REACH - 82. New Normal (SK)
18 May 2020 (12pm - 8pm)

REACH
[11:09 am, 18/05/2020] : [Sent by Gov.sg -  18 May]
COVID-19: Testing of preschool staff
🧪 30,000 staff to be tested in batches from 15 - 26 May
- More than 6,000 have already been swabbed
🏫 This is to prepare for the re-opening of preschools
- Safeguard health and well-being of preschool children, their families and their teachers
go.gov.sg/preschool17may

[11:15 am, 18/05/2020] : Greetings from REACH 🙂
A warm welcome to those who have just been added to this chat group. You have been added as you had previously indicated your interest at one of our events or through our online forum.
This chat group is a platform for participants to share their views on national policies and issues. REACH constantly takes note of all the feedback and suggestions shared on our WhatsApp chats and will send them to relevant authorities for consideration.
The topic for today will be posted shortly.
Please be reminded to be respectful and considerate to others in this WhatsApp chat group.
REACH WhatsApp Terms of Use:
https://go.gov.sg/reach-whatsapp-terms

[11:57 am, 18/05/2020] : Dear contributors,
Welcome back! ☺️
⏰ Our chat will be open from 12pm to 8pm today.
🗒 REACH is constantly taking note of all the feedback and suggestions shared on our WhatsApp chats, and will send them to relevant authorities for consideration.
Please be reminded to be respectful and considerate to others in this WhatsApp chat group. 🙏🏼
The topic will be posted shortly.
- Megan

[12:00 pm, 18/05/2020] : ⏰ Our chat will be open till 8pm today ⏰
📢 Topic 📢
While the CB period has been challenging, how can we continue to support each other as we transition towards the 'new normal’?
As we enter the last two weeks of the circuit breaker, preparations are underway for the smooth re-opening of our economy.
However, life is not expected to ‘return to normalcy’ on June 1, as easing of measures will be focused on essential services. Businesses requiring on site work will start preparing for their return to workplaces, with safe distancing measures applied, while those who can work from home can expect to continue to do so.
👉https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-jobs-support-scheme-payout-4-billion-heng-swee-keat-12743136
👉https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/circuit-breaker-measures-have-shown-promise-could-be-further-eased-on-june-1
 changed this group's settings to allow all participants to send messages to this group.
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[12:04 pm, 18/05/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
Everyone needs to take wearing face masks seriously.

Many still don't.

Yesterday I buy dinner, still see many old men sitting around in the park talking or sitting quietly on the bench with mask remove.

Desmond Koh
[12:10 pm, 18/05/2020] : what do you propose to do for the elderly?

[12:10 pm, 18/05/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
They should put the mask on.
They are breaking the law.

Franco
[12:13 pm, 18/05/2020] : errh.....we should emphasize...."Put the mask on, its safer for u and others"...rather than adopting an approach that "u dun do this, u break the law".  More of an education than punitive approach...haha...

Demond Koh
[12:14 pm, 18/05/2020] : is not that easy to enforce it de... they are the pioneer gen, when the officer walked over, they will disperse and they will comply wearing mask haha, they play cat and mice with the officers also like that...

yes the officers can fine them, but is it the best to do it?

Enforcement officers is also mindful of the way they deal with the elderly, those old folks been doing what they been doing for years... is not that that easy to change in weeks or days..

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/how-enforcement-officers-ambassadors-handle-the-public-covid-19-12696072

Empathy plays a part too, for example when Tay must get senior citizens sitting in groups to disperse.

“They’ve been there for 30 to 40 years, sitting there playing chess and chit-chatting … You’re telling them to change overnight. I think we have to exercise a lot of compassion,” said the 57-year-old.

“I tell them, please, it’s for your health, and the government really takes care of you guys.”

Caleb
[12:14 pm, 18/05/2020] : 👍

Desmond Koh
[12:15 pm, 18/05/2020] : https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/COVID19TMA2020#pr35-

Desmond Koh
[12:15 pm, 18/05/2020] : A police officer, or an enforcement officer appointed under subsection (1)(b), (c), (d) or (e) authorised in writing by the Minister, may arrest without warrant any person committing or who the police officer or enforcement officer has reason to believe has committed any offence under subsection (11) or section 34(7), and in so doing, the enforcement officer has the same powers as a Health Officer authorised under section 56 of the Infectious Diseases Act in relation to an arrest without warrant under that Act.

[12:15 pm, 18/05/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
22 death are all elderly.

