19 Apr 2020 (12 pm - 10pm)
REACH
[9:01 am, 19/04/2020] : https://www.facebook.com/192130117495006/posts/3671672189540764/?d=n
[9:04 am, 19/04/2020] : McDonald's Singapore suspends all restaurant operations including delivery and takeaway until May 4
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/mcdonalds-singapore-suspends-all-restaurant-operations-including-delivery-and-takeaway?xtor=CS3-18&utm_source=STiPhone&utm_medium=share&utm_term=2020-04-19%209%3A04%3A17
[11:04 am, 19/04/2020] : https://www.facebook.com/1279122248765381/posts/4039881852689393/?d=
[11:38 am, 19/04/2020] : [Sent by Gov.sg - 19 Apr]
COVID-19: Tackling outbreak in foreign worker dormitories
🏥Active testing is conducted
- Hence the high number of cases daily
- Numbers will remain high for a while as testing continues
- Most cases are mild
✅Well-being of workers taken care of
- The Inter-agency Taskforce set up to coordinate govt effort
- MOM coordinating NGOs' efforts to support workers
🏠Healthy essential workers housed separately
- eg. SAF camps, sports halls
🏢Additional facilities being prepared
- For mild cases: Community care facilities (eg. at Singapore Expo) being expanded
- For recovered workers: Govt assessing feasibility of using alternative facilities
go.gov.sg/fw-update17
[11:39 am, 19/04/2020] +65 8637 2164: https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/coming-days-critical-in-fight-against-coronavirus-pm-lee?xtor=CS3-18&utm_source=STiPhone&utm_medium=share&utm_term=2020-04-19%2011%3A04%3A28
[12:00 pm, 19/04/2020] : Dear contributors,
Welcome back! ☺️
⏰ Our chat will be open till 10pm today.
🗒 REACH is constantly taking note of all the feedback and suggestions shared on our WhatsApp chats, and will send them to the relevant authorities for consideration.
📢 Topic: 📢
PM said yesterday that there are a few early signs that the Circuit Breaker is bringing down the number of cases in the community. As active testing of migrant workers has resulted in the sharp spike in migrant workers cases, PM has said we must expect to see more of such cases for a little while longer, given that measures to break the transmission chain take time to show results.
How can we be more cohesive and encourage everyone to do so as we fight COVID-19 together?
👉 https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/coming-days-critical-in-fight-against-coronavirus-pm-lee?xtor=CS3-18&utm_source=STiPhone&utm_medium=share&utm_term=2020-04-19%2011%3A04%3A28
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[4:11 pm, 18/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心: https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/singapore/story20200418-1046533
（早报讯）截至今天（4月18日）中午12时，卫生部已初步确定今天新增942起冠病新病例，再破单日最高增幅纪录。这使我国总病例达5992起。
卫生部今天下午3时许发文告指出，新增病例绝大多数都是住在客工宿舍的工作准证持有者。
本地病例则持续减少，今天有14名本地公民或永久居民确诊染病。
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Minister Lawrence Wong: We are going all out to suppress the virus outbreak in the foreign worker dormitories. It’s a massive undertaking involving many people on the frontline - SAF and SPF officers, officials from MOM, as well as our healthcare doctors and nurses.
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My close friend comment :- "If it is proactive testing to arrest issue, then it's a good thing".
My comments :- "Yes I think government adopting our strategy on aggressive testing on the dorm to cover all infected cases - so that all will be identified and weed out all possible cases ---- and will not infect our Community.
The big number we see now is expected - and we should not be alarm by it.
The moment when all the tests are done on dorm ---- the number will decline and eventually go down to zero.
Notice that the community spreading is now only 14 - the trend is going down -- showing that the Circuit Breaker measures are showing result.
Let us monitor for a few more days --- and see how it goes.
