Covid Situation in SG discussion (compiled)

[Guest Desserts]

Kum gong kia

 

Teen admits to lying on social media about contracting Covid-19, being in ICU

 

SINGAPORE - A teenage boy's lies about contracting Covid-19 and being hospitalised in an intensive care unit (ICU) led to a friend, who was serving national service (NS) at the time, being sent home from Pulau Tekong to isolate.

Army personnel also had to disinfect the friend's bunk and make arrangements to isolate those who had been in contact with him. This disrupted the training schedule that day.

On Tuesday (Nov 2), Siew Hanlong, 19, pleaded guilty to two counts of communicating a false message under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.

The court heard that he had lied on social media about getting Covid-19 to play a prank on his friends.

At around 1am on May 23, he posted an image of a positive polymerase chain reaction test that he found online on his Instagram Stories, with the caption, "Guys... I got the new covid variant bye im (gonna) die."

He then posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed, with the caption, "in ICU right now farewell guys".

ADVERTISEMENT

CONTENT RESUMES ON SCROLL

Siew had uploaded the post while he was at home and the photo was from his previous admission to hospital for an unrelated incident.

He removed the two posts 15 minutes after they went up but the damage had been done.

His 19-year-old friend, who was serving NS at Pulau Tekong, woke up at around 4.45am that morning and saw his friends discussing Siew's posts in a WhatsApp group chat.

He was afraid that he might be infected with the coronavirus, as he had met Siew earlier. He tried to contact Siew to confirm the posts but did not get an answer.

Siew's friend then reported to his army superiors that he was a close contact of a Covid-19 positive case, and was sent home to isolate after taking a swab test.

It was only after he arrived home at around 11.15am that Siew responded that his Instagram Stories posts were meant as a joke.

District Judge Kessler Soh told Siew that he might think of the incident as a prank but it had "very serious consequences".

More on this topic

[Guest Guest]

On 11/2/2021 at 6:04 PM, Guest Desserts said:

Kum gong kia

 

Teen admits to lying on social media about contracting Covid-19, being in ICU

 

SINGAPORE - A teenage boy's lies about contracting Covid-19 and being hospitalised in an intensive care unit (ICU) led to a friend, who was serving national service (NS) at the time, being sent home from Pulau Tekong to isolate.

Army personnel also had to disinfect the friend's bunk and make arrangements to isolate those who had been in contact with him. This disrupted the training schedule that day.

On Tuesday (Nov 2), Siew Hanlong, 19, pleaded guilty to two counts of communicating a false message under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.

The court heard that he had lied on social media about getting Covid-19 to play a prank on his friends.

At around 1am on May 23, he posted an image of a positive polymerase chain reaction test that he found online on his Instagram Stories, with the caption, "Guys... I got the new covid variant bye im (gonna) die."

He then posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed, with the caption, "in ICU right now farewell guys".

ADVERTISEMENT

CONTENT RESUMES ON SCROLL

Siew had uploaded the post while he was at home and the photo was from his previous admission to hospital for an unrelated incident.

He removed the two posts 15 minutes after they went up but the damage had been done.

His 19-year-old friend, who was serving NS at Pulau Tekong, woke up at around 4.45am that morning and saw his friends discussing Siew's posts in a WhatsApp group chat.

He was afraid that he might be infected with the coronavirus, as he had met Siew earlier. He tried to contact Siew to confirm the posts but did not get an answer.

Siew's friend then reported to his army superiors that he was a close contact of a Covid-19 positive case, and was sent home to isolate after taking a swab test.

It was only after he arrived home at around 11.15am that Siew responded that his Instagram Stories posts were meant as a joke.

District Judge Kessler Soh told Siew that he might think of the incident as a prank but it had "very serious consequences".

More on this topic

 

Am I the only one who finds it amusing that army officers in Singapore can simply take the words of a teenager at face value without proper verification? If that's the case, anyone can go look for a recent covid patient and claimed that he is a close contact too. 

 

If a teenager can be charged for such a prank which can fool only the dumbest people, who should you charge? 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/2/2021 at 4:11 PM, Guest Guest said:

 

Looks pretty coherent to me. But of course, anything that doesn't sing to the tune of death and reopening of the economy won't be coherent to you. 

🥱 

 

please stop monopolising this thread with your incoherent ramblings and endless repetition of the same point.

 

If you have nothing new to add, just stay quiet and carry on living in your covid proof bunker until it is safe enough for you, which will be sometime in 2025. 

[jlone]

A very touching n depressing video to watch.

Have some compassion n concern for them, the healthcare workers.

 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/3/2021 at 1:28 PM, Guest Guest said:

 

https://www.moh.gov.sg/resources-statistics/singapore-health-facts/principal-causes-of-death

 

Really? MOH data shows the 10th leading cause of death in 2019 was chronic obstructive lung diseases and it accounts for only 1.4% of those total 21446 deaths in 2019, meaning only 300 people died from it in 2019.

 

Compare this to the 400 people who died cos of covid in Singapore this year alone. Covid related deaths is going to be the 10th or even 9th leading cause of deaths in Singapore soon. 

 

And as a matter of fact, if the yearly death rates even hit 2000, that will make it to be top 5 leading cause of death. 

 

But of course, to you, if covid deaths is not #1, there are still more people dying for other reasons, right? 

 

 

 

Hahahahah.... 

 

 

Hateful comment meh? People praising Karma for doing a good job leh. Is karma looking for people to thank their kind praises? 😍

once again, you are too stupid to argue with. Case in point:

 

you say ‘But of course, to you, if covid deaths is not #1, there are still more people dying for other reasons, right?’

