Singapore morning news for March 26, 2020

Coronavirus: Singapore and Malaysia align protocols for border screening, return of travellers exhibiting symptoms
The two countries agreed on applying the same cut-off of 37.5 deg C for the definition of travellers with a fever at the second meeting of the Singapore-Malaysia joint working group.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Record 73 new cases; fresh cluster of 18 cases at Fengshan pre-school
Singapore yesterday confirmed a new daily high of 73 coronavirus cases, while a new cluster of 18 cases has emerged at the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots centre at Fengshan Block 126.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

All travellers arriving in Singapore to receive Stay-Home Notice requirements in advance
ALL travellers arriving in Singapore, including Singapore citizens, permanent residents and Long-Term Pass holders, must submit a health declaration before proceeding with immigration clearance, said the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in a statement on Wednesday.
— The Business Times

Singapore scientists plan to start testing COVID-19 vaccine this year: Gan Kim Yong
Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School are working with international partners to develop a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine, with plans for tests to start this year.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Election cannot be delayed unless state of emergency is called: Teo
IT would be unconstitutional to delay holding the General Election beyond the April 2021 deadline as such a delay can only take place if a state of emergency is called, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said in Parliament on Wednesday.
— The Business Times

940,000 households to get $134 million in S&CC rebates
About 940,000 Singaporean HDB households will receive service and conservancy charges rebates worth $134 million from April 2020 to March 2021, as the Government seeks to help them with their expenses amid difficult economic times.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Work-pass holders from Malaysia must get MOM approval to enter Singapore
Work-pass holders planning to enter Singapore from Malaysia must first obtain approval from the Ministry of Manpower before they begin their journeys.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

COVID-19: PM Lee urges returning travellers to stay home, isolate themselves
Be responsible and stay at home if you have just returned from abroad, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Mar 25), following a Parliament session where substantive updates on the COVID-19 outbreak were delivered.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Closure of schools and workplaces possible if number of Covid-19 cases continues rising: Lawrence Wong
SINGAPORE has reached a critical phase in its fight against the novel coronavirus, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday, as he signalled the possibility of introducing more drastic measures that include the closure of schools and some workplaces if the number of infected cases continues to rise.
— The Business Times

COVID-19: Those who breach stay-home notice will be charged in court, says Shanmugam
Those who breach stay-home notices issued to curb the COVID-19 pandemic will be charged in court, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam told Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

COVID-19: Clubs ditch promotions, call off ‘farewell’ parties on final night before closures take effect
Some clubs which had planned to hold promotional events on the night before their venues are slated to close have decided against such moves, they told CNA on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

COVID-19: All activities at CCs, RCs and PA facilities to be suspended
All courses and organised activities held at Community Clubs, Community Centres (CC), Residents’ Committee (RC) Centres and other People’s Association (PA) facilities from Friday (Mar 27) to Apr 30, will be suspended.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus: MOM will not extend temporary housing support to Malaysian workers
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is urging employers to find longer term accommodation for their Malaysian workers employed in Singapore given that the government will not extend temporary housing support beyond March 31.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore’s strategy in fighting Covid-19
The crux of Singapore’s strategy is to slow down the infection rate and maintain it at as low a level for as long as possible, Mr Gan said.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

S’pore firm calls for global alliance to develop Covid-19 antibody treatment for patients with serious health conditions
As the global death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic inches towards the 20,000 mark, scientists all over the world are racing against time to develop vaccines against the virus.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Covid-19: NTU implements pass/fail option for all undergraduate courses in the semester
NTU had previously announced that most semester exams will be brought forward and converted into continual assessments.
— Mothership

S’pore sends Brunei 3,000 tests & PCR machine to help fight Covid-19
Singapore is contributing medical supplies to the Brunei government to help fight the Covid-19 outbreak.
— Mothership

Sufficient capacity in healthcare system amid COVID-19 outbreak, but Singapore cannot be complacent: Gan Kim Yong
While Singapore has sufficient capacity in its healthcare system to handle the COVID-19 outbreak, the country cannot be complacent and needs to preserve its buffer capacity, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

COVID-19: Singapore expands contact tracing teams to prepare for surge in cases
To prepare for an expected surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, Singapore has increased the number of teams for contact tracing from three to 20, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

MOM reminds employers not to let safety slip at the workplace amid Covid-19 outbreak
Employers should not ignore workers’ safety even as they adjust work arrangements amid the evolving Covid-19 situation, Minister of State for National Development Zaqy Mohamad has said.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

NUS, NTU students allowed to take more modules on ungraded basis to ease COVID-19 anxiety
Two universities are allowing students to take more modules on an ungraded basis to ease concerns about their education during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to emails issued on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

COVID-19: Employers should encourage telecommuting to reduce crowds on public transport, says Lawrence Wong
Employers should push aggressively for staff to telecommute to reduce the load on public transport, as part of safe distancing measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

S’porean who breached Covid-19 stay-home notice for bak kut teh: ‘I thought it started the next day’
His craving for bak kut teh led to a minister issuing a stern warning in Parliament on Wednesday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

MAS, ACRA to propose legislative changes for conduct of shareholder meetings amid COVID-19
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) are working with other government agencies to propose legislative amendments in relation to the conduct of meetings, which include general meetings and scheme meetings.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

