Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) Updates

[.010675zeit]

Frankly, it's time to stop acting like we're the richest and kindest nation in the world. Please, work with the source countries on arranging repatriation flights to send them back if their work has been suspended, or can be terminated. Let the employers sort it out with their workers.


Are we still needing them to return to the construction sites after CB to build Changi T5, Tuas new port, Marina South, Jurong Lakeside, the Johor MRT, Paya Lebar Airbase, BTOs, expressways and multi-billion dollar dykes and polders that will prevent us from sinking? Must they die die continue to build these, failing which the books will not balance this year or GDP 2H will plummet into the darkest abyss?

Is 40,000 the magic maximum we will take in or can cope with our tiny population of HCWs and volunteers? Are we ordering more beddings from Indonesia?

How many more volunteers, SAF medic corps and private doctors/dentists are we going to pull out from the hospitals to service the CCFs?

How many more bentos are we going to whip up for the additional workers who are in extended SHN or in the queue waiting to be tested every day?

I'd thought the yummy catering was for a month or so. Now OMG, it's going to be a LONG cook, as those essential workers living in SERS, army camps, VDs, MSCPs, Sentosa Siloso hotel, Ascott floatels, 2 Genting Star Cruises, Pasir Ris chalets and vacant Northshore Primary campus won't be able to cook on-site till year-end, yah? :scratchhead:

Have the volunteers finished sewing with love 300,000 cloth masks for the MWs?

How many ICU beds have we left? Earlier, they reported ~1100+ ICU+HD beds in Singapore. We have 20,000 active cases now. Some ICUs must be reserved for Singaporeans who might have fallen down and injured themselves through accidents.

[ammonite]

lee_yl\" post_id=\"1974751\" time=\"1589008764\" user_id=\"17023:

ammonite\" post_id=\"1974544\" time=\"1588916010\" user_id=\"50141:

I was just telling DH that many older folks rely on acupuncture for pain relief. Chronic pain is one area that conventional western medicine has little to offer. But if acupuncture is inaccessible, can consider diy accupressure at home instead. DH was quite impressed that I could \"cure\" his leg cramp in 10min during the circuit breaker, using the various points and strokes that I picked up over the years from my mum, sinsehs, chiros and masseurs.

:udawoman:
I showed DH your post. Ask him whether he would like to try some of these (e.g. DIY acupuncture), he said no need , today his aches and pain have totally disappeared!

Diy acupressure, not acupuncture If acupuncture, my DH would have hobbled away as fast as possible. :lol: You just need to find the pressure spots and move along the connected points. Anyway just two more days before the sinseh shops open.

[MrsKiasu]

:sad:

[starlight1968sg]

I hv not try acupuncture, tui na, gua sa

[ammonite]

.zeit\" post_id=\"1974841\" time=\"1589082586\" user_id=\"171271:

Frankly, it's time to stop acting like we're the richest and kindest nation in the world. Please, work with the source countries on arranging repatriation flights to send them back if their work has been suspended, or can be terminated. Let the employers sort it out with their workers.

Are we still needing them to return to the construction sites after CB to build Changi T5, Tuas new port, Marina South, Jurong Lakeside, the Johor MRT, Paya Lebar Airbase, BTOs, expressways and multi-billion dollar dykes and polders that will prevent us from sinking? Must they die die continue to build these, failing which the books will not balance this year or GDP 2H will plummet into the darkest abyss?

Is 40,000 the magic maximum we will take in or can cope with our tiny population of HCWs and volunteers? Are we ordering more beddings from Indonesia?

How many more volunteers, SAF medic corps and private doctors/dentists are we going to pull out from the hospitals to service the CCFs?

How many more bentos are we going to whip up for the additional workers who are in extended SHN or in the queue waiting to be tested every day?

I'd thought the yummy catering was for a month or so. Now OMG, it's going to be a LONG cook, as those essential workers living in SERS, army camps, VDs, MSCPs, Sentosa Siloso hotel, Ascott floatels, 2 Genting Star Cruises, Pasir Ris chalets and vacant Northshore Primary campus won't be able to cook on-site till year-end, yah? :scratchhead:

Have the volunteers finished sewing with love 300,000 cloth masks for the MWs?

How many ICU beds have we left? Earlier, they reported ~1100+ ICU+HD beds in Singapore. We have 20,000 active cases now. Some ICUs must be reserved for Singaporeans who might have fallen down and injured themselves through accidents.

Tbh I am quite glad that we are providing care for the foreign workers at this point, unlike the Gulf nations. On the other hand, I am watching closely to see what percentage of these healthy young workers fall seriously ill. If most of them remain asymptomatic or only mildly unwell, we would have averted the worst while doing right by them and still be on track for our long term planning.

Besides, the catering and hotel/cruise etc stays is also another way to pump money in and to help these businesses to stay afloat. Many of the providers have negotiated special rates for businesses to put their foreign workers in these rooms for month long stays.

[ammonite]

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"1974830\" time=\"1589077048\" user_id=\"14025:

Actually who pays for the stay in the dorms? The FWs or their employers?
Who is responsible for the living conditions of the dorm?
If it is the dorm operators, why the authority not charge them?
The undesirable living conditions is not the main causes but is one of them which led to the outbreak.