 

can you not understand what you wrote? Of course, if covid deaths are not number 1, then there have to be more people dying for other reasons! That is really basic maths. 😂 

 

btw, deaths are classified as covid deaths if the person dies with covid, this does not mean that they have necessarily died of covid, as they can have other underlying conditions. See as an example the case of the 99 year old who died at home that was reported yesterday.
 

Rather than spending your time trolling here, go and see if you can research the excess mortality rate, if there is one, for Singapore since covid began. 

[bigdanbeam]

So the R dropped below 1 ytd. Will announce 5 same household to dine in? Tmr is the 2 week mark for review 

[jlone]

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/covid19-singapore-3003-cases-17-deaths-deepavali-152558580.html

[Guest Guest]

i know some here dun believe gov dun believe e papers but unless u prov statistical data, u r likely spreading fake news

pls aso take politic out of e equation, dun alway say who u vote last election when u cant win e arguement 

 

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/deaths-in-a-world-where-the-coronavirus-is-endemic

[lonelyglobe]

On 11/4/2021 at 8:07 AM, bigdanbeam said:

So the R dropped below 1 ytd. Will announce 5 same household to dine in? Tmr is the 2 week mark for review 

Too early to tell, I rather they stay put and not keep changing every few weeks or days, like roti prata, just a few flip is OK, don't need to flip so many times. 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/6/2021 at 2:00 PM, Guest Guest said:

i know some here dun believe gov dun believe e papers but unless u prov statistical data, u r likely spreading fake news

pls aso take politic out of e equation, dun alway say who u vote last election when u cant win e arguement 

 

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/deaths-in-a-world-where-the-coronavirus-is-endemic

Thanks for sharing, this is an intelligent and insightful article.
 

unfortunately some of the more hysterical posters here - meaning they are acting hysterical, not that they are funny - will either not be able to understand this article or will disregard any facts to continue only with emotional arguments. The comments on this piece on Facebook are pretty depressing to read for anyone who believes that people can handle logical reasoning and data. 

[Guest Guest]

 

On 11/6/2021 at 2:00 PM, Guest Guest said:

i know some here dun believe gov dun believe e papers but unless u prov statistical data, u r likely spreading fake news

pls aso take politic out of e equation, dun alway say who u vote last election when u cant win e arguement 

 

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/deaths-in-a-world-where-the-coronavirus-is-endemic

 

 

We are no longer children to see that you are trying to undermine the situation and create a false sense of normalcy to the masses using some biased reports to cater to your narrative. But you are forgetting something: 

 

Year on year, the mortality rate of the country should in fact be dropping with better medical facilities and care etc. But yet the fact that it rose when COVID struck. Are you try to use those statistics to say that the COVID deaths are non-issues? 

 

Furthermore I find this statement in the report almost begs explanation in the light of the COVID situation: "The death rates are age-standardised - which means removing the effect of population ageing from year to year". Does that mean that older folks who died from COVID are not considered into the statistics? I don't know. 

 

Furthermore, if you are claiming that your statistics are saying that COVID situation and deaths are over-rated, then are you also claiming that the  increased ICU occupancy rates are fake and unnecessary, as with the supposed increased workload of all those HCW? All those are fake news? Are the HCW all trying to malinger by faking their workload? 

 

Now, even if we are to put the COVID-deaths aside for just a minute, what is going to happen to those long-COVID sufferers? How would you like to go without your sense of taste or smell for prolonged period of time? But of course, long-COVID sufferers are known to have cognitive problems, so they might forget what it means to smell roses and taste sweet things, and become naturalized to the world of senselessness after a while. I guess you have forgotten that too. 

 

Let's see you explain your way out of that. 

 

And don't say "pls aso take politic out of e equation, dun alway say who u vote last election when u cant win e arguement". Because I think I won the argument, so ...... WHO U VOTE LAST ELECTION? 

 

 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/6/2021 at 5:11 PM, Guest Guest said:

 

 

 

We are no longer children to see that you are trying to undermine the situation and create a false sense of normalcy to the masses using some biased reports to cater to your narrative. But you are forgetting something: 

 

Year on year, the mortality rate of the country should in fact be dropping with better medical facilities and care etc. But yet the fact that it rose when COVID struck. Are you try to use those statistics to say that the COVID deaths are non-issues? 

 

Furthermore I find this statement in the report almost begs explanation in the light of the COVID situation: "The death rates are age-standardised - which means removing the effect of population ageing from year to year". Does that mean that older folks who died from COVID are not considered into the statistics? I don't know. 

 

Furthermore, if you are claiming that your statistics are saying that COVID situation and deaths are over-rated, then are you also claiming that the  increased ICU occupancy rates are fake and unnecessary, as with the supposed increased workload of all those HCW? All those are fake news? Are the HCW all trying to malinger by faking their workload? 

 

Now, even if we are to put the COVID-deaths aside for just a minute, what is going to happen to those long-COVID sufferers? How would you like to go without your sense of taste or smell for prolonged period of time? But of course, long-COVID sufferers are known to have cognitive problems, so they might forget what it means to smell roses and taste sweet things, and become naturalized to the world of senselessness after a while. I guess you have forgotten that too. 

 

Let's see you explain your way out of that. 

 

And don't say "pls aso take politic out of e equation, dun alway say who u vote last election when u cant win e arguement". Because I think I won the argument, so ...... WHO U VOTE LAST ELECTION? 

