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  1. So far the industry says business as usual, but we think Singaporean car buyers could see delivery or parts delays in 2020 Now that the novel coronavirus (2019-NCOV) has hit the rest of the world, numerous carmakers have announced factory shutdowns both as a response to falling demand and as a preventative measure. As named in our Shutdown List (scroll down or click here), most of Europe is shutting down car production for the next two to three weeks at least.Some will only resume production in April or later, although with the entire NCOV situation everything is still touch and go. Pretty much every car factory has been shuttered from now til mid-April The summary: All of European car production has been shut down except for small-volume makers, North America is following suit, although its output is not as relevant to Singapore since very few US-made cars come here. The good news is that so far it seems to be business as usual for Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, meaning buyers or owners from mainstream brands may not be affected. That situation may obviously change, however. Currently Japanese carmakers are adjusting their output continuously. Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda quoted to Reuters: ” “At this point, we can’t foresee what’s ahead for automakers.” While South Korea seems to have its COVID situation under control, cases are still on the rise in Japan and in fact the country is reducing some of its measures. Cases are also still on the rise in Thailand with no widespread measures yet announced inside the country. CarBuyer has contacted most of the major brands and dealership groups in Singapore to ask them to comment on possible delays for customers – you can see those below. The summarised version is that dealers have enough stock on hand, while none of the major mainstream East Asian brands seem to be majorly affected yet. But from a professional perspective, we say that buyers of Continental vehicles can possibly expect to see delivery delays in future. As some companies have pointed out, there’s usually a buffer of existing stock to help meet demand. But if the long the shutdowns run of course, the stock dwindles and that’s when delays happen. Additionally, it’s not just new cars that will be affected, since some automotive suppliers are also shuttering their factories for the time being. That affects new cars – the situation in China in January already created production delays – and also the supply of spare parts too. With many dealers adopting split-team and more work-from-home initiatives, some may have leaner staffing situations now and service or delivery may take longer. CarBuyer has reached out to all the major car distributor/dealerships in Singapore asking for information on the situation Borneo Motors – Lexus, Suzuki, Toyota BMW Group Asia – BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce Mr Christopher Wehner, Managing Director, BMW Group Asia. Will customers experience any delays in delivery? In preparation for the impact of COVID-19, BMW Asia increased stocks in order to meet customer demand. In Singapore, both Performance Motors Limited and Eurokars Habitat are in full operation with the necessary health and safety measures in place. We will do our best to continue delivering products to our customers in a timely manner with a premium experience. What about future orders? BMW AG has begun to shut down its European plants as well as Plant Rosslyn in South Africa. These will close by the end of the week, and the interruption of production for these plants is currently planned to run until April 19. At this time it is difficult to evaluate how future orders will be impacted. This will depend on demand in the coming months, as well as deliveries from our production plants in Europe. We are closely monitoring the situation, and will react quickly and flexibly. How long do you see this situation lasting? Any long-term effects on deliveries due to COVID-19, and the associated volatility of the financial markets, cannot be assessed at this time. BMW AG and our office in Singapore will continue to monitor the situation closely, and will keep our employees and partners updated regularly. The BMW Group knows how to manage difficult situations, and we have proven this many times in the past. Cycle & Carriage: Citroen, DS, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi in Singapore Eurokars Group: MG, Mazda, Mini, McLaren, Porsche, Rolls-Royce Mr Shaun Domoney, Chief Operating Officer, Eurokars Group Nissan Asia Oceania Is there any delay on current Singapore customer deliveries? Are any plants in Japan and Thailand affected? In Japan, we are planning or have carried out temporary production adjustments at certain plants. There has been no impact on our other plants outside China, including Thailand. We continue to monitor the situation. Will the supply of parts be affected also? We do not have clarity yet on the impact of the new coronavirus. The wellbeing of our employees, our business partners and our communities is our highest priority. Volkswagen Group Singapore : Skoda, Volkswagen Mr Ricky Tay, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Singapore VGS has sent out a letter to owners stating there could be possible delays due to working plans, rather than parts or production delays. Responses from Mr Ricky Tay, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Singapore. Will customers experience any delays in delivery? Despite the shutdowns in Europe, we have assurance from our headquarters that business plans will be carried out wherever possible and that projects will continue as much as possible, to make sure there is minimal disruption in deliveries to our customers. In Singapore, VGS has implemented precautionary measures including work-from-home and split team arrangements to safeguard the wellbeing of our staff and that of our customers. Some of our frontline representatives and backend operations may not be at full capacity. Nonetheless, our teams are working hard and navigating