We're almost done with 1H of 2020, bring on 2H!

[BabyBlade]

So 2020 has been awfully eventful so far! Five months in and already, 2020 is proving to be life changing. 

Here's a recap of what's happened so far. 

 

Carrying on from end of 2019 to 2020,

Dec 31, 2019: 

A cluster of severe pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China is reported to the World Health Organization. Doctors do not yet know its cause.

Truth be told, before 2020, I've never heard of Wuhan. 

Jan 2:

Third state of emergency in New South Wales, Australia as bushfires threatened the country.

Donations all over the world poured in. We saw devastating images of thousands of animals dying or already dead. We read about the Koalas pushed to the brink of extinction by drought and bush fires. More species and subspecies would be endangered and even extinct. What could possibly be worse to the start of the year? Fire Tornadoes!

Bushfires, ash rain, dust storms and flash floods: two weeks in apocalyptic Australia. Was this a warning sign from earth to clean up our acts if not the world will heal itself? #prayforaustralia was going around.

Mother nature sure is angry. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. 

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Meanwhile in Singapore, MOH says it will screen all inbound travellers from Wuhan, China, from the evening of Jan 3. There are no cases in Singapore.

Jan 3:

US kills Iran general Qassem Suleimani in drone strike ordered by Trump. 

Iran vows vengeance. 

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Somewhere else in the world, trouble was brewing. 

Jan 3:

@Carbon82 started a new thread on a novel Coronavirus with SARS link from Wuhan. Not much interest generated.

 

Jan 7: 

WHO notified of the novel coronavirus, then known as 2019-nCoV, in China

*"Soft launch" of COVID-19 ahem. But the world was too occupied with the impending WWIII, or so we thought. 

Jan 8: 

Iran launches ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq, injuring American soldiers.

At the same time....

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Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) flight crashed shortly after taking off from Iranian capital Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board. 

It came in the midst of escalating tensions between US and Iran. 

Conspiracy theories started flying around. Was it a mistake, was it an attack, was it related to Jan 3?

Also Jan 8: 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce they are stepping down from their duties as royals in Buckingham Palace. 

You can always count on the Royal family for some commercial break. 

Jan 10: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau says Iranian missle brought down the airliner. 

*Cue World War 3*

The only time I came close to being a part of any World War was playing Command & Conquer: Red Alert when I was younger. 

Jan 11: 

China records its first coronavirus death, 11 days after WHO learned of the virus outbreak. 

Jan 16: 

The impeachment trial for Donald Trump begins - on his abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. 

Jan 20:

MOH announces it will expand temperature screening to all travellers coming in from China from Jan 22, in light of the Chinese New Year holidays and expected influx of Chinese travellers.

Jan 22:

A multi-ministry task force, chaired by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong and National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, is formed.

Jan 23: 

FIRST CONFIRMED CASE IN SINGAPORE

A 66-year-old Chinese national from Wuhan arrived in Singapore on Jan 20. He is warded at the Singapore General Hospital and tests positive for the yet unnamed novel coronavirus. Contact tracing begins.

Temperature screening is implemented at all sea and land checkpoints, it is announced.

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Wuhan, China goes under an unprecedented lockdown, impacting 11 million residents, on the eve of the Great Migration. Chinese New Year is cancelled for the factory of the world.

Transportation in and out of the city was shut down. The live animal and seafood market in China was placed under international spotlight of being a possible point of origin for the virus outbreak. The hunt for patient zero is still ongoing with suggestions indicating the outbreak may not have started from the seafood market.

Wuhan experienced food shortages and hospitals saw an overwhelming number of patients. Foreigners visiting the city were evacuated and repatriated to their countries. 

It was Chinese New Year at this point in Singapore (24th Jan) and I spent the four days of holiday reading and watching up on reports of Wuhan hospitals being overwhelmed and thousands of people falling sick.

In Singapore, people celebrated Chinese New Year as per normal, except me. Four days of staying home alone eating pizza watching Netflix and reading up on this "Wuhan virus".

