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So I just read these two articles consecutively. Very reassuring lol. One wrong move, and there goes the whole of China all over again. ST: Despite official figures, Wuhan continues to find new asymptomatic coronavirus cases daily https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/despite-official-figures-wuhan-continues-to-find-new-asymptomatic-coronavirus-cases?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=STFB&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2zuDoEfkCBbQWkN5vNLkOy_G0SmzFAiEaWILxFA7G44OexYRFN2uE_a38#Echobox=1585025147 CNA: COVID-19: China to lift travel curbs on Hubei province, including Wuhan https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/china-coovid19-coronavirus-lift-travel-curbs-hubei-wuhan-12570658?cid=FBcna Here's the two articles: ST: Despite official figures, Wuhan continues to find new asymptomatic coronavirus cases daily BEIJING (CAIXIN GLOBAL) - Despite official figures reporting few to no new domestic Covid-19 cases on the Chinese mainland in recent days, authorities continue to detect more infections, with those in the city at the heart of the country's outbreak often amounting to more than a dozen a day, Caixin has learned. According to a member of the infectious disease prevention and control team in Wuhan, every day the city continues to record "several or more than a dozen asymptomatic infected individuals", which are people that have tested positive for Covid-19, but do not feel ill and are excluded from published numbers. As of Sunday (March 22), Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, had four consecutive days of zero new "confirmed cases." The person, who asked not to be named, said that these asymptomatic people are found by tracing the contacts of others who are infected and by screening quarantine workers who are at high risk of infection, as opposed to en masse testing. "It's not possible at the moment to tell if transmission has stopped," the person said. As reported new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19 have dwindled, China has moved to send home the teams of medical personnel it brought in from across the country to assist hospital workers in Hubei. Between March 17 and 20, some 12,000 medical personnel departed the province. But the infectious disease prevention and control team has stayed behind, after Hubei's provincial Covid-19 task force on Friday ordered it to remain until central authorities say otherwise, Caixin has learned. According to a person at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, this team of specialists was kept in Hubei because the central government continues to feel unease about the situation in the area, in part because of the presence of asymptomatic individuals. Since February, the Covid-19 prevention and control policies issued by the National Health Commission (NHC) have stipulated that asymptomatic infected individuals are not considered "confirmed cases" and that their numbers should not be released. However, given numerous studies suggesting that this group is infectious, the NHC has required that, once detected, they be subject to a 14-day quarantine and lab testing, recategorising them as "confirmed" cases only in the event they develop symptoms. Caixin previously obtained data that showed Northeast China's Heilongjiang province had 480 "confirmed cases" on Feb 25, but had also discovered 104 asymptomatic infected individuals that it left off the public tally. A March 6 preprint - a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed - by Chinese and American researchers suggested that asymptomatic cases and those with mild symptoms could account for at least 59 per cent of Covid-19 infections, potentially undetected and fuelling its spread. Considering Wuhan is the epicentre of China's epidemic, "there's still a lot that needs to be investigated and traced", the infectious disease prevention and control team member said. CNA: COVID-19: China to lift travel curbs on Hubei province, including Wuhan BEIJING: China's central Hubei province, where the deadly coronavirus first emerged late last year, is to lift travel curbs after two months under lockdown, local officials said on Tuesday (Mar 24). Healthy residents will be allowed to leave the province from midnight Tuesday. Travel restrictions for leaving Wuhan will be lifted on Apr 8, and people will be able to leave on the basis of using a health code The announcement as China reported 78 new cases of the deadly coronavirus on Tuesday, with the vast majority brought in from overseas as fears rise of a second wave of infections. The first new case in nearly a week was also reported in Wuhan - the epicentre where the virus emerged last year - along with three other local infections elsewhere in the country. Seven more people died, the National Health Commission said, all in Wuhan. There have now been more than 81,000 cases in China, and the death toll has reached 3,277. As the country tries to control imported cases, there are signs of normality beginning to return to Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province. Travel and work restrictions in the province have been gradually eased and Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to Wuhan earlier this month. Wuhan residents considered healthy can now move around the city and take public transport if they show identification, and they can also go back to work if they have a permit from their employer.