all options to ensure we deliver our promise to customers as timely as possible. What about future orders? Currently, the Volkswagen brand has taken the necessary measure to suspend production at our European factories initially for an estimated ten business days only. As the COVID-19 situation is highly volatile, we will have to closely monitor the situation and manoeuvre through the uncertainties that lie ahead. In the meantime, we are making full use of our business continuity measures to ensure that deliveries of cars continue as planned. How long do you see this situation lasting? The coronavirus crisis is unprecedented and no one is able to gauge the extent of its impact or make a reliable forecast. But even as the epidemic continues to expand, the Volkswagen Group will continue to operate on the basis that the health and wellbeing of our entire community remains our top priority. The Shutdown List We’ve included factories that are known to build cars sold in Singapore, and have omitted North American unless relevant. BMW – has shutdown its Europe and South African factories until April 19, its US production, where it makes X series SUVs, is continuing production Mini is stopping production until April 17 at its UK plants, while Rolls-Royce is doing similar for four weeks until mid-April Honda – has stopped production at its UK factories, but there is no indication of its Japan or Thailand factories doing the same. Citroen /Peugeot/Opel – parent company PSA is closing its European factories until March 27 Ferrari – has stopped its production in Modena, being one of the first places in Italy to face the lockdown Fiat Chrysler – Fiat/Chrysler/Maserati has stopped production in Europe. Hyundai/Kia – The chaebol shut its factories in February due to NCOV but has since resumed production. Jaguar Land-Rover – has suspended production Mercedes-Benz – parent company Daimler has ceased most of its European production this week Nissan – Has stopped production at its UK Sunderland plant, which is where the Qashqai is made Renault – has shut its factories in France Toyota – has stopped European production Volkswagen Group – Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen – announced on Tuesday March 17 that it would stop production in Europe for two to three weeks Volvo – has also ceased its European output from March 26 until April 14
  2. https://mothership.sg/2020/03/toilet-paper-hoarding-history/ The toilet paper mystery is solved!? Scarcity mindset developed by historic events In a Facebook post on Mar. 3, Eliza Teoh, a children’s book author and former journalist, explained the historical significance of toilet paper hoarding. She pointed out that older generations have lived through many cycles of economic expansion and recession, and that from those experiences, they understand that basic necessities such as food and everyday items could become priced beyond their reach. Here in Singapore, she added, our elders recall the food rationing that occurred during the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s, as well as the scarcity caused by Singapore’s independence from Malaysia. Between the 1950s and 1970s, Teoh wrote, food production rose greatly, but bad weather in 1972 caused food prices to again rise and become unaffordable for the poor. All of these global situations, she says, are what caused people to develop a mindset of scarcity, which in turn made them anticipate future food shortages. Rumour sparked panic-buying Then, in 1973, the Arab oil embargo occurred, enacted by Arab oil producers to protest American military support for Israel during the Arab-Israeli War. The embargo disrupted not only the global oil supply, but also food production and that of other everyday items, wrote Teoh. What happened next, she added, was due to the scarcity mindset mentioned earlier. After a flyer by a supermarket in Osaka, Japan “gave the wrong impression” that toilet paper was running low, people in Osaka “stampeded” to buy it before the prices increased. Footage of the incident then sparked similar situations elsewhere in Japan, and many people were injured, wrote Teoh. Here’s a photograph she included of the toilet paper panic-buying. You can read Teoh’s full post, which has been shared more than 1.6k times at the time of writing, here:
  3. SINGAPORE - The popular and iconic Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar, which the People's Association (PA) organises, will not be returning this year, in the light of the coronavirus situation and the need to practise social distancing in public venues. In response to queries from The Straits Times, a PA spokesman said on Wednesday (March 18) that it is also cancelling the other Hari Raya festive bazaars it usually organises. "For the well-being and safety of our residents, the PA will not be organising festive bazaars and trade fairs with effect from March 18, 2020. This includes the annual Hari Raya Bazaars organised at Wisma Geylang Serai as well as at Our Tampines Hub and in Woodlands," said the spokesman. "As the festive bazaars contribute to the festive mood, we understand that some residents may be disappointed. However, as our bazaars attract large crowds, we have taken the difficult decision not to proceed with these activities." The month-long festive bazaars held during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan across the island attract large crowds. The bazaars are known for the wide variety of food sold, festive clothes and household decorations. In response to the growing number of Covid-19 cases here, and to prevent community spread, the Government on March 13 had announced that all ticketed cultural, sports and entertainment events with 250 participants or more were to be deferred or cancelled. It also issued an advisory on social distancing in public venues, and to defer or cancel all non-essential events and gatherings. Earlier this month, it was reported that the PA had opened a new tender for this year's Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar at the Wisma Geylang Serai social and cultural heritage hub. This tender, which