Jan 26: 

Kobe and Gianna, along with seven other passengers, died in a helicopter crash in California. 

The death of Kobe Bryant halted all coronavirus news for almost two days as the entire world mourned for him and his daughter Gianna. 

Jan 31: 

The United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union. 

The move was met with mixed reactions as celebrations and protects sparked across the country. 

Feb 5:

In 2020, we learnt that cruise ships are breeding grounds for the coronavirus.

The Diamond Princess Cruise was the first cruise ship to have a major outbreak of the virus. Over 700 people became infected, with 14 people dead. As of May 2nd, over 40 cruise ships have had confirmed cases on board.

Feb 7:

DORSCON ORANGE IN SINGAPORE!!! 33 CASES IN SINGAPORE.

Shit hits home real hard, that is the reason why you need to panic buy toilet paper.

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Dr Li Wenliang, a doctor from the Wuhan Central Hospital.

Dubbed a whistle blower was one of the first who tried to warn and share information about the novel coronavirus to fellow colleagues. He was reprimanded by the police. He died on February 7.

Feb 11: 

The novel Coronavirus finally gets its name, COVID-19. 

The name is a shortened version of coronavirus disease 2019. The virus itself is called 2019-nCoV. Before this it was referred to as the Wuhan virus. 

Feb 21:

0 new confirmed case in Singapore. During this period we were being hailed as the 'Gold Standard' and litmus test for coronavirus containment. If Singapore can't do it, no one else can, they say.

Feb 24:

Dr Mahathir quits as Prime Minister.

Mahathir resigns but is asked to stay as Interim Prime Minister. His resignation and appointment was accepted by the King all in a day's work. Political drama and confusion in the midst of a pandemic?

March 1:

Muhyddin Yassin is sworn in as Malaysia's 8th Prime Minister.

Don't know much about Malaysia's politics but one thing I do know is that if Mahathir is still in power, Malaysia would probably still be in verbal war with Singapore even in this crisis, likely gloating about our current predicament "I told you so hehe".

March 11:

Italy becomes the first country to implement a nationwide lockdown as the outbreak surged in Italy, making them the second-worst hit country by the virus after China.

Several countries began to follow suit. 

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WHO declares the coronavirus a pandemic.

I think at this point most people regarded Who's advisory and announcement as, "As good as not saying anything." By this point the virus had already spread to more than 100 countries around the world, with more than 120,000 people infected and over 4,300 dead. 

Mar 5:

Everything went downhill for Singapore from this point onwards, starting with the SAFRA Jurong cluster.

Mar 6:

Double figure spike in Singapore. At this point, we're seeing a total of 130 cases. 

Mar 13:

USA declares national emergency.

In most Hollywood movies, USA is depicted as saving the world but don't be expecting that anytime soon. New York is always the target for most catastrophes in movies, well guess what, Corona didn't miss that out. In 2020, we also learnt that it's hollywood for a good reason. Leadership matters.

Mar 15:

Acceleration time. Figures shoot up to 226, doubling within a week. Gold standard no more?

From this point on, cases spiked further from imported cases - Singapore residents and students return from abroad. Welcome home, for better and for worse, for the good and the bad times.

Mar 16:

US stocks took a major plunge amid mounting fears surrounding the coronavirus. The Dow fell a sharp 2,997 points, the biggest drop since 1987.

Mar 18:

Malaysia's MCO, causing another panic both in Malaysia and Singapore. Supply chain disruption has never been so threatened before. The stakes are high now. Malaysia is our closest neighbor after-all. We share close ties, much closer than we initially thought. 

An eerie calm.

On hindsight, was this a loophole when we allowed Malaysians to rush in to Singapore and possibly bringing the virus in before MCO kicked in? Nothing much we could do then but to hold our breath for the next two weeks for a possible surge in virus cases.

