Wednesday, April 30, 2025
25.7 C
Singapore
Home Blog Page 2601

PM Lee: Covid-19 vaccine will also be offered to migrant workers

Singapore—In his message to the country’s migrant workers on International Migrants’ Day (Dec 18), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long expressed his appreciation for their “trust, patience and support,” saying that Singapore could not have achieved its success in fighting the pandemic without the “cooperation and sacrifices” of the migrant workers.

“You are welcomed members of our society,” he said, pledging medical care should any of the workers fall ill.

He posted the one and a half minute speech on his Facebook account, adding in a caption that the Covid-19 vaccine will also be offered to migrant workers.

“As we enter Phase 3, more restrictions will be eased, and workers will be able to enjoy more communal activities. Workers will also be offered the vaccine, with more details to be announced. “

PM Lee had said in a national address on Monday night (Dec 14) that the country will enter Phase 3 of reopening on Dec 28, in time for the holiday season.

Moreover, he announced that Health Sciences Authority approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for pandemic use and that the first shipment of vaccines will be available by the end of the month. He added that the vaccines would be free for all Singaporean citizens and long-term residents, but would not be made mandatory.

Among the communal activities PM Lee mentioned that migrant workers will be able to enjoy soon are cooking and sports, and he added, “With some luck, we can ease up further.”

He added, however, a reminder for all the migrant workers to stay vigilant and to cooperate with the government as well as their employers “to keep everyone safe.”

Ninety-three per cent of the country’s cases were found among migrant workers, and a Dec 14 update from the Ministry of Health  (MOH) said that the prevalence rate of the infection among the 323,000 who live in dormitories is at 47 per cent, which means nearly half of the workers have antibodies against the infection already.

Additionally, among the 29 people who died of Covid-19 in Singapore, only two were migrant workers. Eighty per cent of those infected only had mild symptoms, or none at all.

When the country enters Phase 3, the MOH said that it “will start a pilot scheme in the first quarter of 2021 to allow migrant workers in some dormitories to access the community once a month, subject to compliance with RRT (Rostered Routine Testing), wearing of contact-tracing devices and safe living measures.” —/TISG

Read also: PM Lee announces Phase 3 on Dec 28, vaccines coming

PM Lee announces Phase 3 on Dec 28, vaccines coming

 

 

 

 

Tom Cruise loses his cool over COVID-19 protocols and five ‘Mission Impossible’ crew quit

0

Tom Cruise lost his cool at crew members on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 after they broke COVID-19 safety protocols. The actor, who is also the producer of the films went on a tirade in an audio obtained by The Sun.

“We are the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us, because they believe in us and what we’re doing.

I’m on the phone with every f****** studio at night, insurance companies, producers and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf******. I don’t ever want to see it again. Ever!”

The actor also warned the crew that if they were to break any protocol again they will be fired.

He said:

“I am beyond your apologies. I have told you, and now I want it, and if you don’t do it, you’re out. We are not shutting this f****** movie down! Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re f****** gone.

[…]

Am I clear? Do you understand what I want? Do you understand the responsibility that I have? Because I will deal with your reason, and if you can’t be reasonable and I can’t deal with your logic, you’re fired.””

Tom also pointed out specific members of the crew saying to one of them: “You’re going to cost him his job.”

The film was one of the first ones to halt production due to the pandemic. Mission: Impossible 7 started filming in Italy in February. The production was delayed in October 2020 after 12 people on the set in Italy tested positive for COVID-19. Two weeks ago the film resumed production in the UK and it is scheduled to be released in theatres in November 2021.

Tom Cruise is currently shooting Mission: Impossible 7. Picture: Instagram

Since Tom Cruise’s second rage on set on Tuesday night, five Mission: Impossible 7 crew members have reportedly quit. After the audio clip was published by The Sun, where the 58-year-old actor went on a tirade against people who were gathering around a computer monitor, some crew members quit for good.

“The first outburst was big but things haven’t calmed since. Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw.

“Since it became public there has been more anger and several staff have walked.

“But Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all. He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him,” said the source.

The filming is being done at the Warner Bros Studio in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, which is just outside of London, United Kingdom. Tom has spared no expense to prevent any further delays due to the pandemic, including spending US$676,000 (SGD897,000) on a cruise ship that cast and crew can isolate on.