closed on Monday, attracted bids by Adex Group and separately, Corpbiz Events. PA had opened a tender earlier but this was closed on Jan 17 without the tender being awarded. The latest tender document uploaded on government tender portal Gebiz included mitigating factors in which stall owners were required to take to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including social distancing and cleaning programmes. Vendors were also required to check the temperature of their workers every day. The plan was to reduce the number of stalls at the Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar from 800 to 50, and grouped in clusters of four with each stall set 10m apart. But on Wednesday PA announced the cancellations. The spokesman said that for trade fairs that are ongoing, the operators have put in additional precautionary measures such as temperature taking and providing hand sanitisers. "For festive bazaars where tenders have been awarded, the organisers will abide by the cancellation clauses and look after the interest of the tenderers," added the spokesman. Last year, about two million people attended the bazaar at Wisma Geylang Serai - the highest ever number recorded for such a bazaar. It surpassed the 1.8 million visitors the year before. The bazaar encompassed the field behind Wisma Geylang Serai, the Tanjong Katong Complex and Haig Road area and the areas around Joo Chiat Complex and Geylang Serai market. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/coronavirus-all-ramadan-bazaars-by-peoples-association-including-geylang-bazaar-cancelled?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=STFB&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0vS8VP23iVdBhJhRSJMdiqgywLFH_Akqg66Erl_NB4E-guFS17a6_X9Hs#Echobox=1584510095 GOOD DECISION
  4. Tesla Announces Plans For Workers To Build Cars At Home Due To Coronavirus Concerns Not to be outdone by the Big Three that announced comprehensive work-from-home plans for their employees, Tesla announced today a similar set of plans, but also ones that went much further, permitting workers to build Tesla cars in their own homes. The idea was said to have come directly from Elon Musk, according to Musk’s personal secretary Cassandra Clearlyfakeperson. Tesla PR representative Eugene McNotreal provided Jalopnik with a copy of the instructions given to employees, which is both entirely fictional and contains some highly progressive mandates for keeping operations going during the COVID-19 threat: “Employees that have large-scale metal stamping presses at their homes will be asked to take home several rolls of sheet aluminum so that they may stamp hoods and doors,” “Workers with backyard forges may be asked to order steel ingots from suppliers to cast into suspension arms and motor mounting assemblies,” The document goes on to provide download links to CAD files and other engineering documentation. Virtual rooms in the online messaging system Slack have been established for employees to co-ordinate assembly work, and provide a way for employees to coordinate sending partially-completed cars to other employees homes to continue work. Tesla has a special email address set up so when a worker finishes a car, they can request the car be picked up from their home and taken to other employee’s homes for quality control and testing. Fictional Tesla spokespeople pointed to Tesla’s extensive experience building cars in tents as proof that they’re more than prepared to let workers handle putting together Model 3s, Ses, and Xes in their living rooms and backyards. OK, before anyone started forwarding this, this isn't real, PLEASE.
  5. S’pore Checkpoints To Use New Covid-19 Test Kits That Deliver Results Within 3 Hours source: https://mustsharenews.com/covid-19-test-kits/ New Covid-19 Test Kits Have Accuracy Of More Than 99% As the number of Covid-19 increases around the world, the Singapore government is leaving no stones unturned, and are stepping up measures at our borders. To make this process swifter, new Covid-19 test kits will be used at Singapore’s checkpoint, from Thursday (5 Mar). The test kits will be far more efficient than its counterparts used in hospitals, guaranteeing results within 3 hours. New Covid-19 test kits first announced in January According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the new test kit is a joint-collaboration between folks from the Home Team Science & Technology (HTX) and Verdus Laboratories. Apart from delivering results within such a short period of time, it also boasts an accuracy of more than 99%. The new test kit was first announced back in late Jan. They planned to make the test kit “commercially available” by Mar 2020. Facility can test up to 200 samples per day The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has given the test kit provisional authorisation and can now be used directly by laboratories or hospitals to test patients. Swab samples obtained from Singapore’s checkpoints will be brought to HTX’s lab located in Pasir Panjang. A team of 20 scientists will work on rotation at the facility which can test up to 200 samples per day. If a sample tests positive, the Ministry of Health will be informed. Travellers with symptoms will have to undergo Covid-19 swab test From Wednesday (4 Mar), all travellers entering Singapore with a fever and/or respiratory symptoms would be required to undergo a Covid-19 swab test. This applies to those who do not meet the clinical suspect case definition. Travellers will be allowed into Singapore after the swab test. However, they will be advised to avoid contact with other people. They will be informed of their test results within 6 hours. Those who test positive will be brought to a hospital in a “dedicated ambulance”. Kudos for making this test kit possible Kudos to the folks at HTX and Verdus Laboratories for the ground-breaking invention, which allows our healthcare workers to detect Covid-19 at an earlier stage. We hope this will prevent any Covid-19 patients from spreading the virus to others they come into contact with and allow the authorities to ringfence the spread.
