Singapore morning news for February 7, 2020

Coronavirus outbreak: Singapore confirms 2 more cases, one who attended Grand Hyatt meeting
Singapore confirmed two new cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday (Feb 6), bringing the total number of people infected in the country to 30, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Wuhan virus: Singapore becomes 2nd most infected country after Japan outside of China
Yesterday (5 Feb), it was reported that Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed four new cases of the novel Wuhan coronavirus in Singapore.
— The Online Citizen

Condition worsens for 2 coronavirus patients in Singapore: MOH
The condition of two coronavirus patients in Singapore has worsened, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

WHO probes Singapore conference linked to virus spread
Singapore yesterday confirmed a local coronavirus case linked to a meeting at the Grand Hyatt Singapore as the World Health Organisation (WHO) began an investigation into the business gathering.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

73% of new drug abusers arrested in 2019 are meth users
Methamphetamine (meth) continues to be the most common drug used among new abusers in Singapore, the latest Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) statistics report showed.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Screening at airports In India on Passengers from Singapore and Thailand
Straits Times reported yesterday that India is currently screening passengers on flights coming from Singapore and Thailand.
— The Online Citizen

Employers must notify MOM of workers returning from China ahead of leave of absence
It will be mandatory for all workers returning from mainland China to be placed on a 14-day Leave of Absence (LOA) as Singapore steps up measures to contain the coronavirus situation, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Grab to provide training, financial support for delivery and driver partners
In light of the coronavirus situation, Grab is extending its income protection efforts to all GrabFood delivery-partners, in addition to the existing measures in place to support its driver-partners, the ride-hailing firm said on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

What we know about the 5 families among Singapore’s confirmed coronavirus cases
At least 12 people from five families, including a foreign domestic helper, are among the confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Singapore so far.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

WHO investigates Singapore conference linked to foreign coronavirus spread
At least three employees of a multinational company that held a meeting of more than 100 international staff in Singapore have contracted the new coronavirus, sparking a World Health Organization investigation of the case.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

M’sian hospital apologises for poster asking visitors if they’ve been to S’pore, Sabah amid virus outbreak
A controversial poster located in a Malaysian hospital has been making its rounds on Facebook since Tuesday (Feb. 4).
— Mothership

MAS: Exchange rate-based policy stance to be maintained amid Coronavirus outbreak
The exchange rate-based monetary policy stance adopted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) will remain unchanged because there is still leeway for the currency to ease within its current settings in the midst of decelerating economic trends as a result of the Chinese viral outbreak, the central bank stated.
— The Online Citizen

Coronavirus: Impact on aviation sector will be worse than Sars outbreak, says Khaw Boon Wan
This is so because China is now a much larger market and a much larger source of tourism for Singapore and the region, he said during a visit to Changi Airport.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore Airlines to launch fifth daily flight to Perth in June
Amid travel jitters surrounding the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced it will launch its fifth daily flight to the Australian city of Perth later this year.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore and Indonesia share ‘very strong’ commitment in wanting peace, growth and prosperity: President Halimah
The bilateral relationship between Singapore and Indonesia shows a very strong commitment from both leaders in wanting peace, growth and prosperity, said President Halimah Yacob on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Couple who boarded cruise ship in S’pore battling cabin fever as Japan quarantines passengers
For the second day in a row, British couple Elaine and John Spencer have whiled away their time watching movies in bed and having meals delivered to their room.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Citibank cancels annual investor conference in Singapore over coronavirus outbreak
Citibank has cancelled an annual investor conference originally scheduled for this month, adding to the list of events that have been called off or postponed in Singapore due to the outbreak of a novel coronavirus.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Commentary: Looks like containment of novel coronavirus not as effective as we had hoped
Critical differences between the epidemiology of the novel coronavirus and SARS make containment less effective as a strategy and mitigation more urgent, says Hitoshi Oshitani.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

DORSCON: What you need to know about the framework that guides Singapore’s pandemic response
The way Singapore deals with outbreaks like the novel coronavirus is guided by a framework known as DORSCON (Disease Outbreak Response System Condition), according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

‘Steady wave’ of fake news on coronavirus in the region: Facebook fact-checker
No, you cannot steam your face masks in order to reuse them in the battle against the novel coronavirus.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Budget 2020 will help those hit by coronavirus outbreak: Indranee
BUDGET 2020 will be “comprehensive”, with “assurance and support” given to sectors hit by the coronavirus outbreak, Second Minister for Finance and Education Indranee Rajah said in a radio interview.
— The Business Times

Chinese aerobatics team will go for regular temperature, health monitoring while in Singapore: MINDEF
The Chinese aerobatics team set to perform at the upcoming Singapore Airshow, despite the travel restrictions on visitors from China, will go for regular temperature and health monitoring during their stay here, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

New rules on qualifying cert offer reprieve to Singapore developers
SOME Singapore-listed housing developers can now apply to be exempted from the Qualifying Certificate (QC) rules imposed on foreign housing developers, provided they have a “substantial connection to Singapore”.
— The Business Times

Are Singapore’s foreign labour source markets diversified enough?
THE global spread of the novel coronavirus has revived concern over Singapore’s economic reliance on rank-and-file workers from overseas – including from mainland China, where the respiratory disease originated.
— The Business Times

Students advocate for introduction of Singapore’s own Freedom of Information Bill
A group of Singaporean students are advocating for the introduction of a Freedom of Information Bill (FOIB) to allow better access to public information and data in Singapore “in light of contemporary advances in falsehood propagation, and an ever-growing need for evidenced-based policy research”.
— The Online Citizen

Impact of novel coronavirus to be larger but shorter-lived than Sars: StanChart economists
DUE to the fast-spreading novel coronavirus, economists at Standard Chartered Bank expect the global economy to undergo a deeper, but shorter-lived downturn in the early months of 2020 relative to 2003’s Sars epidemic.
— The Business Times