Oh no Boris is in trouble! He is on the verge of being kicked out as PM Let us help him!

So now that it's been more than a week already, I can happily to report that we've had (or rather, my gf has had) first-hand experience of SG's super tok kong healthcare system. Just last Monday, about +1 week after our return from Japan (we went before Japan cases boomzed) she developed a sore throat and because of social responsibility, went to see the doctor just before going to work. But because of her travel history to Japan, at the clinic, she was immediately categorised as someone of high risk and was placed into an isolated waiting room. The Clinic also immediately called for an ambulance to send her to NCID as per SG protocol. All this was before she got tested. At NCID, she was given a GPS tag on her arm (so she cannot run away) and had to wait for her Xray. Everyone was spaced apart and most ppl were calm. She did complain everyone else around her was coughing. Unfortunately for her, the x-ray showed a bit of infection and she was immediately warded in an isolated private ward at TTSH where she needed to get tested for the wuhans, in order to be discharged, she needed to clear the test (I think) twice over 2-3 days before they will give her the all clear. The test was the only thing she complained about as they had to insert a long stick into her nose to get the swab sample. It took around 6 hours for the results to arrive. Through her stay, nurses and doctors will occasionally check in on her (in full protective gear) and with free Aircon,WIFI, TV and food, she really didn't mind it all too much. She had a nice view from her room too. There is a box in the wall where they put her food in and can only be opened from either side one at a time. She was allowed one single delivery from outside for her necessities for the next 2-3 days. BUT, I was not able to send it over as my travel history to Japan meant I was not allowed to step into the hospital at all. Even though I had no symptoms. Thus, I packed all her things and sent it to her brother/mother to deliver. Of course I did the "put bag down, spray disinfectant on it, then step away" delivery method. After 2 nights, she cleared both test with no Covid detected and was given the all clear to be discharged. NCID ppl did her paperwork in the afternoon and she was out once she got some meds for her infection. All in, she paid $2.50 for her clinic visit (because of insurance, otherwise $10) and Gahmen paid for the rest of her hospital visit and test. We kept constant contact throughout her stay with watsapp and I guess she sort of enjoyed her "detox staycation". +1 week MC after her hospital stay. Her colleagues kpkb becos they all needed to go back office once she cleared. So yes, kudos to the SG medical system/team for being so thorough, efficient and too kong! For those who are unsure or who are scared of being tested or going to see doctor, hopefully, this can allay any fears you might have. + Now that you've read this, pls give me thumbs up so I can get NTUC voucher to buy toilet paper. Thank you.

British PM Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/coronavirus-boris-johnson-tests-positive-covid-19-uk-12583694

With the situation escalating by the day and the other thread moving 2Fast2Furious, we have decided to start this thread to share / highlight critical information relating to the virus outbreak and important health tip for easy reference by all MCF readers. We urge all to post only official information and useful tips from reputable sources to maintain the "tidiness" of this thread. Any post we deem unfit for this thread will be deleted or shifted to the other thread. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. @pChou @BabyBlade @kobayashiGT Please feel free to add other criteria to this thread and we shall regulate it from time to time. As a rule of thumb, NO tcss here... Some useful websites for official information: Ministry of Health - Updates on Wuhan Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Local Situation World Health Organization - Novel Coronavirus 2019 The Straits Times - Wuhan Virus Outbreak Channel News Asia - Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak Singapore Government - Wuhan Coronavirus Updates Singapore Government - WhatsApp Push Notification Some useful tips for protect yourself and others from getting sick. More will be added in due course.

