Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) Updates
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Nebbermind\" post_id=\"2029572\" time=\"1625647377\" user_id=\"15571:
People who dine in restaurants, visit others, attend events, etc, also use public transport. Office populations are a lot less random than those events, I feel. They should at least revert to the 50% or 75% headcount rule for the office. It's like \"heightened alert\" is being lifted for a lot of riskier environments than workplaces!
I believe to continue WFH is to reduce the travelling => the crowd in public transport and the randomness in the people you 'interact' with in a very confined space.slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2029556\" time=\"1625641800\" user_id=\"28674:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/dining-out-groups-five-fb-restaurants-singapore-july-12-covid-19-15172278
Am I missing something here? We can meet in groups of 5 to sociaise in the workplace from 12 July, but we can't actually work in the workplace? Surely the Covid infection risk of working with masks on will be lower than socialising (which in Singapore almost inevitably include food and drink)? -
slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2029588\" time=\"1625650195\" user_id=\"28674:
I'm too \"guai\" and actually read the rules! The problem is that our workplace doesn't deal with the public or with physical items - most things are done on the computer. But discussions and casual \"bouncing ideas off each other\" don't do well on Zoom. And the need to actually set up a meeting discourages many from discussing stuff, so time is wasted just sending emails back and forth over a few days when it could be settled in a few 5-min chats over the space of an hour!
Try to find out more about what “working from home as default” means. From what I know, many industries are already back to normal working practices. Many employers use the excuse that they “need” those workers there physically in the office. Some examples, counter staff, logistics admin staff, mail department, some rotate at least one person to open the office for walk-in customers & receive deliveries…and my conveyancing lawyer’s firm is at full on-site force cos clients “need” to sign documents physically (really?)zac's mum\" post_id=\"2029557\" time=\"1625642360\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2029557 time=1625642360 user_id=53606]
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/dining-out-groups-five-fb-restaurants-singapore-july-12-covid-19-15172278
Am I missing something here? We can meet in groups of 5 to sociaise in the workplace from 12 July, but we can't actually work in the workplace? Surely the risk of working with masks on will be lower than socialising (which in Singapore almost inevitably include food and drink)?
Beyond that, it's the sheer illogicality of allowing larger social groups over meals while prohibiting a smaller fixed group in the office that stuns me. Where are the civil servants who are supposed to check on such policies and make sure they make sense? At least they should allow the 50% or 75% cap on headcount as they did before.[/quote]It’s a bit hard to justify calling everybody back to office just to bounce ideas. But…how about hosting a “team-bonding/morale boosting” breakfast or lunch in groups of 5? If u host at home, I think can even host 2 groups of 5 visitors (I can’t keep up with the latest). -
zac's mum\" post_id=\"2029593\" time=\"1625650987\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2029593 time=1625650987 user_id=53606]
That's also work! Especially when work often crosses different operational areas, you can't just do your own thing. Often, you need to check things with others, get their input, etc, as and when it crops up. And it's terribly inefficient to have to undo and redo because something in another area got overlooked. And the newbies are usually left in a blur as they don't have the opportunity to learn by \"overhearing\" or \"shadowing\" (I'm sure most of us older ones learned a lot that way). We are doing it by WA at the moment, but not everyone is good with the written word, and people do get left out. Speech, face-to-face (or mask-to-mask) in an office is much better. When it seemed that it was necessary to enforce WFH because of infection rates, I accept it; but now that more risky activities are allowed, why not work in the office? With this new tweak to the rules, it seems that the we can have morale-boosting meals in the office, but not actual work!
It’s a bit hard to justify calling everybody back to office just to bounce ideas. But…how about hosting a “team-bonding/morale boosting” breakfast or lunch in groups of 5? If u host at home, I think can even host 2 groups of 5 visitors (I can’t keep up with the latest).[/quote] -
slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2029589\" time=\"1625650433\" user_id=\"28674:
People who dine in restaurants, visit others, attend events, etc, also use public transport. Office populations are a lot less random than those events, I feel. They should at least revert to the 50% or 75% headcount rule for the office. It's like \"heightened alert\" is being lifted for a lot of riskier environments than workplaces![/quote]MOH shld be specific for office meetings & discussions when instructing WFH as a continual practice till we’re clear for back to office.
I believe to continue WFH is to reduce the travelling => the crowd in public transport and the randomness in the people you 'interact' with in a very confined space.Nebbermind\" post_id=\"2029572\" time=\"1625647377\" user_id=\"15571:
[quote=slmkhoo post_id=2029556 time=1625641800 user_id=28674]https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/dining-out-groups-five-fb-restaurants-singapore-july-12-covid-19-15172278
Am I missing something here? We can meet in groups of 5 to sociaise in the workplace from 12 July, but we can't actually work in the workplace? Surely the Covid infection risk of working with masks on will be lower than socialising (which in Singapore almost inevitably include food and drink)?