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[6:46 pm, 13/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心:
My close friend observation :-
(3) In the case of diamond princess cruise ship, asymptomatic cases constitute 18%. In south Korea case, 20% out of 9000 studied. This is a very worrying statistic. In the case of outbreaks at foreign workers dorms, our foreign workers are like the passengers on board of diamond princess cruise who are isolated within their cruise ship cabins. The covid19 virus thrives in the environment and invisibly being carried around. Can we plead with the authorities to rapidly test and isolate and treat those workers who already have been infected and not wait for symptoms to appear please. From the humanity standpoint, we are responsible for their well being. From the pandemic standpoint, we cannot afford to let the cases explode.
Joint Contribution with my close friend :-
[8:33 pm, 13/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心:
b. Quarantine in dorm and Testing
- Currently, we are using gold standard test ktis - a very accurate lab test - that take about 1 day to know the result.
- And in total, can only conduct about 2,900 to 3,000 test a day.
- In a dorm that are currently quarantine, there are 24,000 foreign workers - and it will need 8 to 9 days to complete.
- While waiting for the tests, there could be more infection even though social distancing may be implemented as mild asymptomatic cases may sneeze or cough and infect the doors, chairs, water basin, toilets, food, utensils, TV, gadgets - and anyone touch if may get infected - if the tests are not done fast enough.
- This could have explained why we have 141 dorm workers are infected as unlink cases in 12 Apr 2020.
b. Quarantine in dorm and Testing
- As foreign workers are so many and even by practising social distancing - it is still possible to get infected by contaminated surfaces as mention in scenarios described in Part 1.
- And in total, as we can only conduct about 2,900 to 3,000 test a day using golden lab test kits ---there is a need to quickly ramp up the tests before more and more foriegn workers got contaminated --- as evident in 141 foreign workers are infected on 12 Apr 2020.
- Thus using the rapid test kits will be one way to speed up the dorm foreign workers testing.
- For essential jobs, foreign workers need to undergo the golden standard lab test - as they will need to go out to community to work - and if not 100% proven - can infect the community.
- For those who are symptomatic, golden standard lab test also need to be conducted - and if found infected - got to be treated in hospitals.
Summary :-
- We felt that the above 2 approaches will be able to plug the gaps and bring down the number of local transmission - either through unlink cases, new clusters or continue infection in foreign workers dorms.
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[2:31 pm, 19/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心:
Personally, I feel that :-
1. If few days before 4 May - the number of infection is zero for a few days - then Circuit breaker can stop to resume work and school.
2. However if still have few cases by 4 may - then I suggest extending CB measures to another 2 weeks to ensure the number go down to zero.
Else all our efforts wasted if everyone go back to work and school - but trigger another round of community spreading.
Then we need another CB measures - that will cause big impact to our economy.
Ben
[2:33 pm, 19/04/2020] : Yes I agree that staggered openings after 4th May if community cases are zero for a while. Give people confidence and optimism. However careful managing and keeping other measures strictly monitored to ensure no flare up again.
Dongliang
[2:34 pm, 19/04/2020] : For community case to be zero, it will take a Long time, maybe months.
XaniceAfcai
[2:36 pm, 19/04/2020] : That is what my idea too. Cheers
[2:40 pm, 19/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心:
Yes the zero infection refers to community spreading.
If dorm still have infected numbers but is well contained within the dorm and given treatment - but will not infect the community, we can still consider to open up.
XaniceAfcai
[4:54 pm, 19/04/2020] : 👍
Jamie Bethany Koh
[4:54 pm, 19/04/2020] : 👍🏼
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[3:01 pm, 19/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心: Som people are still not observing the Stay at Home - but crowding out at shopping malls and parks.
REACH
[3:03 pm, 19/04/2020] : 📢 New Topic 📢
Many contributors have shared with us how they have been coping with the Circuit Breaker, such as the challenges of communicating in this new social context (e.g. needing to be more patient), and how they feel about juggling working from home and home-based learning (for parents).