While Tom has devoted significant time, money, and energy to keep Mission: Impossible 7 on schedule, Spencer MacDonald from entertainment union Bectu is not surprised that some crew members have decided to call it quits.

“After a very difficult year for freelancers working in the industry, the last thing crews deserve is a multi-millionaire Hollywood star screaming abuse and threatening their jobs,” said MacDonald.

Uncle at NTUC shamed for opening boxes of fruit to choose plums

An uncle at FairPrice Xtra was shamed online for opening several boxes of fruits in order to choose the best plums.

In a photo uploaded by netizen Sharon Loi, which was then shared to various other groups and Facebook pages, the elderly man was seen with an open box of plums in his hand, while standing in front of a display of fruits.

The man was also touching the fruit.

The elderly man’s behaviour comes at a time during the Covid-19 pandemic where the supermarket has increased its precautionary measures.

According to a press release from NTUC FairPrice on Apr 9, it states that: “All food sampling activities have also ceased. Cleaning regimes have been stepped up, especially for high-touch surfaces like railings, trolleys, baskets, checkout counters, to every four hours”.

In her post, Ms Loi wrote that the uncle opened many boxes of fruits too before choosing, touching some of the fruits in his hand. She added that he did not buy any of the boxes that he opened. When Ms Loi told the elderly man not to do that, she added that he started shouting and swearing at her.

She added that at one point he even shouted vulgarities at her.

Earlier this year, another elderly man was filmed doing the same – opening boxes of plums in order to choose the best ones.

Circulating on social media since Friday (Mar 27), the video of this elderly man garnered 1,400 comments, mostly of netizens berating him for his actions.

In the 40-second-long video, the man can be seen opening up a box of plums and examining each one.

He was filmed taking out almost every plum in the box, looking at it and then putting it back in the box. The uncle was also filmed prodding and poking each fruit in the box he was holding, before he closed the box, only to put it back on the shelf.

While it was unclear if both men had done the same to other boxes of fruit, since the video and photo only showed him with one open box, the netizens who captured the act alleged that he opened at least a few other boxes. /TISG

Read related: Video of uncle at NTUC opening “almost 5 boxes” of fruits to choose plums goes viral

Man caught hanging non-foldable bicycle on MRT rails

0

Singapore – A video of a man hurling vulgarities while using the MRT’s handrails to hang his full-sized bicycle is circulating online.

On Thursday (Dec 17), Facebook page Complaint Singapore uploaded a video of a man who was caught using the MRT handrail to hang his non-foldable bicycle and hurling vulgarities at fellow passengers.

According to the post, the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) lodged a police report against the commuter. Police investigations are ongoing.

It is stated in the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) website that only foldable bicycles and personal mobility devices (PMDs) are allowed onto public transport. They must not exceed 120cm by 70cm by 40cm when folded and must remain folded at all times when inside. The owners of said mobility devices are also not allowed to ride the equipment when at train stations or bus interchanges.

Members from the online community responded to the video wondering how the man was able to get past the entrance and allowed to board the train with his bicycle.

In a separate Facebook post, SMRT provided a statement on the incident. “Some of you may have come across a video that is circulating online about a commuter with a bicycle on board a train.”

The incident happened at around 7:10 pm on Dec 15. “SMRT staff tried to stop a male commuter with a non-foldable bicycle from entering the train at Woodlands station,” read the post. “The male commuter was uncooperative and forced his way into a north-bound train.”

It was mentioned that the man had transferred to a west-bound train at Jurong East station before exiting at Pioneer station at about 7:50 pm.

“We have since identified the commuter and made a police report,” noted SMRT.

“For the safety and comfort of all commuters, we would like to remind everyone to observe regulations when bringing foldable bicycles and personal mobility devices on board trains and buses.”

Read related: MRT passenger calls out ‘uncle’ for sitting too close to a woman

MRT passenger calls out ‘uncle’ for sitting too close to a woman

Advocate questions why migrant workers are still facing restrictions

Singapore—Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Monday (Dec 14) that the country will be entering Phase 3 of reopening by Dec 28, which means that more restrictions will be relaxed in time for the holiday season, although Singaporeans are still urged to keep their guard up.

However, one segment of society will not be enjoying the same easing of restrictions quite yet. Singapore’s migrant workers will remain, for the most part, confined to their dormitories, at least for now.