 

 

and, just like that, here comes the first hysterical poster, whose muddled response show that they have made no effort to understand the article and are incapable of dealing with fact-based reasoning.

why would you expect a mortality rate to decline over time? Why are you talking about long COVID, when this article is about mortality rates? If you don’t know what age standardization means, why not look it up or ask for help to understand it rather than jumping to conclusion? 

 

About the only correct thing you wrote in that jumble was ‘I don’t know’.

 

 

[Guest Guest]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/Japan-leads-Asia-in-COVID-Recovery-Index-as-Singapore-lags

 

Anyone happy that we got 100...ie RANKED 100 OUT OF 121 in the Nikkei COVID-19 Recovery Index? Lol. 

 

Come... Let's all sing together... 

 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/7/2021 at 9:28 PM, Guest Guest said:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/Japan-leads-Asia-in-COVID-Recovery-Index-as-Singapore-lags

 

Anyone happy that we got 100...ie RANKED 100 OUT OF 121 in the Nikkei COVID-19 Recovery Index? Lol. 

 

Come... Let's all sing together... 

 

The article confirms that opening up is the only way to go and that the endless locking down and restrictions are somewhat to blame for the current situation in Singapore:
 

 

“In contrast, Singapore, despite having the highest inoculation rate in Asia, slipped to its lowest ranking since the index was first published in July. The city-state is currently recording more than 3,000 new cases daily after breaching the 5,000 mark in a single day last week. The surge has placed stress on the health system, prompting authorities to maintain some limits on gatherings and dining.

Benjamin Cowling, head of the University of Hong Kong's Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, suggested Japan's greater number of cases throughout the pandemic may now be working in its favor.

"The level of immunity would be affected by how many people have been vaccinated, and also how many people have been infected," Cowling said. "In Japan, because there have been a lot more infections in the past two years, now there's the high vaccine coverage [and] there's also the high level of immunity from natural infections."

Cowling said he thinks "that's the reason why the case number is now at a low level" in Japan. But he warned cases could increase again in winter as the population's high level of immunity begins to wane.

Overall, Japan has recorded 1.72 million cases and over 18,000 COVID deaths. Singapore has logged more than 200,000 infections and held deaths below 450.

The city-state made it through much of the pandemic with few community cases. Its worst outbreak last year was confined to dormitories for migrant workers.

Now it is attempting a "living with COVID" strategy for gradually restarting the economy. As of Wednesday, 85% of Singaporeans had been fully vaccinated, including 17% who have received booster shots. Although cases remain elevated, the wide vaccine coverage has helped limit the case fatality rate to 0.2% -- comparable to the death rate of pneumonia, according to health official Janil Puthucheary.

Cowling said that he does not expect Singapore will continue to see a large number of infections, and that government's decision to open up is "rational."

Singapore diners eat in pairs on Nov. 3, as the city-state maintains some social restrictions as it transitions to "living with COVID."   © Reuters

"It makes a lot of sense to have a very close timing between the vaccination campaign and the relaxation of public health measures, because over the whole pandemic that may be the strategy which has the minimum number of deaths, unless you believe that the zero-COVID approach could be sustained forever," he said.”

[lonelyglobe]

On 11/7/2021 at 9:28 PM, Guest Guest said:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/Japan-leads-Asia-in-COVID-Recovery-Index-as-Singapore-lags

 

Anyone happy that we got 100...ie RANKED 100 OUT OF 121 in the Nikkei COVID-19 Recovery Index? Lol. 

 

Come... Let's all sing together... 

 

According to their logic, we must compare with the worst performing country,  so ya,  we still win 21 other countries,  that is a real achievement and well done. 

Edited November 7, 2021 by lonelyglobe

[Guest Guest]

On 11/7/2021 at 9:57 PM, Guest Wtf said:

The article confirms that opening up is the only way to go and that the endless locking down and restrictions are somewhat to blame for the current situation in Singapore:
 

 

“In contrast, Singapore, despite having the highest inoculation rate in Asia, slipped to its lowest ranking since the index was first published in July. The city-state is currently recording more than 3,000 new cases daily after breaching the 5,000 mark in a single day last week. The surge has placed stress on the health system, prompting authorities to maintain some limits on gatherings and dining.

Benjamin Cowling, head of the University of Hong Kong's Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, suggested Japan's greater number of cases throughout the pandemic may now be working in its favor.

"The level of immunity would be affected by how many people have been vaccinated, and also how many people have been infected," Cowling said. "In Japan, because there have been a lot more infections in the past two years, now there's the high vaccine coverage [and] there's also the high level of immunity from natural infections."

Cowling said he thinks "that's the reason why the case number is now at a low level" in Japan. But he warned cases could increase again in winter as the population's high level of immunity begins to wane.

Overall, Japan has recorded 1.72 million cases and over 18,000 COVID deaths. Singapore has logged more than 200,000 infections and held deaths below 450.

The city-state made it through much of the pandemic with few community cases. Its worst outbreak last year was confined to dormitories for migrant workers.

Now it is attempting a "living with COVID" strategy for gradually restarting the economy. As of Wednesday, 85% of Singaporeans had been fully vaccinated, including 17% who have received booster shots. Although cases remain elevated, the wide vaccine coverage has helped limit the case fatality rate to 0.2% -- comparable to the death rate of pneumonia, according to health official Janil Puthucheary.

Cowling said that he does not expect Singapore will continue to see a large number of infections, and that government's decision to open up is "rational."

Singapore diners eat in pairs on Nov. 3, as the city-state maintains some social restrictions as it transitions to "living with COVID."   © Reuters

"It makes a lot of sense to have a very close timing between the vaccination campaign and the relaxation of public health measures, because over the whole pandemic that may be the strategy which has the minimum number of deaths, unless you believe that the zero-COVID approach could be sustained forever," he said.”