Mar 20:

Imported cases continued to spike. Singaporeans are advised to defer all travel abroad.

Mar 21:

Singapore announces our first two death from the coronavirus.

Mar 22: 

Singapore closes borders to short term visitors. All short-term pass holders are barred from entering or transiting in Singapore. 

March 24:

The 2020 Olympics delayed until 2021. It was originally set to take place at the end of July in Tokyo, Japan. 

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Returning Singapore residents who have travelled to the United Kingdom and United States will be taken from the airport to hotels to serve out their 14-day stay-home notice.

Mar 31: 

Singapore's Imported cases start to drop, but local transmission cases rise. There are now 926 COVID-19 cases in Singapore, and another cluster in a dormitory is discovered.

April 2:

COVID-19 cases surpass one million globally after just a little over three months since the first case was reported back in China. 

Apr 3:

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announces a “circuit breaker” will run from Apr 7 to May 4. Only essential services can continue to keep their premises open, and all schools will close and students shift to home-based learning.

Masks should be used when people leave the house for essential needs, but Singaporeans are urged to stay at home as much as possible.

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Cue PANIC BUY part 3.

Apr 5: 

120 new cases are announced in Singapore – the biggest spike yet. 

Apr 7: 

CIRCUIT BREAKER COMMENCES - What does this means? Full home based learning for schools. 80% of Singapore's workforce to work from home or shut. Only essential services will continue to operate.

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Ironically, the city-wide lockdown in Wuhan is lifted after 76 days. Traffic will be allowed in and out of the city.

Apr 9: 

The biggest spike yet in Singapore, with 287 cases. Of these, 217 are linked to known clusters, with those linked to the dormitories continuing to grow. All Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders will have to serve a 14-day self isolation at dedicated Stay Home Notice facilities.

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The state of New York alone has the highest number of coronavirus cases than any country in the world, with more than 160,000 people infected. More than 7,000 people have been killed by the virus.

Apr 13: 

Singapore reports 386 infections with the vast majority linked to dormitories.

Apr 15: 

Singapore reports 447 new cases, with 404 linked to foreign worker dormitories. 

Apr 16: 

The record numbers continue to grow, with 728 new cases reported. 

Apr 18: 

A record 942 new COVID-19 cases are reported, with the "vast majority" being work permit holders living in foreign worker dormitories. 

April 20:

1,426 new coronavirus cases in S'pore in new daily high. This is the highest recorded so far to date. Is the peak over in Singapore? We certainly hope so.

Apr 28:

Crisis in the North Peninsula?! Where is Kim Jong Un?

Kim Jong Un was last seen on Apr 11. Reports of the North Korean leader to be in grave health following an emergency heart surgery sent international media into a frenzy. There were unverified reports of his death citing "reliable sources". Unimaginable. What happens to North Korea if he dies? Who is going to be his successor? His sister?

Apr 30:

Singapore Airlines is in the red.

PM Lee announced that Gov is determined to see SIA through this COVID-19 crisis. In general I think most Singaporeans will agree SIA is the gem and pride of Singapore, as much as Changi Airport is.

May 2:

Kim Jong Un appears in public. What's next?

May 15:

USA to China: I don't want to friend you anymore (Trump says doesn’t want to talk to Xi right now, could even cut China ties)

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The total number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore stands at 26,891 as of 15th May. We are not out of the woods yet (a phrase so loosely used in 2020). In fact, we're not even halfway there.

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Well when I started this thread, it was meant to be a summary and timeline of events in 2020 so far. Didn't expect it to be this long and so much about COVID-19 but I guess it's just the inevitable. I know how it's like scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and all you read are news on the COVID-19 and people dying.

Coronavirus news fatigue and compassion fatigue is real and may very well be setting in. All these news leaves people feeling depressed, people feel powerless that they cannot influence change in the country, in the world. People become increasingly immune in bad things happening around us and in the world. The public distrust in news media starts to grow - inaccuracy, fear mongering, conspiracy theories starts to take over. So is there a correlation between over-consumption of news and general anxiety? I would certainly think so. However, as much as news fatigue and anxiety is setting in, it is more important than ever for our journalist and news media to continue the COVID-19 coverage.