Social distancing has been heavily emphasized by all countries across the globe. This is a term relatively new and alien term to many of us, not just Singaporeans. We're used to queuing up like sardines in a tin can. What does it really mean for us Singaporeans? Restaurants and businesses have tried to place tape markings to demarcate queues, some have halved its tables and chairs at various outlets. But do Singaporeans really know how to work with the markings given? Some of the markings are too near due to space constraint and are not slots for you to stand in, they are supposed to provide safe distancing for you to stand at least 1m apart. Post the social distancing measures you've observed in this thread. First two correct, the rest wrong. Bad example (pic taken from our Minister CCS's fb page) Social distancing in a wedding. Tables further apart. Lesser people in one table. Social distancing in Our Tampines Hub. Honestly should just cancel this. Just watch movie at home this period la. Our Tampines Hub has also been actively telling people not to stay home, join the outdoor/family activities. A little irresponsible this period of time, sending the wrong message across. Many of us laugh at this arrangement. Will you adhere to this? If the lift is too packed, how? Wait for the next one lor. Or walk down the stairs if you're heading down. Why squeeze? Zero social distancing at Shake Shack despite the tiny black markings on the floor. Minimal social distancing observed for the first two. After that, who cares? 😫 Social distancing in Chinatown. Pretty hard isn't it? Toast Box? Social distancing is about standing at least 1m away from each other. The lines are not slots for you to stand in. Stand on or as near to the front line as possible so the person behind you can do the same. The authorities can't babysit us in every aspect. If you're queuing up for food, make a conscious effort to keep a distance from the next person even if there's no marking on the ground. If someone is standing too closely to you, step aside or ask the person to watch his or her distance. If the restaurant is too packed and nobody is adhering to social distancing, go to the next, do takeaway, call food delivery (ask the rider to place the food outside, minimize contact) We can make our own judgment, right? Most importantly, if you are unwell, stay home, see a doctor. Practice good social responsibility.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) released new guidance for governments looking for exit strategies beyond existing lockdown measures. For many countries currently under lockdowns which have crippled or stalled economies, the answer of when and how to ease restrictions has not been easily answered or forthcoming. “We understand that these countries are now trying to assess when and how to ease these measures,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The answer depends on what countries do while these wide measures are in place.” Six criteria were identified in WHO’s guidance document to ensure that governments would be able to manage a controlled and deliberate transition from community transmission to a steady state of low level or no transmission. Any government that wants to start lifting restrictions must first meet six conditions: Transmission of Covid-19 is under control Health systems and public health capacity are able to detect, test, isolate and quarantine every case and trace every contact Hot spot risks are minimized in highly vulnerable places, such as nursing homes Preventive measures such as physical distancing and hand washing in workplaces have been establised Controlled and managed risk of new import cases from travellers Populations are fully engaged, understand and empowered to live under a new state of “normality” There must be a gradual process to prevent a cycle of new outbreaks. “You can’t replace lockdowns with nothing,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s emergencies programme. “We don’t want to lurch from lockdown to nothing to lockdown to nothing.” “We need to have a much more stable exit strategy that allows us to move carefully and persistently away from lockdown.” WHO has said that in most countries, it is too soon to get back to normal. Ending lockdowns prematurely in an attempt to restart economies could result in the reemergence of infections. There are currently more than 2 million cases of Covid-19 worldwide and more than 130,000 people have already died. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2020/04/16/who-countries-need-to-meet-6-conditions-to-end-lockdowns/?fbclid=IwAR30p_2zYQjm0e7pVUI6AXY-OQ1l8h2jozomgaE3qwnEF9zpLyh3Tmae-8U After seeing all the crazy spikes and explosive nos pop out all across Asia, Europe, United States whats more interesting is how countries are executing their exit strategies from this pandemic. Meanwhile in SG our fight has just started So far countries already eased restrictions/planning to China South Korea New Zealand Vietnam? Germany Norway Switzerland USA

BREAKING: PM Lee to address the nation at 5pm today. Live broadcast on TV and radio https://www.facebook.com/leehsienloong/ PM LEE ANNOUNCEMENTS & MULTI MINISTRY PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEOS ADDED BY BABYBLADE PM Lee Hsien Loong on the COVID-19 situation in Singapore on 21 April 2020 COVID-19 circuit breaker: Singapore announces entry limits to some wet markets Could Singapore have done more to prevent the COVID-19 spike among foreign workers in dormitories? COVID-19: Foreign workers living in dorms have to stop working, says Josephine Teo Why Singapore authorities want you to go out alone, amid tighter COVID-19 circuit breaker measures Singapore extends COVID-19 circuit breaker period until June 1