 

The endless locking down and restrictions are was the reason why the covid death rate was so low in Singapore before August.

 

And it's outright hypocritical for Benjamin Cowling, head of the University of Hong Kong's Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, to encourage the reopening of the other economies, when HK itself is still relatively closed to the global stage and has maintained a very low infection and death rate. It just goes to show that you can never trust a foreigner to do anything in the best interest of other people's countries, even though some locals are not far behind in the treachery scale in pursuit of their own selfish goals. 

 

Look Taiwan on the scale, it is still ranked number 11, and compare this to Singapore #100. So who says the economy cannot remain closed and infection rate must remain high to get to those better ranks? Only treacherous people who is hoping for the economy to stay open at the expander of other people's death. 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/8/2021 at 11:19 AM, Guest Guest said:

 

The endless locking down and restrictions are was the reason why the covid death rate was so low in Singapore before August.

 

And it's outright hypocritical for Benjamin Cowling, head of the University of Hong Kong's Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, to encourage the reopening of the other economies, when HK itself is still relatively closed to the global stage and has maintained a very low infection and death rate. It just goes to show that you can never trust a foreigner to do anything in the best interest of other people's countries, even though some locals are not far behind in the treachery scale in pursuit of their own selfish goals. 

 

Look Taiwan on the scale, it is still ranked number 11, and compare this to Singapore #100. So who says the economy cannot remain closed and infection rate must remain high to get to those better ranks? Only treacherous people who is hoping for the economy to stay open at the expander of other people's death. 

To be honest, all these country rankings are a complete waste of time because we will only know which was the right approach once the pandemic is over.
 

At the moment, these are just snapshots of current status - what is going to happen in Taiwan once it opens up? Do you think the experience there will be significantly different to what Singapore is experiencing now? And comparing Taiwan to Singapore is anyway like comparing apples and oranges - Taiwan is a significantly larger country with a very different economic model. 

 

And why is it hypocritical of an expert to give their considered opinion just because they happen to live somewhere that has taken a different approach? Do we all have to think the same way as the leaders of the country we live in now to avoid being called a traitor? What a strange worldview…
 

 

[Guest Guest]

 

On 11/8/2021 at 12:09 PM, Guest Wtf said:

To be honest, all these country rankings are a complete waste of time because we will only know which was the right approach once the pandemic is over.
 

At the moment, these are just snapshots of current status - what is going to happen in Taiwan once it opens up? Do you think the experience there will be significantly different to what Singapore is experiencing now? And comparing Taiwan to Singapore is anyway like comparing apples and oranges - Taiwan is a significantly larger country with a very different economic model. 

 

And why is it hypocritical of an expert to give their considered opinion just because they happen to live somewhere that has taken a different approach? Do we all have to think the same way as the leaders of the country we live in now to avoid being called a traitor? What a strange worldview…
 

 

 

Take a look at what Ben Cowling, your supposed "expert" who gave his "considered opinion" said in March this year:

"How can we reduce super spreading? Cowling: If we can find ways to minimize the opportunity for super-spreading events, it would really help a lot."

 

And now, suddenly Singapore is doing the right thing by reopening and not attempting to reign in super-spreading? If such deaths-elsewhere-just-not-in-my-backyard mentality like yours and his is not hypocrisy, then what is? 

[Guest Guest]

https://sg.yahoo.com/news/45-year-old-among-17-more-covid-deaths-2553-new-cases-in-singapore-154820468.html

 

"The 481st to 497th fatalities here were aged between 45 and 89. All of them had various underlying medical conditions, except for an 85-year-old vaccinated case who had no known medical conditions, said the MOH."

 

A 45 year old dead, and a vaccinated elderly without known medical conditions died as well. Looks like the long arm of COVID-death-reaper is definitely reaching further and further into the population. 

 

But hey... as long as the businesses continue to make their money now, who care about all those deaths and what is going to happen in the future, right?  

 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/8/2021 at 1:12 PM, Guest Guest said:

https://sg.yahoo.com/news/45-year-old-among-17-more-covid-deaths-2553-new-cases-in-singapore-154820468.html

 

"The 481st to 497th fatalities here were aged between 45 and 89. All of them had various underlying medical conditions, except for an 85-year-old vaccinated case who had no known medical conditions, said the MOH."

 

A 45 year old dead, and a vaccinated elderly without known medical conditions died as well. Looks like the long arm of COVID-death-reaper is definitely reaching further and further into the population. 

 

But hey... as long as the businesses continue to make their money now, who care about all those deaths and what is going to happen in the future, right?  

 

yes, no 85 year old has ever died before, so please watch out for this  ‘COVID death reaper’ that is reaching people below the standard age of death pre-COVID, which was, what, 120, in the world of your imagination? 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/8/2021 at 12:38 PM, Guest Guest said:

 

 

Take a look at what Ben Cowling, your supposed "expert" who gave his "considered opinion" said in March this year:

"How can we reduce super spreading? Cowling: If we can find ways to minimize the opportunity for super-spreading events, it would really help a lot."

 

And now, suddenly Singapore is doing the right thing by reopening and not attempting to reign in super-spreading? If such deaths-elsewhere-just-not-in-my-backyard mentality like yours and his is not hypocrisy, then what is? 

tnat might have been the right approach in March considering the vaccine situation then. It’s November now, FYI, because not sure how your calendar is in your COVID proof bunker. 

[jlone]

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/over-500-cumulative-covid-deaths-in-singapore-as-14-more-die-2470-new-cases-145213231.html

[lonelyglobe]

No problem,  dont need to go europe,  can go KL. Open to Europe is only for talents and investors to come here and expats here can go home. 