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The real danger is that audiences don’t get enough factual information, even when the news is bad. Information during bad news is especially critical. 

 

Hope I didn't miss or mess up any milestone.

Wishing for World Peace used to be a Miss Universe Q&A textbook answer but right now that's all I want. 

What's your prediction for 2H? What else can possibly happen in 2020?

[Neost]

my personal opinion, economically, 2H will be worse than 1H 

 

[Picnic06-Biante15]

Yup ..... coming to 2H....  

My worries is got mid-year bonus or not har ... 

 

[1fast1]

2H prepare for "The Event". 

As a famous school motto ought to go  "The Worst Is Yet To Be."😁

[Scion]

missed out the horrors of 1000, 2000 points daily crashes of US markets in March 😨

also for sports fans, the suspension of major football leagues and the NBA 

Edited May 15, 2020 by Scion

[RadX]

 

 

this is the 2H of 2020

 

[BabyBlade]

16 minutes ago, RadX said:

 

 

this is the 2H of 2020

 

Thought its over already! Haven't fly by ah?

[BabyBlade]

1 hour ago, Scion said:

missed out the horrors of 1000, 2000 points daily crashes of US markets in March 😨

also for sports fans, the suspension of major football leagues and the NBA 

Haha. My leave is non exhaustive. I'll do another sweep for news tomorrow. Mentally exhausted after doing this list. What the hell we went through in the first five months!? 

[Scion]

11 minutes ago, BabyBlade said:

Haha. My leave is non exhaustive. I'll do another sweep for news tomorrow. Mentally exhausted after doing this list. What the hell we went through in the first five months!? 

great list and great effort! 👍

[BabyBlade]

1 hour ago, Turboflat4 said:

2H prepare for "The Event". 

As a famous school motto ought to go  "The Worst Is Yet To Be."😁

Im thinking more along the line of

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race 

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make it a better place

For you and for me 😆

[BabyBlade]

2 hours ago, Picnic06-Biante15 said:

Yup ..... coming to 2H....  

My worries is got mid-year bonus or not har ... 

 

Got job got excuse to leave the house, got money to put rice and bread on the table, got car to drive can smile already hahaha. 

[13177]

I would say 2020 is a 多灾多难 year. 

[1fast1]

31 minutes ago, BabyBlade said:

Im thinking more along the line of

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race 

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make it a better place

For you and for me 😆

Yes well the guy who sang that ended up being accused of fiddling kids and being a general weirdo and dying really young, so that just proves my point: everything turns to shit. 😂

[Old-driver]

The world should set back the calendar by 6 months. We start 2020 all over again. This period doesn't exist and deleted 

[BabyBlade]

3 minutes ago, Old-driver said:

The world should set back the calendar by 6 months. We start 2020 all over again. This period doesn't exist and deleted 

Someone infected 2020 with a virus! Whaaaaaaaaaat! 

[Picnic06-Biante15]

1 hour ago, Old-driver said:

The world should set back the calendar by 6 months. We start 2020 all over again. This period doesn't exist and deleted 

1918 Spanish Flu lasted 2 years ...... 😰

COVID-19 can last until December already a bonus ... ☺️

[13177]

2 hours ago, Picnic06-Biante15 said:

1918 Spanish Flu lasted 2 years ...... 😰

COVID-19 can last until December already a bonus ... ☺️

Looking at the current situation, high chance covid will last until end of the year. But many people seems like quite optimistic that it will go away by Jul/Aug? Cause many people already plan events from Jul onwards?!

[Weez911]

It can only get better, but I don't think "the better" will happen in H2 2020. It will look like the curve below:

|_________________/

Or this:

|_____/\___/\___/\/

Edited May 15, 2020 by Weez911