing data are carried over the service .
[06/04, 9:45 pm] : I wonder is it because of the service or are there a lot of interference from other APs in the area?  INow ever shop seems to have their own WIFI.
[06/04, 9:46 pm] : Uhh...a bit high-handed to block all media content leh.  What is good browsing data?