 

Poor lions, got to live with covid now. 

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/four-asiatic-lions-at-night-safari-test-positive-for-covid-19

Edited November 9, 2021 by lonelyglobe

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/9/2021 at 11:12 PM, lonelyglobe said:

No problem,  dont need to go europe,  can go KL. Open to Europe is only for talents and investors to come here and expats here can go home. 

 

Poor lions, got to live with covid now. 

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/four-asiatic-lions-at-night-safari-test-positive-for-covid-19

It also seems that are quite a few locals using the VTLs to have a break from the restrictions in Singapore.

 

it would be interesting to see how many VTL journeys are return flights to Singapore and how many are people visiting here - I would guess the number of visitors is pretty small so far and that most of those visits are probably for business or family reunions, rather than tourism. 

[jlone]

No way of slowing  down n the prevention of death

 

 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/3397-new-covid-19-cases-12-more-deaths-in-singapore-152601451.html

[Guest guest]

On 11/10/2021 at 8:06 AM, Guest Wtf said:

It also seems that are quite a few locals using the VTLs to have a break from the restrictions in Singapore.

 

it would be interesting to see how many VTL journeys are return flights to Singapore and how many are people visiting here - I would guess the number of visitors is pretty small so far and that most of those visits are probably for business or family reunions, rather than tourism. 

Agreed, even sg open up to other countries to come here, but guess not many people come in for leisure holiday. Rather many people in sg is travelling out for leisure holiday. I have one colleague already plan to go korea next month, cause 2 years no go holiday.

[Guest better stay home]

Once go out and subsequently sick with covid, no free medical for you. Foot your own bill.

[Guest Fuck covid]

On 11/10/2021 at 6:50 PM, Guest better stay home said:

Once go out and subsequently sick with covid, no free medical for you. Foot your own bill.

Yes, stay in covid proof bunker for the rest of your life.

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/10/2021 at 8:06 AM, Guest Wtf said:

It also seems that are quite a few locals using the VTLs to have a break from the restrictions in Singapore.

 

it would be interesting to see how many VTL journeys are return flights to Singapore and how many are people visiting here - I would guess the number of visitors is pretty small so far and that most of those visits are probably for business or family reunions, rather than tourism. 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/over-36000-passes-issued-to-non-residents-to-enter-spore-under-vaccinated-travel

 

This article confirms that most ‘visitors’ using VTL are long term pass holders. Number of local VTL passengers is not given, so is hard to say how the overall split looks. 

[Guest Fuck covid]

This should be implemented in SG as well

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/12/europe/austria-unvaccinated-lockdown-europe-covid-intl/index.html

[Guest Guest]

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/indian-nationals-delighted-vtl-travel-agencies-flight-demand-surge-2316896

 

Indian nationals delighted about upcoming VTL; travel agencies see surge in demand for flights

 

 

[single42]

Slight decrease in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cases in ICU a ‘promising trend’: MOH - CNA (channelnewsasia.com)

 

Slight decrease in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cases in ICU a ‘promising trend’: MOH

 

 

SINGAPORE: The Health Ministry's director of medical services has described a slight decrease in the number of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cases in the intensive care unit (ICU) as a “promising trend” that provides a "slight reprieve".

 

Speaking at a COVID-19 multi-ministry task force press conference on Monday (Nov 15), Associate Professor Kenneth Mak said the ratio of active COVID-19 cases in the ICU in the past week over the week before was 0.94, “a small decrease in the number of cases in the ICU”.

 

He added that the overall number of active COVID-19 cases who were critically ill, intubated in the ICU or who were unstable and needed close monitoring was 121 as of Sunday, while there were 132 non-COVID-19 cases who were critically ill in the ICU.

 

The overall ICU utilisation rate was about 63.3 per cent, he said.

 

“It provides a slight reprieve, but we will need to see and watch the figures closely over the next few weeks to see if the trend is sustained,” he said.

 

If that were to happen, Assoc Prof Mak said he looked forward to hospitals allowing more employees to take leave and get a "well-earned rest".

 

In the latest figures provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday night, as of noon on Monday, 51 cases were unstable and under close monitoring in the ICU and 72 were critically ill and intubated. The overall ICU utilisation rate was 63.6 per cent.

 

 

HIGHER PROPORTION OF UNVACCINATED IN ICU

At the press conference on Monday, Assoc Prof Mak also said that while Singapore’s ICU capacity at this time remains sufficient to accommodate all severe cases, statistics showed that the benefits of vaccination among the elderly were clear.

 

Pointing to the seven-day moving average of active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population - for those above the age of 60 years who are critically ill and intubated in the ICU - he said the proportion of cases who were not fully vaccinated “remains high” compared to those who were fully vaccinated.

 

For those older than 70, there were 45.8 per 100,000 who are not fully vaccinated, compared to 6.4 per 100,000 who were fully vaccinated.

 

For those between 60 and 69 years of age, 49.7 per 100,000 were not fully vaccinated, compared to 2.6 per 100,000, who were fully vaccinated, he added.

 

When considering the seven-day moving average for death per 100,000 population among those above 70 years old, the death rate was 13.7 per 100,000 in the group not fully vaccinated, compared to 1.6 in the fully vaccinated group, Assoc Prof Mak said.

[lonelyglobe]

On 10/23/2021 at 3:58 PM, lonelyglobe said:

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/living-with-covid-19-new-domestic-border-measures-announced-on-oct-23

 

Oct transit first,  Nov come in ha... Ah Heng's friends and relatives from South Asia coming to visit him. Stay away from the airport if u dont need to go, i doubt they have learnt a lesson from the last mistake. 