Ppl are all pant up fr covid restrictions with no travel, no leisure & gathetings. Many prefer not to return to office if they can help it. It boards well for limiting transmissions. But, then with more freedom to manage time, I find it hard when there’re crowds in the malls.
We choose to complete our grocery yday past 2pm thinking weekends will be crowded. Little did we realized it’ll be so crowded that a lady was trying to squeeze herself ahead fr the slow-moving crowd & gave me a hard bump. Haiz! Ya Kun, Subway, Wok Hei were all having long Qs, with many milling at Guardian, Hock Hua & Decathlon.
I wld expect many wld be using the public tpt as I was taken aback with crowds ard Clementi stn at mid-week mid-afternoon. Had to hurry, hurry, chop chop, select items & rush back, then I forget to collect my prescriptions. 😏
So when will be a good time to do grocery? Visit those 24-hr supermkts at wee hours? -
I think like nbm says the crowd at transport etc do present certain risks. 5 ppl social gathering in co. Is for those need go back to office.
Think the WFH is encouraged only right therefore they can go back office as needed? 5 ppl for dining in may save some of the eateries I believe. -
Esteema I went grocery shopping after sending kids to school this morning. Yea 24hrs type so can go anytime. We have a few nearby. Sometimes I go at night before closing hours treating it as doing walking exercise. Those that I go normally not very crowded. I haven’t been to AMK hub for quite something le…that one got cny atmosphere most of the time.
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I read 2 months ago that https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-may-not-review-new-covid-19-vaccine-eua-requests-during-pandemic-2021-05-25/, if discussions hadn't started yet, as the US is already inundated with millions of unused P+M+JJ+AZ vaccines, so much so Fauci said US doesn't need their AstraZeneca ready stocks anymore.
Fortunately, Novavax's submitted their application in mid-Jun, but it'll take a while for FDA to clear it for EUA. By 3Q it should get the green light.
By the time Novavax is EUA'd by FDA & another 6 months to apply for full BLA, Pfizer might hv gotten its full BLA in the US already. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna submitted applications for full approval of their vaccines to the FDA on 1 May and 1 Jun respectively. FDA will make a decision based on 6 months worth of trusted source of submission. That means the FDA would decide on full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine sometime around Jan 2022 and Feb 2022 for Moderna. This is the maximum review time frame.
Anyway, regardless of FDA's final decision on Novavax, SG might still go ahead to EUA Novavax since they had already ordered some this Jan.
Meanwhile, the EMA has been reviewing Novavax on a rolling basis since 3 FEB 2021. Novavax, like all EUA vaccines in the world, is not yet on EMA's approved list.
Now comes the next question - where will our Novavax vaccines be manufactured?
Would it be by Takeda/Japan, SK Bioscience/Korea, SII/India (rebranded as Covovax to be distributed to COVAX beneficiaries), GSK/UK, Canada or CSL/Australia? Can't be from Maryland, right?
Maybe it's to be made by GSK RHQ in Singapore?
https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/novavax-covid-19-vaccine-delays-will-impact-u-s-uptake-but-big-global-market-still-awaits -
MrsKiasu\" post_id=\"2029608\" time=\"1625654558\" user_id=\"43981:
Agree. We need to take some risks & support our local businesses.
I think like nbm says the crowd at transport etc do present certain risks. 5 ppl social gathering in co. Is for those need go back to office.
Think the WFH is encouraged only right therefore they can go back office as needed? 5 ppl for dining in may save some of the eateries I believe.
But hor, there are those SMEs & smaller companies still expect staff to show face even when role can be performed WFH. Hearsay, MNCs hv renovated pantry or make cafe-like ambience to attract staff to return to workplace. If I hv a choice, I won’t mind returning for the interaction & ease of access to resources, but not when numbers are just nearly stabilized. -
MrsKiasu\" post_id=\"2029609\" time=\"1625654922\" user_id=\"43981:
I treasure my sleep le. Shop past midnight means I’ll hv less sleep, not less worry supermkt supplies not replenished or getting fresh.
Esteema I went grocery shopping after sending kids to school this morning. Yea 24hrs type so can go anytime. We have a few nearby. Sometimes I go at night before closing hours treating it as doing walking exercise. Those that I go normally not very crowded. I haven't been to AMK hub for quite something le..that one got cny atmosphere most of the time. -
We have only 38.1% of population fully vaccinated. How to achieve 2/3 of population by 9 Aug?
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