Ninety-three per cent of the country’s cases were found among migrant workers, and a Dec 14 update from the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that the prevalence rate of the infection among the 323,000 who live in dormitories is at 47 per cent, which means nearly half of the workers have antibodies against the infection already.

Moreover, there have been hardly any new cases among migrant workers, as the new infections in Singapore have mostly been imported ones.

Due to the high rate of infections among the workers, the lockdown saw strict restrictions placed upon the dormitories, with workers not permitted to leave their dorms, and at times even their rooms, save for work and necessary errands, which has caused migrant workers advocates to express concern.

The vice president of Transient Workers Count Too, Alex Au, is quoted in a recent New York Times (NYT) article as saying, “Basically they are treated as prisoners to be transported out for work and then transported back.”

Advocates sounded the alarm concerning the mental health of the workers during the long lockdown period, especially after it was reported that some had resorted to self-harm.

The NYT article included a quote from a Bangladeshi worker only identified as ‘Firoz’, who said, “Now it’s normal, but we cannot go out,” adding that it’s “important to give the workers freedom.”

‘Firoz’ also said that some workers “were struggling to keep their spirits up” as they could not leave the dorms to meet up with friends or go and buy the food they prefer, even if the number of new cases of Covid-19 for workers in dormitories is practically nil.

The workers have been allowed since late in October to apply to go out for three-hour-long visits to certain recreation centers to socialize, shop, and send money home.

And when the country enters Phase 3, the MOH said that it “will start a pilot scheme in the first quarter of 2021 to allow migrant workers in some dormitories to access the community once a month, subject to compliance with RRT (Rostered Routine Testing), wearing of contact-tracing devices and safe living measures.”

But Mr Au pointed out to the NYT that since almost half of the migrant workers are already showing immunity to the virus based on MOH’s report, they could be said to be safer than the rest of the population, and added that higher restrictions on their movement make no sense.

He asked, “The new infection rate is no different from the general population, so why are they still being confined at a terrible cost to their mental health?” —/TISG

Read also: Migrant workers to get better mental health care support

Migrant workers to get better mental health care support

Netizens pay tribute to deceased S’porean with special needs, often spotted at mosques

0

Singapore – The death of a Singaporean with special needs garnered overwhelming condolences and tribute from the online community as he was someone who has left a smile on many.

Members of the public who frequently visit mosques in the Geylang Serai area might have recognised Muhammad Fadil Sulaiman, a regular in the vicinity. One would remember him as someone with a smile on his face, happily greeting everyone he meets. He has left an indelible impact on many people’s lives, noted mustsharenews.com on Thursday (Dec 17).

According to a BERITA Mediacorp report, the lively Mr Fadil passed away on Wednesday (Dec 16) after collapsing at an MRT station.

Former DJ and founder of The Orange Ballroom, Syah Ibrahim, took to social media on Wednesday night to inform the public of the news. He held a Facebook live after communicating with the late Mr Fadil’s family.

Mr Syah provided live updates from Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where the deceased’s body was sent for a possible postmortem, reported mustsharenews.com.

Throughout the video and in his caption, Mr Syah mentioned how many from the Malay-Muslim community dearly loved the late Mr Fadil. The video has over 1,100 comments and 68,000 views to date. It was evident in the comments that members from the online community shared the same sentiments.

It was his humility, positive attitude and contagious smile that made the late Mr Fadil a well-known individual in the area. He would also help mosques collect donations, despite living a seemingly simple life, the report noted.

The man would attend talks and religious events, a tradition he followed diligently since he was a teenager.

The late Mr Fadil’s enthusiasm even touched the hearts of local Malay celebrities. Suria Mediacorp artistes took to their social media platforms to pay tribute to the “noble person” who was always smiling.

Mr Syah has been active in social media, providing glimpses through Facebook live videos of the funeral ceremony of the late Mr Fadil.

Many have come forward to offer his family assistance, including the Singapore Islamic Scholars & Religious Teachers Association (PERGAS) who offered to pay for funeral arrangements.

After hawker culture officially added to Unesco list, KF Seetoh says: “always keep calm and use sambal”

Along with his advice to “always keep calm and use sambal”, champion for hawker rights KF Seetoh wrote about how far the local hawker scene has come, and where he thinks it is going to go.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (Dec 17), which was also Mr Seetoh’s birthday, he started by saying: “Thanks for the great B’day gift Unesco”.