 

Aiready send out warning in Oct,  no surprise. Looks like by Dec,  SG should be completely open to the rest of the world except china. It is time for SIA to earn back whatever that have been lost for the past 2 years. 

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by lonelyglobe

[Guest Go standardize]

Those safe entry systems seem to vary among malls.

Normally I tap my token on the plastic pads and then on their handphone for vax status.

This bukit timah shopping center so different. Tap token on pad. Then have to press on their handphone message. The Malay door man so impatient. Can they standardize their system?

[Guest guest]

Can have 5 pax gathering and dine-in from Mon. Covid cases better don't surge and they revert back to 2 pax again. I am quite sick to see the measures keep going forward and backward and forward and backward.

[Guest Logdown]

On 11/16/2021 at 10:41 PM, lonelyglobe said:

 

Aiready send out warning in Oct,  no surprise. Looks like by Dec,  SG should be completely open to the rest of the world except china. It is time for SIA to earn back whatever that have been lost for the past 2 years. 

 

Meanwhile, Germany is not ruling out lockdown for everyone. Spore has VTL with Germany. Wonder if the VTL will be rescinded if Germany goes on lockdown. 
 

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/germany-covid-19-not-ruling-out-lockdown-vaccinations-2325416

 

Germany not ruling out COVID-19 lockdown, even for the vaccinated

A person passes a sign, that indicates that masks are mandatory in Marburg, Germany, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

19 Nov 2021 06:52PM (Updated: 19 Nov 2021 06:52PM)

BookmarkShare

 

BERLIN: Germany's coronavirus situation is so grave that a lockdown, including people who have been vaccinated, cannot be ruled out, the health minister said on Friday (Nov 19), as Austria said it would go back into full lockdown from Monday.

 

"We are now in a situation - even if this produces a news alert - where we can't rule anything out," acting health minister Jens Spahn told a news conference.

[Guest Guest]

On 11/21/2021 at 5:15 PM, Guest Logdown said:

Meanwhile, Germany is not ruling out lockdown for everyone. Spore has VTL with Germany. Wonder if the VTL will be rescinded if Germany goes on lockdown. 
 

 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/germany-covid-19-not-ruling-out-lockdown-vaccinations-2325416

 

Germany not ruling out COVID-19 lockdown, even for the vaccinated

A person passes a sign, that indicates that masks are mandatory in Marburg, Germany, November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

19 Nov 2021 06:52PM (Updated: 19 Nov 2021 06:52PM)

BookmarkShare

 

BERLIN: Germany's coronavirus situation is so grave that a lockdown, including people who have been vaccinated, cannot be ruled out, the health minister said on Friday (Nov 19), as Austria said it would go back into full lockdown from Monday.

 

"We are now in a situation - even if this produces a news alert - where we can't rule anything out," acting health minister Jens Spahn told a news conference.

 

Anyone gonna tell the Germans to go live in their COVID bunkers? Or is the general Singaporean population been tuned over generations for everyone to bully, so anyone can go tell Singaporeans to live in their covid19 bunkers and get away with it? 

[singalion]

On 11/10/2021 at 8:06 AM, Guest Wtf said:

It also seems that are quite a few locals using the VTLs to have a break from the restrictions in Singapore.

 

it would be interesting to see how many VTL journeys are return flights to Singapore and how many are people visiting here - I would guess the number of visitors is pretty small so far and that most of those visits are probably for business or family reunions, rather than tourism. 

 

Probably the first visitors to Singapore are relatives, parents, children, grandparents who haven't seen each other for about 18 months to 2 years. 

However, during my VTL return flight to Singapore to a bigger European country  there were many Singaporean tourists who had been holidaying in Europe. Some even brought their own bicycles or other sports equipment, next to my business seat was a Singaporean TV starlet who said she travelled 10 days in Paris and Bavaria on her own. 

From my perception on the flight probably 20% tourists, 40 % expats and / or their relatives and 40% Singaporeans. I walked to the economy for a look and flight was 95% occupied while business was full. 

On the flight from Singapoee to Europe it was a mix of transfer passengers from all over Asia/Australia, Singaporeans and expats. 

 

Don't forget , still not many airlines have taken up international flights or these countries allowing visitors to their country. SQ is therefore having a big market share on transfer passengers at the moment. Most of them due to quarantine requirement in Singapore won't have a stop over here. 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by singalion

[gc0805]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/21/icu-is-full-of-the-unvaccinated-my-patience-with-them-is-wearing-thin

The sentiments expressed are those of our HCW too.

Edited November 21, 2021 by gc0805

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/21/2021 at 7:35 PM, Guest Guest said:

 

Anyone gonna tell the Germans to go live in their COVID bunkers? Or is the general Singaporean population been tuned over generations for everyone to bully, so anyone can go tell Singaporeans to live in their covid19 bunkers and get away with it? 

if they start posting nonsense on here and accusing others of taking drugs, or post racist messages or messages celebrating deaths or wishing death on other posters, along with freaking out about COVID and ignoring all facts, then I suppose they might get told to get in the bunker with you, yes. 

[Guest Guest]

Lets roll out the red carpet to welcome the invasion of the Omicron variant into Singapore now. 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/26/health/omicron-variant-what-we-know/index.html

What we know about the Omicron variant

(CNN)A new and potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has prompted a fresh round of travel restrictions across the world and raised concern about what may be next in the pandemic.