Desmond Koh
[12:16 pm, 18/05/2020] : for all you know, Enforcement Officer is bestowed with a-lot of power...but do they use all of them on the elderly? NOPE, they comply officer move on...

Franco
[12:16 pm, 18/05/2020] : I like this...."I tell them, please, its for your health, and the government really takes care of you guys."

Desmond Koh
[12:17 pm, 18/05/2020] : haha, the elderly can tell u right in ur face... is non of your business, i am so old liao.. die also non of your business...

[12:18 pm, 18/05/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
So it is exactly such mentality that Singapore cannot reduce local transmission to zero.

[12:20 pm, 18/05/2020] ☸️  Danny 心:
They are not only endanger themselves but also their families members.

Desmond Koh
[12:20 pm, 18/05/2020] : SG Clean Ambassadors Network
https://form.gov.sg/#!/5e7484a2ca6a010011862c59
go ahead to help :)

Franco
[12:21 pm, 18/05/2020] : well, its either one uses patience, or save the hassle, go straight to using the law, and slapped them with a fine, one after another. Let the old folks know because of them not willing to compromise and change their habits or being very individualistic, this country will slap u hard!

Kevinn Wang
[12:26 pm, 18/05/2020] : how to encourage? think is time to drop the term encourage. we should be asking what is the tolerance level for encourage? On social media we can see more and more after breaking the rules

Rama
[12:26 pm, 18/05/2020] : Reach admin,  can the government explain the rationale for letting certain people off without a fine!?

Desmond Koh
[12:26 pm, 18/05/2020] : Haha those got family issues, destitute, medical, financial or social support de how?

Kevinn Wang
[12:26 pm, 18/05/2020] : so is really time to enforce > by stating enforce i am also suggesting the ground have a common set of regulation and compliance. you cannot have place 1 doing the rules while place 2 is doing another set

Rama
[12:27 pm, 18/05/2020] : HERE is the story....you decide by yourself :

My friend is an ex-nurse, she was called back to help at expo to take care of the migrant workers; she told me they r disgustingly unhygienic and all of them gather together in one room socialising and not in their own individual rooms, to be away from each other. The whole idea is so they continue to be sick, they don’t want to get well; cause get well means the chances of them being sent home is very high cause companies can’t keep up with paying salaries and  they are not working.

My friend helps 3 days a week she says she doesn’t even get paid and doesn’t dare to drink water cause it takes a lot to remove the safety gear to go pee. The migrant workers all suffer from all sorts of illness like diabetes to high blood pressure. They don’t even know they have these illness until they were checked during the virus test; so their food is designed by dieticians to accommodate to not heighten their underlying illnesses. We are too kind already; they don’t want to get well, mingle with each other,  don’t listen to the doctors and nurses and the army boys helping out. This is disgusting to treat these frontline workers cause they sacrifice to help. The have comfortable stay, free food, freeWIFI and medical care who wants *to get well?!

[12:28 pm, 18/05/2020] : Reach admin,  if no truth in this,  kindly get those responsible to issue a correction advice.

Desmond Koh
[12:29 pm, 18/05/2020] : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MLjPNh2eNg
Actually very grey area. note that min used the word default and not mandatory.
companies can resume ops if they implemented safety measures in place at workplace.
ultimately, if your boss ask u go back on 2 jun, u bo bian...

Franco
[12:37 pm, 18/05/2020] : the relevant authority should start a poll to all FWs, and let them choose to go back home home, or continue to stay in Singapore.  If FW chooses to stay in Singapore, then he has to abide to the strict rules being implemented. If our army boys can follow strict army rules in camp, I wonder why our administrators cannot adminster strict rules onto the FWs. Its for the good of the FWs and everybody!

Rama
[12:39 pm, 18/05/2020] : Reach admin,  hope to hear from the MTF by this Friday on the changes to CB come 020620.

Caleb
[12:39 pm, 18/05/2020] : 👍

Desmond Koh
[12:42 pm, 18/05/2020] : How to enforce with a common set of regulations? Different sector have a different requirements hence different agencies is leading them haha
For example HDB
elderly got respiratory illness he live alone, have to buy food, how?
Special needs kid kept throwing the mask away how?
Dementia elderly walking out without mask how?
There are so many permutations for officer on the ground to judge if we strictly follow rules, I think there will be another round of social issues...

ESG:
BBT shop selling yogurt and ice cream but not BBT, can or not?

EDB:
Manufacturing cannot do WFH but can do it but no money to buy IT equipment and not eligible to get grants how?