“The first time i made some noise about our Unesco-able food culture was through a suggestion that our Yue Sheng Prospertiry salad be made a intangible Unesco recognition in my New Paper column about 8 years back”, he wrote.

Continuing, Mr Seetoh wrote: “Then in early 2018 , yours truly, with the support of a few renowned foodies like Violet Oon and Azizah Ali, raised the whole hawker culture suggestion to a focus group headed by the folks from National Heritage Board. A few month later, PM LHL official made a call for it, and it’s official today”.

Mr Seetoh explained that as he grew up and in his youth as a photojournalist in the 80s and 90s, he saw hawkers selling just one or two dishes, “the one-dish enterpreneurs”, who raised their families on those earnings.

“Now, I see some young folks with top and even masters degrees follow their calling into a hawker or kopitiam stall’, he added, applauding their passion.

Mr Seetoh then asked: “So what now, of this Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity inscription?”

He wrote that even though hawker culture may be declining it will not be overnight and that Singaporeans should leverage on this recognition from the UNESCO award “for when the airport doors re-open, the world will come hungry and with a vengeance. They will experience hawker food with a third eye and engage both right and left brain when they next devour”.

Mr Seetoh also suggested that Singapore should have a Hawkers Museum, as well as a yearly Hawkers Day.

“Unesco checks back with us every 6 years to see if this award can still stand. We should do more and continue to”, Mr Seetoh wrote.

After nearly three years since its application, Singapore’s hawker culture has officially been added to the Unesco Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

On Wednesday (Dec 16), a virtual conference comprised of a 24-member international panel unanimously accepted Singapore’s application.

Singapore’s hawker culture marks the first item on the intangible cultural heritage list. There are currently 463 entries in the list, including Japan’s washi craft-making (traditional hand-made paper), Spain’s wine horses and Malaysia’s Mak Yong theatre.

Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage website defines hawker culture in Singapore as “community dining and culinary practices in a multicultural urban context that is present throughout Singapore.” /TISG

Read related: S’pore hawker culture officially added to Unesco list of intangible cultural heritage

Justin Bieber and wife go Christmas shopping

0

As Christmas is just around the corner, Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey have been getting into the holiday spirit. The couple were seen doing some last-minute gift shopping at Maxfield Los Angeles in West Hollywood on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old singer wore a pair of oversized red and green plaid print sweatpants. He matched them with a white hooded sweatshirt that had the brand’s name stitched on the front of it in black thread. Justin also wore a pair of bright white Nike shoes while his golden-brown hair poked out from under a corduroy cap.

Hailey is famous for her street style and she looked chic in a fuzzy green plaid jacket layered over a plain white t-shirt. The 24-year-old model celebrated her birthday at the end of last month, and she had a fashionable Bottega Veneta pouch bag tucked under her arm as she walked. Her shiny blonde locks were hidden under a white baseball cap and she had her go-to gold hoops in her ears. Hailey wore figure-hugging jeans that flared at the bottom and a pair of sneakers.

Upon completing their shopping, Justin and his wife of two-years left the building from the front and went to their chauffeured vehicle. Keeping to California’s strict COVID-19 protocols, the couple wore face masks for the duration of their outing. Hailey wore a blue mask while Justin wore a black one. During the weekend, the couple brought out their bins of ornaments and strands of twinkle lights in order to decorate the Christmas tree in their living room.

As Justin enjoys the Christmas season, he shared a video of him and his wife teaming up to bring their Christmas tree to life with his 152 million followers on Instagram.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber worked together on the Christmas tree. Picture:Instagram

‘About that time again,’ captioned the Baby singer, followed by a slew of Christmas-themed emojis.

In the time-lapse video, Hailey was seen effortlessly wrapping the lights around the tree as Justin brings a ladder to put the star on top. After the star was placed and lights wrapped, the duo started working on hanging ornaments on branches.

Justin wore a solid black sweatsuit while Hailey wore a patterned blouse with a pair of black track pants. The Grammy Award winner took a few snaps of their masterpiece after finishing the tree’s decoration and uploaded it on Instagram.

Justin is thrilled about Christmas and the singer-songwriter is also just as excited about his upcoming New Year’s Eve performance.

‘Prepping for New Years see u there,’ captioned Bieber, who shared a rehearsal photo with his fans on Tuesday.