Coronavirus: Hotel revenues take a hit as cancellation numbers grow
Hotel occupancy here has been badly hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Jurong Region Line fleet to have 62 trains, testing to start in 2024
A total of 62 three-car trains will make up the fleet for the upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL), which is expected to start operations in 2026.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

US, Singapore support cross-border data transfer by financial services firms
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the US Treasury, in a joint statement on Thursday (Feb 6), supported the case for cross-border data transfer by financial services firms without the need for data localisation, as long as financial regulators have access to data needed for regulatory and supervisory purposes.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Viral video of couple giving out free masks outside Punggol MRT station
A Singaporean man and his Vietnamese wife garnered attention online after a Facebook post by the Singapore Atrium Sales on 4 February went viral.
— The Online Citizen

Graphic novelist educates public about face masks through a short comic
Award-winning graphic novelist Sonny Liew, made a short comic titled “Baffled Bunny & Curious Cat in Masks” to inform the public on the proper use of surgical masks. Mr Liew, who is the first Singaporean to win an Eisner Award in 2017, posted the comic to his Facebook page on 5 February.
— The Online Citizen

Netizens criticize poor planning of the underground bicycle parking at Kampung Admiralty
On Tuesday (4 Feb), Transport Minister, Khaw Boon Wan, informed Parliament that the popularity of shared bicycles and e-scooter in Singapore had dramatically altered the demand for paid underground bicycle parking.
— The Online Citizen

Direct govt intervention, Yale-NUS “self-censorship” possible reasons behind course cancellation, says Alfian Sa’at
The Yale-NUS College’s decision to cancel the ‘Dissent and Resistance in Singapore’ programme last Sep was likely driven “either by direct government intervention, or an act of self-censorship by Yale-NUS”, said renowned playwright Alfian Sa’at.
— The Online Citizen

Listed property developers with ‘substantial connection to Singapore’ can be exempted from qualifying certificate scheme
Listed housing developers with a substantial connection to Singapore can apply to be exempted from the qualifying certificate (QC) scheme, which imposes certain conditions when they buy residential land for development.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

ST Forumer complains about fee increase of Hindi language classes in Singapore
A member of the public, Rajiv George Aricat, wrote to ST Forum complaining about the fee increase of Hindi language classes in Singapore.
— The Online Citizen

Sungei Kadut to be developed into agri-tech park, high-rise industrial facilities
A 30-year plan to redevelop Sungei Kadut is set to revitalise one of Singapore’s oldest industrial estates.
— The Online Citizen

Singaporean deep tech company Dathena eyes North America growth with new HQ launch
Singaporean deep tech firm Dathena announced today the official opening of its US headquarters, located in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City.
— e27

Judgment reserved in TOC’s POFMA challenge, arguments on whether falsehoods can be re-published
Judgment was reserved on Thursday (Feb 6) in The Online Citizen’s (TOC) appeal against a correction direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Exhibition marking 200 years of policing in Singapore opens at National Museum
An exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore which brings visitors through 200 years of policing in Singapore was officially opened to the public on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore policemen share stories of secret societies, hell riders and cold-blooded murders
As the police celebrate their 200th anniversary, The Straits Times speaks to past and present police officers who have been part of the police force’s transformation.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Hmlet launches more co-living properties in Tiong Bahru
Co-living company Hmlet has added to its collection of heritage properties in Tiong Bahru so it now manages 48 properties in Singapore with more than 1,000 rooms.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

DBS completes first financing transaction on Singapore’s digital national trade platform
DBS Bank has completed the first trade financing transaction on Singapore’s Networked Trade Platform (NTP), the lender said in a press statement on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Jurong Region Line to use Korean trains with emergency battery propulsion
Trains for the Jurong Region Line (JRL), slated to be operational from 2026, will have emergency batteries which will allow them to be driven to the nearest station should there be a power failure.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

2 years’ jail for man caught on CCTV hitting 6-year-old boy
A man continued hitting his girlfriend’s son after checking that there were no injuries on the boy’s face – only to have his actions captured on close-circuit television (CCTV).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Woodlands e-biker allegedly beats pedestrian, 55, leaving him with broken ribs & damaged vision
The victim was allegedly left with 30 per cent vision in his right eye.
— Mothership

Woman jailed over fake ‘DBS Bank’ gold investment scheme
A 38-year-old woman has been jailed after cheating another woman of 1kg of gold bars via a fake investment scheme purportedly offered by DBS Bank.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Maid jailed for filing false report that her employer’s husband sexually assaulted her
Angry at her employer’s husband and hoping to get a new boss, a maid filed a false report claiming that the man had sexually assaulted her.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Teacher admits sexually exploiting 14-year-old student after plying her with gifts
A teacher cultivated a relationship with one of his Secondary 3 students, plying her with gifts and taking her to his flat where he sexually abused her.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Woman illegally ordered daughter’s maids to clean other houses, make chilli paste for money
A woman who instructed two of her daughter’s maids to help in her chilli-paste and cleaning businesses was fined S$12,500 on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

12 months’ probation for woman who wounded neighbour’s religious feelings
Even after she was given a Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO) for acts such as placing raw pork in front of her Malay-Muslim neighbour’s flat, Lee Dji Lin chose to target her neighbour again.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

5 arrested, e-vaporiser items worth S$60,000 seized
A total of 4,000 electronic vaporiser items with an estimated street value of more than S$60,000 were seized at Woodlands Checkpoint and in a subsequent raid, Singapore authorities said on Thursday (Feb 6).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Feature photo National Environment Agency (NEA)

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo focuses on the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.

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 February 7 added by Justhine De Guzman Uy on February 7, 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.