 

The World Health Organization Friday designated the strain, now named Omicron, as a variant of concern and said multiple studies are underway as advisers continue to monitor the variant.

 

While scientists say there is reason to be concerned over the variant, they stress there is still a lot we don't know -- including whether the variant is indeed more contagious, whether it causes more severe disease or what its effects on vaccine efficacy may be.

"While this is concerning, as the WHO has indicated, I do think that we have to step back and wait for the science on this," epidemiologist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed told CNN.

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/26/belgium-confirms-case-of-new-heavily-mutated-covid-variant.html

 

Belgium confirms case of new, heavily mutated Covid variant

 

Belgium has confirmed a case of the new, heavily mutated variant of the virus that causes Covid-19, according to one of the country’s leading virologists.

 

Marc Van Ranst, who works with the Rega Institute for Medical Research, said a sample was confirmed as the novel B.1.1.529 variant in a traveler who returned from Egypt on Nov. 11. The patient first showed symptoms on Nov. 22.

 

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke told reporters that the individual was unvaccinated, according to Reuters.

 

“It is a suspicious variant. We do not know if it is a very dangerous variant,” Vandenbroucke said, according to Reuters.

 

Belgium is home to the capital of the European Union in Brussels.

 

The variant was detected in a small number of samples in South Africa, according to the World Health Organization. There were also reports on Friday morning that cases had been found in Israel and Hong Kong.

 

The B.1.1.529 variant contains 30 mutations to the spike protein that allows the virus to enter the body, scientist Tulio de Oliveira said Thursday during a briefing held by the South African Department of Health. The new strain has roughly 50 mutations in total, including 10 to the receptor binding domain, the part of the virus that first comes in contact with cells.

 

The highly contagious delta variant, which the WHO says accounts for 99% of the world’s Covid cases, has just two mutations to the receptor binding domain.

 

Health officials caution that many of these mutations could lead to increased antibody resistance and transmissibility, limiting the effectiveness of Covid vaccines. The WHO convened a meeting Friday to determine how Covid therapeutics and immunizations might be affected by the new variant.

 

The WHO’s virus evolution working group will determine whether to list the new strain as a variant of interest or a variant of concern. The variant of concern label is reserved for Covid mutations that are more contagious, more virulent and more skilled at evading public health measures, vaccines and therapeutics.

 

The emerging variant arrives in Europe amid an already devastating Covid surge linked to the delta strain. Europe saw more than 2.4 million new Covid cases over the week ended Nov. 21, an increase of 11% from the previous seven days, according to the WHO’s most recent epidemiological update.

 

Europe represented 67% of all Covid cases reported globally during that span, the WHO measured.

 

Belgium tightened restrictions this week to stop the spread of the virus, requiring people to work from home four days a week through the middle of December. Austria started its fourth lockdown of the pandemic on Monday, with a nationwide vaccine mandate scheduled to take effect on Feb. 1. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has said that the lockdown will last for at most 20 days.

 

Slovakia followed suit Wednesday with a two-week lockdown, closing restaurants and select businesses in hopes of curbing the nation’s latest Covid outbreak, Reuters reported. The Netherlands entered a partial lockdown on Saturday as well, requiring some companies to shut early and preventing the public from attending sporting events for three weeks.

 

The U.K. has already halted flights from six countries in the region, and European Union member states have collectively agree to pause travel to and from southern Africa.

 

Singapore is also banning flights from southern Africa, with Japan increasing border controls for travelers from the region.

[Guest Fuck covid]

Usually if a virus is more transmissible, it becomes less potent. Let's pray that the new variant is less potent 🙏

[Kimochi]

On 11/27/2021 at 8:38 PM, Guest Fuck covid said:

Usually if a virus is more transmissible, it becomes less potent. Let's pray that the new variant is less potent 🙏

For human modified virus the case night be different because its been engineered to "perfection"

[Guest covid Fucked You]

 

 

On 11/27/2021 at 8:38 PM, Guest Fuck covid said:

Usually if a virus is more transmissible, it becomes less potent. Let's pray that the new variant is less potent 🙏

 

 

[Guest Guest]

https://bit.ly/3He0Kvf#?act=cl&pid=16085_md&uid=1&vid=7670&ofid=1193&lid=213&cid=1794397

 

South African doctor who raised alarm about omicron variant says symptoms are ‘unusual but mild’

[Guest covid Fucked You]

sinkies are rejoicing because of probable lockdown and border closure

[Guest Guest]

On 11/28/2021 at 9:49 AM, Guest Guest said:

https://bit.ly/3He0Kvf#?act=cl&pid=16085_md&uid=1&vid=7670&ofid=1193&lid=213&cid=1794397

 

South African doctor who raised alarm about omicron variant says symptoms are ‘unusual but mild’

 

Delta was "mild" too. But the increased transmissibility also increased the Covid mortality in Singapore by 100x from less than 50 to more than 500.  

 

On 11/28/2021 at 9:54 AM, Guest covid Fucked You said:

sinkies are rejoicing because of probable lockdown and border closure

 

Depends on who you talk to. People like Guest Wtf will be sad that he needs to retreat back to his dark prison cell home where bare walls surround him. 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/28/2021 at 10:00 AM, Guest Guest said:

 

Delta was "mild" too. But the increased transmissibility also increased the Covid mortality in Singapore by 100x from less than 50 to more than 500.  

 

 

Depends on who you talk to. People like Guest Wtf will be sad that he needs to retreat back to his dark prison cell home where bare walls surround him. 

wow, you are nearly as obsessed with me as you are with COVID.