Safe places to visit during this Corona pandemic: https://placestovisitthisweekend.com

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/wuhan-virus-likely-to-have-much-wider-and-deeper-impact Wuhan virus likely to have 'much wider and deeper impact' China's economy and its trade with Singapore and the rest of the world have grown enormously since the Sars outbreak in 2003: Chan Chun Sing THE Wuhan virus outbreak is likely to have a much wider and deeper impact on the world economy than the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) episode of 2003, and Singaporeans need to be mentally prepared for this, said Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing on Sunday. Mr Chan was speaking to reporters during his visit to Oasia Hotel Downtown, where a 73-year-old Chinese national had stayed before testing positive for the coronavirus. He said: "I've heard a lot of people comparing this episode with the Sars episode many years ago in 2003. I think we shouldn't do that kind of direct comparison... Comparing 2003 to now, China's GDP (gross domestic product) has gone up by about four times. Our trade with China has also increased by nearly four times." China's GDP as a proportion of the entire world's GDP has more than doubled since 2003, from 9 per cent then to more than 19 per cent today. Mr Chan added: "The impact of any disruption to the Chinese economy and the supply chains is likely to be a much wider, much deeper impact because of the interlinkages with the global economy, and certainly with the Singapore economy." It is too early to say exactly how big the impact will be. But as the rest of the world progressively tightens their border controls, there will be "serious implications" on tourism and other industries, including manufacturing, Mr Chan said. On Friday, Singapore announced that it will bar anyone with a Chinese passport from entering the country, with exceptions made for Singapore permanent residents, those on long-term passes, and those who can show they have not been to China recently. Other visitors who have been to mainland China within the past 14 days will also be denied entry. In the 13 hours since these travel restrictions kicked in with effect from 11.59pm on Saturday, 15 travellers have been refused entry to Singapore. The bans do not affect existing work pass holders, although about 30,000 work pass holders who are of Chinese nationality left Singapore over the Chinese New Year break and have not returned, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said on Sunday. These work visa holders, who would be required to go on a 14-day leave of absence when they return to Singapore, make up less than 1 per cent of the work force here, she said. Chinese tourists account for around 20 per cent of Singapore's total international visitor arrivals, with about 3.6 million visitors to Singapore in 2019. To dampen the punch for tourism businesses, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) announced on Sunday that it will waive licence fees for hotels, travel agents and tourist guides. It will also defray enhanced cleaning costs of hotels that provided accommodation to confirmed and suspected cases of Wuhan virus infections. Mr Chan promised that the measures taken by STB to support affected businesses will be followed by a wider relief package that will be unveiled in the Budget speech on Feb 18. For example, some tour agents and F&B businesses have been very badly hit because 80 to 90 per cent of their business comes from the Chinese market, Mr Chan noted. "Even beyond the tourism related industries, what people are most concerned with is cash flow," Mr Chan said, noting that the ability of businesses to support jobs depends on their survival. "Companies have also asked if we can help them with temporary bridging loans. This is something that we are studying to see how to help them with their cash flow." The Ministry is also studying how it can help defray costs for the aviation sector while maintaining air connectivity between Singapore and China, he said. Mr Chan added: "For the taxi industry and the private hire industry, we will be looking into measures to see how we can help the drivers alleviate some of the temporary cash flow issues that they have at this point in time." He reassured Singaporean businesses and Singaporean workers that "we stand together with them", adding: "We do have the means to help them tide over this difficult moment, but we must do this with a long-term perspective. We must make sure that whatever we do is sustainable because we are not sure how long this crisis will last. "We must be mentally prepared, psychologically prepared that the impact of this, compared to Sars could be wider, deeper and longer."

Just them sharing their experience and they found out about certain media coverage. Nothing "political" here as highlighted them - Just presenting facts vs media stories. Interestingly, the topic isn't about the virus but rather something else even more dangerous for all of us. Some Mod has concern with my postings, so not sure if Thread will pass his censorship. HA!