I read somewhere that in some instances, the employers rent the room but the number of workers the employees put into the room may differ. I am guessing that there are many different configurations to this.

I am sure the govt has a set of guidelines and criteria that dorm operators have to follow, with some room for flexibility. Beyond the actual running - which can be good or bad - the communal living design itself is a key factor in cross infection. Redesigning the living space without making it prohibitively costly will be something to look into.

[MrsKiasu]

Are those in the Q waiting to be tested still going around the restricted area freely? Is it very inhuman to restrict roommates to be just be in their room with food delivered to their room while waiting to be tested? We just need ONE asymptomatic person around

[MrsKiasu]

…

[zac's mum]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1974832\" time=\"1589077986\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1974832 time=1589077986 user_id=53606]
I thought this was a good write up. Reading between the lines, it seems that the top did not set acceptable living conditions in the first place. And even then, a shocking 50% of the operators were still flouting those miserable conditions.

Todayonline commentary:

“The Big Read: Solving S’pore’s foreign workers problem requires serious soul searching, from top to bottom”

https://bit.ly/2xLIL0g[/quote]

The humanitarian organization mentioned that they are pushing for a doubling of the living space per occupant to 9 square metres — equivalent to 10 workers living in a four-room HDB flat.

Come on, Singaporeans! Ten people per 4-room flat is already very uncomfortable. The current legislation allows 20 pax in that same area. That’s totally inhuman!

[Estéema]

ammonite\" post_id=\"1974855\" time=\"1589088233\" user_id=\"50141:

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"1974830\" time=\"1589077048\" user_id=\"14025:

Actually who pays for the stay in the dorms? The FWs or their employers?
Who is responsible for the living conditions of the dorm?
If it is the dorm operators, why the authority not charge them?
The undesirable living conditions is not the main causes but is one of them which led to the outbreak.

I read somewhere that in some instances, the employers rent the room but the number of workers the employees put into the room may differ. I am guessing that there are many different configurations to this.

I am sure the govt has a set of guidelines and criteria that dorm operators have to follow, with some room for flexibility. Beyond the actual running - which can be good or bad - the communal living design itself is a key factor in cross infection. Redesigning the living space without making it prohibitively costly will be something to look into.

I do agree with you & am also thankful that after the pandemic was announced & many COVID cases started amongst FW, the authorities together with engineers, medical frontliners, logistic companies, caterers & many more to allocate big areas to segregate FW. If these were not done, I can’t imagine the rest of us unknowingly catch fr asymtomatic spreader.

I’m thankful in tandem with segregation, they’ve mobilized catered food & social distancing rules to spread the FW in cramped conditions. With no catering, FWs continue to need supermkt food, cooking together & contagions will be unimaginable & certainly not contained & thereafter will further burden our hospital resources. With additional provision of wifi, regular communication with FW & assurance that their eyers shld continue paying salaries as govt lifted levies, there’s no rampage or disorder.

I do recognize that majority of infected workers are young & do not require to be segregated in hospitals but at various step-down quarantine centres. That does not mean I’m not aware a few needed medical attention in hospital & ICU support, but certainly not in 10s thousands?

I’m very thankful the Spore spirit exists or shld I just simply say humane spirit? Authorities cannot be expected to be able to do so much beyond any human in this historical unexpected pandemic (our docs, govt, civil servants, etc are all human & cld be yr relatives, frds, etc right?) Those migrant workers champions, numerous kind restauranteurs, small cafe operators, multitudes of volunteers stepped in to chip in cooking meals, providing masks, transporting & distributing meals, etc really comforts me that there are many Sporeans who are selfless & care with a big heart, not questioning their race, nationalities, or social status & gave recognition for their collective contributions.

To be fair, I’m aware some eyer’s are willing to swing into action to spread their workers out fr cramp conditions, recognizing its unprecedented times & willing to pay for the additional costs in housing their FW & providing meals but had to work with the authorities as there are other considerations of centralised health care & testing as well as centralised security. I do hope when authorities indicated one month of supported care, the eyers continue to pay their current share & the additional expenses towards testing & meals will be borne by each eyer. Afterall, they’ve benefited much fr low cost employees hvn’t they? They’ve been relieved fr Levy pymt too.

Despite all efforts, there will be some bz that will bleed & need to fold. Their FW May need to go w/o eympt & as India is now ready to receive their nationals working overseas, im sure the authorities are flexible in allowing for termination of these FW’s services & repatriate. Let’s be patient & allow the process to work itself out.

So long as FWs are segregated now & it’ll certainly take time to complete all testing, I’m watching that they do not leak into community to increase our numbers. I do not wish to compare Spore with countries that don’t test their FW & am aware a few other Asian & Middle Eastern countries dependent on FWs & hv just as high numbers of COVID infection. I won’t be surprised if we hit 50K by Aug/Sep with the >300K FW we needed & had issued WP.

The tricky part is there ard a smaller number living outside of dorms & within community due to their critical services. Pray & hope our FWs learn to follow higher level of hygiene practices, social distancing & not be tempted to gather or chatter under close security watch, wear their masks when out of rooms to collect & consume meals like the rest of us who are required during this CB. Hope those affected will recover speedily & fully.