 

anyway, when it comes to the new variant there are many more questions than answers and information to date is on tiny number of cases - nobody can yet say if it is more virulent even if it might be more infectious.
 

No need to go into the bunker just yet (of course, some people never left theirs). 

[Guest Wtf]

On 11/27/2021 at 8:38 PM, Guest Fuck covid said:

Usually if a virus is more transmissible, it becomes less potent. Let's pray that the new variant is less potent 🙏

yes, this might actually be another way out of the pandemic - a less potent and more infectious strain becoming the dominant variant. 

[Guest Guest]

On 11/28/2021 at 10:21 AM, Guest Wtf said:

wow, you are nearly as obsessed with me as you are with COVID.

 

anyway, when it comes to the new variant there are many more questions than answers and information to date is on tiny number of cases - nobody can yet say if it is more virulent even if it might be more infectious.
 

No need to go into the bunker just yet (of course, some people never left theirs). 

 

"Obsessed" with you? "Narcissistic" describes you well.  

 

 

 

On 11/27/2021 at 1:45 PM, Guest Guest said:

Lets roll out the red carpet to welcome the invasion of the Omicron variant into Singapore now. 

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/26/health/omicron-variant-what-we-know/index.html

What we know about the Omicron variant

(CNN)A new and potentially more transmissible coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa has prompted a fresh round of travel restrictions across the world and raised concern about what may be next in the pandemic.

 

The World Health Organization Friday designated the strain, now named Omicron, as a variant of concern and said multiple studies are underway as advisers continue to monitor the variant.

 

While scientists say there is reason to be concerned over the variant, they stress there is still a lot we don't know -- including whether the variant is indeed more contagious, whether it causes more severe disease or what its effects on vaccine efficacy may be.

"While this is concerning, as the WHO has indicated, I do think that we have to step back and wait for the science on this," epidemiologist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed told CNN.

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/26/belgium-confirms-case-of-new-heavily-mutated-covid-variant.html

 

Belgium confirms case of new, heavily mutated Covid variant

 

Belgium has confirmed a case of the new, heavily mutated variant of the virus that causes Covid-19, according to one of the country’s leading virologists.

 

Marc Van Ranst, who works with the Rega Institute for Medical Research, said a sample was confirmed as the novel B.1.1.529 variant in a traveler who returned from Egypt on Nov. 11. The patient first showed symptoms on Nov. 22.

 

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke told reporters that the individual was unvaccinated, according to Reuters.

 

“It is a suspicious variant. We do not know if it is a very dangerous variant,” Vandenbroucke said, according to Reuters.

 

Belgium is home to the capital of the European Union in Brussels.

 

The variant was detected in a small number of samples in South Africa, according to the World Health Organization. There were also reports on Friday morning that cases had been found in Israel and Hong Kong.

 

The B.1.1.529 variant contains 30 mutations to the spike protein that allows the virus to enter the body, scientist Tulio de Oliveira said Thursday during a briefing held by the South African Department of Health. The new strain has roughly 50 mutations in total, including 10 to the receptor binding domain, the part of the virus that first comes in contact with cells.

 

The highly contagious delta variant, which the WHO says accounts for 99% of the world’s Covid cases, has just two mutations to the receptor binding domain.

 

Health officials caution that many of these mutations could lead to increased antibody resistance and transmissibility, limiting the effectiveness of Covid vaccines. The WHO convened a meeting Friday to determine how Covid therapeutics and immunizations might be affected by the new variant.

 

The WHO’s virus evolution working group will determine whether to list the new strain as a variant of interest or a variant of concern. The variant of concern label is reserved for Covid mutations that are more contagious, more virulent and more skilled at evading public health measures, vaccines and therapeutics.

 

The emerging variant arrives in Europe amid an already devastating Covid surge linked to the delta strain. Europe saw more than 2.4 million new Covid cases over the week ended Nov. 21, an increase of 11% from the previous seven days, according to the WHO’s most recent epidemiological update.

 

Europe represented 67% of all Covid cases reported globally during that span, the WHO measured.

 

Belgium tightened restrictions this week to stop the spread of the virus, requiring people to work from home four days a week through the middle of December. Austria started its fourth lockdown of the pandemic on Monday, with a nationwide vaccine mandate scheduled to take effect on Feb. 1. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg has said that the lockdown will last for at most 20 days.

 

Slovakia followed suit Wednesday with a two-week lockdown, closing restaurants and select businesses in hopes of curbing the nation’s latest Covid outbreak, Reuters reported. The Netherlands entered a partial lockdown on Saturday as well, requiring some companies to shut early and preventing the public from attending sporting events for three weeks.

 

The U.K. has already halted flights from six countries in the region, and European Union member states have collectively agree to pause travel to and from southern Africa.

 

Singapore is also banning flights from southern Africa, with Japan increasing border controls for travelers from the region.

 

The real reason why it was named Omicron variant: 

 

 

The last two discovered were called, respectively, Lambda and Mu. Although these letters are followed by Nu and Xi in the Greek Alphabet, the WHO decided to skip them.

 

According to WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris, Nu was not employed to avoid confusion in English-speaking countries.

 

“Nu sounds too much like ‘new’ in English,” Harris told Corriere della Sera. “In short, the English-speaking world would have found itself in the situation of hearing two extremely similar sounds in a sentence in which it spoke of the ‘new Nu variant’ and would have thought that it was only a new variant, not the name of that variant.”

 

Regarding Xi, the problem was geopolitical.

 

“Xi is an extremely common last name,” she said. “Our guidelines impose not to use names that could harm cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups.”

 

Xi is common in China. It is also the name of the current president, Xi Jinping.