S’pore took Trump’s Covid-19 guidelines leading to ‘very few’ infections, US health official says
Singapore took United States President Donald Trump’s guidelines on tackling the Covid-19 outbreak, U.S. health official Deborah Birx said.
— Mothership

S’pore’s suicide rates haven’t improved since 1980s, & needs a national strategy: NMP Anthea Ong
Singapore took United States President Donald Trump’s guidelines on tackling the Covid-19 outbreak, U.S. health official Deborah Birx said.
— Mothership

Unconstitutional to delay General Election and have president form caretaker government: Teo Chee Hean
Suggestions to delay the General Election due to the COVID-19 outbreak and to have the president form a caretaker government are unconstitutional, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean in Parliament on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore Pools to close Livewires venues and off-course betting centres; live lottery draws to be conducted behind closed doors
All Livewire venues and off-course betting centres will be closed for live sports betting and horse racing until further notice from Thursday (Mar 26), said Singapore Pools.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus derails public transport ridership worldwide
Public transport in major cities around the world has taken a hit from the Covid-19 outbreak, with ridership falling by as much as 90 per cent in some places.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Message that student with COVID-19 had visited club is ‘unverified’: Zouk
A message circulating on social media that a student with COVID-19 had visited Zouk is ‘unverified’, a spokesperson for the club said on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

‘Only at the beginning of a very long fight’: Lawrence Wong says Singapore will continue to review COVID-19 measures
Singapore is “only at the beginning of a very long fight” against COVID-19, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Mar 25) as he warned that the outbreak could continue for “many more months until the end of the year and perhaps even beyond”.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus: ComfortDelGro Taxi drivers to get additional $10 rental cut daily, rental waivers for those on 5-day medical leave
Drivers working for ComfortDelGro Taxi will get an additional $10 rental relief daily, as their earnings are expected to drop further following more stringent measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Jail for cop who pocketed more than $200 from wallets handed over to him at NPC
A policeman abused the trust placed in him when he repeatedly took cash from wallets which had been handed to Pasir Ris Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) for safekeeping.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

No reason to stockpile food, essential supplies amid tighter COVID-19 measures: Lawrence Wong
Even though the country has tightened its measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there is no need to stockpile food and other essential supplies, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Bank of Singapore urging leveraged clients to sell in market rally
The head of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp’s private banking arm said the coronavirus-fueled crisis has yet to peak and leveraged clients should take advantage of market rallies to offload some investments.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Parliament implements COVID-19 measures including safe distancing
Safe distancing measures were implemented in Parliament from Wednesday (Mar 25) as part of measures against COVID-19, Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin said at the opening of the session.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

NTUC sets aside $4m to bring total training fund supporting freelancers to $40m
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has set aside $4 million to help freelancers who are union members cope with the lull in business due to the coronavirus outbreak.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore, 6 other countries committed to maintaining open supply chains: Joint statement
Singapore and six other countries on Wednesday (Mar 25) issued a joint ministerial statement highlighting their commitment to maintaining open supply chains amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Price of 95-octane grade petrol down by 20 cents a litre amid oil price plunge
As global oil prices plunged amid a price war between top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, the price of the most popular 95-octane grade petrol at pump stations in Singapore has fallen by 20 cents a litre.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus closures may hit Singapore Reits harder than the global financial crisis
The coronavirus outbreak may hit Singapore real estate investment trusts (Reits) harder than the global financial crisis (GFC) did, according to Jefferies Financial Group.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Some MRT stations on East-West, North-South lines to close early for renewal works
Some stations along the East-West and North-South lines will close early between April and June for maintenance and renewal works, said SMRT on Wednesday (Mar 25).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Commentary: No ordinary disruption – a rising generation meets the coronavirus
Facing extraordinary disruption, Singapore students in higher education may view the future with pessimism but this COVID-19 outbreak presents a chance for us to take back the narrative, says Ng Chia Wee.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

COVID-19: Education Minister Ong Ye Kung addresses 4 common questions from parents
New strict measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak were announced on Tuesday (Mar 24).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Man jailed for molesting teenage stepdaughter and 2 other women
A man molested three victims, including his teenage stepdaughter, on separate occasions between 2003 and last year.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Man who grew cannabis plants in his Yishun flat gets 4 years’ jail
A man who grew cannabis plants in his Yishun flat was sentenced to four years’ jail on Wednesday (Mar 25) for cultivating a Class A controlled drug and other drug-related charges.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Pilot gets jail for throwing brick down HDB block onto police car
A Scoot pilot was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Wednesday (Mar 25) for throwing a brick down from a Housing & Development Board block onto a police vehicle, causing about S$2,780 of damage.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Man to be charged over illegally setting off fireworks in Jurong West during Deepavali
A 38-year-old man who illegally set off fireworks in Jurong West during Deepavali celebrations last year is expected to be charged in court on Thursday (March 26).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Feature photo Gregory Lehner

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo focuses on World Meteorological Day, March 23.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

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Singapore morning news for March 26 added by Justhine De Guzman Uy on March 26, 2020
View all posts by Justhine De Guzman Uy →

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Justhine De Guzman Uy

Writer at AEC News Today

Justhine De Guzman Uy completed a Bachelor of Arts Major in Mass Communication at New Era University, Quezon City, the Philippines in 2016

After graduation she worked at the Philippine Broadcasting Service performing transcription and business news writing, before moving to Eagle Broadcasting Corporation where she worked as a news editor, translator and production assistant.