LTA:
Elderly begging at bus Interchange, fine for loitering how?
So is very difficult to have a common set of rules across sectors

Kevinn Wang
[12:51 pm, 18/05/2020] : Desmond agree but the base line is outside of what u mentioned is how can we ensure ppl adhere, the cases of flouting is going up cos ppl might find the consequences too light warning warning den small fine

Desmond Koh
[12:56 pm, 18/05/2020] : i agree, most people comply but is the corner cases that flout the rules...
the purpose of Social Distancing is mainly education advisory but the law provide avenues to fine the errand citizen..

Stanley
[12:56 pm, 18/05/2020] : From this video it’s quite clear that we need to enforce law and order else all these FWs will take advantage of the situation
I really empathise with the healthcare workers who have no choice but to attend to them as it’s their profession else I’m sure majority will walk away
We need to be stricter to do only what’s necessary to eradicate the FW situation else they will take advantage of us and we will look like suckers
For those unruly FWs who refused to cooperate send them home without hesitation or go to jail
Else our healthcare workers are at risk and will spread to the community too
Need to be mindful of this current situation
Take actions!!

Desmond Koh
[12:58 pm, 18/05/2020] : the act provides the arrest without warrant of any person committing offence but do we go that extreme?

[12:59 pm, 18/05/2020] : https://www.todayonline.com/world/qatar-imposes-mandatory-masks-pain-prison
maybe up the fine will work like Qatar haha
but it will leads to more social problem if one cannot afford to pay the fine...

Kevinn Wang
[1:00 pm, 18/05/2020] : I will say yes serious time to stop being kind to those mentally well people.

[1:01 pm, 18/05/2020] : Else is monkey see monkey do. The authorities shld be iron hand on things kill 1 hundred dun act, continue killing till the rest listen.

Rama
[1:04 pm, 18/05/2020] : Government picking and choosing to set an example or one set of rules fits all!?

Ron Ho
[1:05 pm, 18/05/2020] : If this is an example of safe distancing at the dormitories, then we have surely failed.

Rama
[1:06 pm, 18/05/2020] : Awaiting reply from the relevant authorities!?

Mani
[1:06 pm, 18/05/2020] : Anyone knows who I shld contact or where I can drop off some items tat me n my friends collected for those affected from the dormitories?

Rama
[1:06 pm, 18/05/2020] : Best check with the dormitories operators

Kevinn Wang
[1:07 pm, 18/05/2020] : Andrew, Desmond is right to say one rule fits all is hard but certain base rule if not rule with one n hard ppl will take u for a fool!

[1:09 pm, 18/05/2020] : We have a couple of cases of ppl send back work permit cancel to flouting of rule back but majority think is a joke still. So what u jail a pilot everyone know what jail is aka Changi chalet and usually these ppl go to a remand centre lagi chalet.

[1:10 pm, 18/05/2020] : Thus I counter ask when and where is our tolerance level of encourage

Franco
[1:10 pm, 18/05/2020] : Spore still got remand prison meh? I tot now all go changi chalet...haha

Kevinn Wang
[1:11 pm, 18/05/2020] : Sembabwang think still got one
[1:12 pm, 18/05/2020] : sembawang is drug rehab center for druggies I think.

Ron Ho
[1:14 pm, 18/05/2020] : Dear Reach, previously we could send feedback to your agency via email. We could attach pictures and clips up to 20MB with email. But now, this FormSG limits us to just one picture to attach even though it does not exceed 3MB, which is your imposed limit. I have used FormSG 6 times already but this morning, I could not send clips and more than 1 picture. Hence, your FormSG is not quite useful. Please revamp the Form. Due to that limitation, I chose to forward Feedback directly to your moderators hoping they will carry the message back. Feedback methods is as useful only to its imposed limitations.

Rama
[1:14 pm, 18/05/2020] : Police officer seen with mask half-on, netizens says it prevents specs from fogging up
Still, wearing masks could pose a greater hindrance to some, especially spectacle-wearers, as they tend to cause lenses to fog up.Some netizens speculate that this could be why a traffic police officer was seen with his mask half-on while operating a camera on an overhead bridge yesterday (17 May).
https://news.nestia.com/detail_share/4163002?media_type=1&nestiaShareChannel=whatsapp

[1:16 pm, 18/05/2020] : Social media is difficult to hide what people see as double standards so clarify is needed.

Kevinn Wang
[1:18 pm, 18/05/2020] : U are right outside of Changi no more, all relocate to inside Changi area.