Justin shared a few teasers of the performance on Monday, writing: ‘Gettin ready for this live show on New Years make sure to check it out’

Justin released his fifth studio album Changes earlier this year which included his hit single Yummy. It is not certain if Justin will perform or debut new singles during his New Year’s Eve spot or if he will give his fans a taste of what he had planned for his Changes tour. Before the pandemic lockdown in March, the singer had planned to tour his latest record scheduled for June 2. However, the tour was postponed due to the lockdown.

 

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo thanks fellow member Rosé for a heartfelt gift

0

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo has been occupied with the filming of her upcoming K-drama Snowdrop. Starring Jung Hae In and Jung Yoo Jin, the singer delves into the world of acting.

Jisoo revealed that she received a heartfelt gift on the sets of the drama. She went on Instagram to share snaps of the coffee truck she received from fellow BLACKPINK member Rosé. It has become common for celebrities to gift each other coffee trucks on film sets.

The coffee truck was sent to show Jisoo support for her filming. Jisoo was seen posing with the coffee truck and expressing her gratitude in the photos. Together with the coffee truck, there is a banner reading, “Everyone!! Please take good care of our Jisoo! I wish you the best, ‘Snowdrop’!” and “Look at our beautiful Jisoo and cheer up! Please love Eun Young Cho (Jisoo’s character) a lot!”

Churros from the coffee truck. Picture: Instagram

Jisoo shared the photos with the caption reading, “Rosé is the one who sent me my very first coffee truck. I love you.”

It is reported that Snowdrop is set in 1987’s Seoul and it is a romantic drama about Im Soo Ho (Hae In) and Eun Young Cho (Jisoo). Soo-ho studies at a prestigious university and dashes into a female dorm while covered in blood. Young Cho crosses paths with Soo Ho after the latter rushes into the female dorm covered in blood. She hides him and tends to his wounds while being in danger of close surveillance.

The South Korean girl group by YG Entertainment consists of four members, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, Lisa. Their ages range from 23 to 25 years old. The girl band debuted in August 2016 with their debut album entitled Square One. Each BLACKPINK member co-writes and co-produces their own music and their music style includes a wide range of genres.

BLACKPINK is the highest-charting female Korean act on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13 with “Ice Cream” (2020), and on the Billboard 200, peaking at number two with The Album (2020).

They were the first Korean girl group to enter and top Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and to top the Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart three times.

Sophie Turner says Joe Jonas is husband of the year

0

Fans of Sophie Turner had an ultimate throwback moment on Wednesday when her husband Joe Jonas gifted her a Hannah Montana t-shirt. The Game of Thrones actress, 24 went on Instagram to share a photo of her top which had throwback snaps of Miley Cyrus during her Disney days and her raunchy transformation.

Fans may recall that Joe’s brother Nick dated Miley when she played Hannah Montana in 2007 with the singer later confessing that it felt like her ‘world had ground to a halt’ when they split.

Sophie is happy with her gift which documented Miley’s journey from innocent pop princess to raunchy music star. She wrote in the caption: ‘Thanks to the hubbs of the year for my early Xmas gift.’

Die-hard Disney fans will remember her brother-in-law Nick’s romance with Miley which started after they met at a charity event in 2006. The duo both acted in Hannah Montana and even went on a nationwide tour together but did not publicly confirm their romance until after they broke up.

Writing in her biography Miles to Go, the singer said: ‘Prince Charming and I broke up on December 19, 2007. The hardest day ever.

‘My life felt like it had ground to a halt, but the rest of the world kept right on rolling. I was on tour. People were counting on me, but my head — no, my heart — was dizzy.’

Miley Cyrus used to date Nick Jonas. Picture: Instagram

More than 10 years later, the duo maintain a good friendship with Nick poking fun at a slew of throwback shots Miley shared in March 2019.

In December 2018, Nick tied the knot with Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra while Miley had an on-off relationship, engagement and eventual marriage to actor Liam Hemsworth between 2010 and 2019. On July 22, Sophie gave birth to baby Willa, less than two full months after her first wedding anniversary with Joe.

Sophie and Joe had two weddings, a quick American ceremony and then a star-studded affair in South of France last summer. After the couple attended the Billboard Music Awards, the couples first nuptials took place at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas on May 1.

Sophie recently revealed on her Instagram Stories that she has had the letter W tattooed onto one of her wrists in honour of her baby girl.