How are you coping with the Circuit Breaker so far? How are you finding support for yourself, as you support your friends, colleagues and/or the community during the Circuit Breaker period? 😊
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[6:49 pm, 19/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心:
Contributions by my close friend :-
We are at Day 14 (half-time) of this CB period.
Are we ready to resume our normal lives before CB? 3 questions we need to ask ourselves:
Question 1
Is our acute healthcare reaching its maximum capacity? How much further can we stretch?
To answer, we have to take into consideration
(a) current active covid19 cases and other medical cases;
(b) rate of covid 19 recovery
From citizens' viewpoint, we see active cases overflowing to private hospitals, isolation facilities such as exhibitions and sports halls.
Many of us are deeply grateful for the hard work and speed at which gov respond.
So what's the acute care capacity? And how much further can it be stretched ?
Question 2
Are we aggressively testing the population to a point where we we are able to project new cases growth rate?
(a) Two case studies showed asymtomatic cases constitute 19% to 20%. (Source Diamond Princess, South Korea) In an isolated environment (Diamond Princess ) infection was 20%.
With 13(?) foreign worker's dorms being lockdown, at 20%, what is the projected new cases growth?
This is assuming that the tests are conducted at lightning speed to segregate the infected from the healthy workers. What percentage will require acute care?
(b) widening the tests criteria to anticipate unexpected outbreaks coming either from imports, other dorms as well as SC/PR/Pass holders
As at today, we know that we are in a worse off situation than when we started our CB. Total number of cases have increased 5 times from 1309 (5 Apr) to 6588 (19 Apr).
Active cases rose 5.86 times from 989 to 5800+(19 Apr discharged figure not available).
So if the bulk of the cases came from dorms, are SC/PR/pass holders allowed to resume their lives before CB? Assume we have the answers for question 1&2
Question 3
How do we plan to return?
Germany seemed to have worked out their numbers.
Merkel said at an infection rate of 1.1, Germany will max it's healthcare facility by Oct, if infection rate is 1.2 it will be july, if infection rate is 1.3, it will be Jun.
If there's a plan on who and how and additional safety measures, there is a need to comms to businesses so that arrangement could be made.
And the authorities have guard the growth rate so that we undertake CB2 before the healthcare reaches its limits.
We should also not forget that jun holidays are coming up. Parents might have booked their holidays since last Dec.
Are the authorities issuing reminders on travel advisories and bans?
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[7:22 pm, 19/04/2020] ☸️ Danny 心: ----
(1) Assuming that everything works well and our local transmission infection go down to zero come 4 May 2020 - and we terminate our Circuit Breaker measures ---- we must also not be complacent --- in order to prevent re-infection.
(2) It is imperative that we must adopt protective measures to prevet re-infection when Circuit Breaker ends such as :-
- continue to wear reusable face masks when taking public transport or the moment people step out of their house.
- But my concern is, when people wear face mask when working, they may encounter breathing difficulty having to wear it for 8 or more hours a day.
Suggest that A*Star are working on the transparent face shield --- won't it be a good idea for the Government to consider issuing reusable transparent face shield to each person - who need to work, jog, cycle or children who cannot wear face mask as they are too young and may suffocate?
- Public should continue social distancing measures - eg. 1 meter distance in queueing, alternate seats when eating in food court, coffeshop, f&b, restaurants etc., restrict the number of people inside a mall or park or any buildings etc
(3) Business must continue to transform to make use of ePlatform, Digital Economy, eDelivery, eCommerce, eTransaction, eBanking etc --- so that there are little incentive for people to go out and crowd around a company or retail to do business or buy their stuff.
(4) All the above measures must conitnue until vaccines are ready --- and when the whole population are vaccinated to prevent infection.
(5) Meanwhile, Singapore businesses will have successfully transformed into Digital Economy - their 2nd wing to grow their business even though the pandemic is over --- and achieve the overall objective of ITM (Industry Transformation Map) - transforming their business into a new Digital Economy --- where overseas clientee can make purchases via our websites and open up a new frontier for the local companies to grow their business.
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