  6. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3065016/coronavirus-pet-dog-belonging-covid-19-patient Coronavirus: pet dog belonging to Covid-19 patient infected, Hong Kong health authorities confirm - Pomeranian first tested ‘weak positive’ last Friday, suggesting it was surface contamination, with dog picking up traces of the virus in its nose and mouth - Animal now has low-level infection and experts unanimously conclude human-to-animal transmission Alvin Lum Published: 9:43pm, 4 Mar, 2020 The pet dog will remain under quarantine for further testing. Photo: Facebook Hong Kong health authorities confirmed on Wednesday that a pet dog belonging to a Covid-19 patient had contracted the coronavirus, with experts calling it the first reported case of human-to-animal transmission. The Pomeranian, which repeatedly tested “weak positive” since last Friday – suggesting it was surface contamination, with the dog picking up traces of the virus in its nose and mouth rather than being actually infected – will now remain under quarantine with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for further testing. “It is positive to tests and has been infected, so it is now quarantined in a centre by the department,” health minister Sophia Chan Siu-chee said during a regular press briefing. “Further tests will be conducted and it will not be released until the tests return negative results.” The department said experts from the University of Hong Kong, City University and the World Organisation for Animal Health had been consulted, and all “unanimously agreed that these results suggest that the dog has a low-level of infection and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission.”
  7. S’poreans & PRs Can Now Seek Subsidised Treatment For Covid-19 Symptoms At Over 500 GP Clinics source: https://mustsharenews.com/subsidised-treatment-gp-clinics/ Subsidised Treatment For Covid-19 Symptoms Now Available At Over 500 GP Clinics If you’ve been nursing a cold but have yet to get it checked out, now’s the ideal time to. Starting today (18 Feb), Singaporean citizens and permanent residents (PRs)will receive subsidised treatment for respiratory symptoms at over 500 clinics islandwide. That includes colds and coughs. This is part of the Ministry Of Health’s (MOH) efforts to control the spread of Covid-19, and detect any possible infections in their early stages. On Tuesday (18 Feb) morning, 506 clinics began their operations as Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs). These PHPCs were previously activated to deal with other nationwide health-related issues like the H1N1 pandemic and haze. Those showing respiratory symptoms will now enjoy subsidised treatment and medication at these PHPCs, reports The Straits Times. Clinics have subsidised treatment for Singaporeans & PRs According to the Flu Go Where website that helps you locate your nearest PHPC, there are 687 participating clinics. The Straits Times reports that the 506 general practitioner (GP) clinics serving as PHPCs today are located in all major Housing Board estates like Ang Mo Kio, Tampines, Woodlands, and Jurong. Other than GP clinics, polyclinics have also been activated as PHPCs. You can identify your local PHPC by this logo, which will be displayed at their premises. All Singaporeans and PRs will receive a subsidised rate for consultation and treatment. They will pay a flat rate of $10, while those in the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation pay $5. Doctors to give all those with respiratory symptoms 5 days MC All patients with respiratory symptoms will be investigated and given subsidised treatment. Respiratory symptoms include: sore throat runny nose cough fever. Doctors at PHPCs have been advised to give those with any respiratory symptoms a 5-day MC. If the patients do not recover after 5 days, they will be referred elsewhere for further testing. Those suspected of having pneumonia or carriers of Covid-19 will be referred to a hospital immediately. Avoid going out if you do not feel well As the Covid-19 outbreak continues, MOH advises Singaporeans to remain at home if they do not feel well, and avoid crowded areas. Continuing to go to work or school despite showing symptoms puts others at risk, too. We should all exercise caution and consideration and prevent further spread of the virus. If you are feeling unwell or showing symptoms, please visit a PHPC. You can find your nearest PHPC here. Just type in your street name, or a nearby landmark and it will help you locate the nearest PHPC so you can seek treatment quickly. Please remain vigilant in dealing with Covid-19. It’s not clear how long this will continue for, but we need to exercise social responsibility to prevent putting ourselves and our country at risk.
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