Singapore — A seafood restaurant’s face mask marketing gimmick is making the rounds of social media.
House of Seafood restaurant in Punggol Point Road had taken advantage of the surgical face mask shortage and turned it into a marketing promotion.
On Sunday (Feb 9), the restaurant, via its Facebook page, made an exclusive offer to those who dined in the restaurant: The chance to purchase surgical face masks.
The post said: “Now just dine in House of Seafood, you can buy three-layer masks for S$ 21.40, only special for House of Seafood’s customers (one box per table only).” The restaurant’s details were also included in the post.
The regular price for a box of surgical face masks before the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak was S$7.
Photo: FB screengrab/ House of Seafood
The post was taken down on Monday morning (Feb 10).
Some retailers have been accused of profiteering from the sale of face masks since the outbreak of the coronavirus. An advisory was released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Jan 30 to e-commerce companies such as Qoo10, Lazada and Carousell for information about potential profiteers on their platforms.
On Saturday (Feb 8), Nee Soon GRC Member of Parliament Louis Ng drew attention to the matter with a visit to a shop in Yishun that was selling face masks at S$138 a box or S$6.90 a piece.
House of Seafood is not new to creating bizarre and controversial marketing gimmicks. It installed the “first live crab claw machine” in Singapore last October 2019 to draw customers.
The Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) responded to videos taken by people to highlight the cruelty and condemned the gimmick. The restaurant, represented by the CEO and three of the staff, issued a public apology and bowed for 30 seconds before the media.
There was criticism online of the post, with people commenting that the marketing team of the restaurant still had not learnt its lesson.
Photo: FB screengrabPhoto: FB screengrab
Others commented that a better approach would have been to give customers a box of face masks free after they had spent a minimum amount. /TISG
Singapore — While the Government has urged only people who are unwell to wear masks, many still want to cover their noses, mouths and even faces lest they contract the novel coronavirus. With there being a nationwide shortage of masks, Singaporeans have had to resort to all kinds of ways to cover up.
With the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) at Orange, meaning moderate disruption to daily life, Singaporeans are still going about their everyday tasks but have been warned to practise good hygiene habits and to stay home if they are ill.
In the photo, which made its way around social media, the woman at VIA was clearly seen to be wearing a mask within the bottle, which she used as some sort of extra protection around her face. Her ponytail is seen to be protruding out of a hole cut into the plastic bottle.
Photo: Facebook / Kyaw Thu Aung Ba
Similarly, photographs of Singaporeans on public transport show one using what looks like a pair of underwear as a make-shift face mask and another wearing a raincoat hood.
Photo: Fb/Rena Manz
Others merely use shawls as a barrier between themselves and possible germs they may come into contact with – or so they think.
Photo: Fb/Rena Manz
One person even used an umbrella on the MRT.
Photo: Fb/Rena Manz
A woman in a crowded NTUC supermarket even used a plastic bag to protect her hair while doing the shopping.
Photo: FB/All Singapore Stuff
Speaking in Parliament last Monday (Feb 3), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that, based on what was known so far, “the virus is carried within droplets emitted from an infected person over a short distance, such as when the person coughs or sneezes”.
He added: “If these droplets come into contact with the eyes, nose or mouth of an individual, directly or indirectly through hands that have come into contact with these droplets, the individual may become infected.”
The thought of contagion, coupled with the lack of masks, has clearly led to people coming up with their own ways of protecting themselves. /TISG
The latest updates on the Wuhan coronavirus. Infographic: The Independent SG (*The total death count now stands at 1,013)
As of 6am, Feb 11, 2020:
WORLD COUNT: There are 42,760 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the world. A total of 28 countries and territories have been affected so far. The number of deaths has risen to 1,013, breaching the 1,000 mark. Across the world, a total of 6,495 are in critical condition, while 4,097 previously infected persons have recovered.
There are four cruise ships around the world affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The Diamond Princess has been under quarantine in Japan since Feb 4, with 135 people onboard infected with the coronavirus. More than 2,000 people are stuck on the Westerdam cruise ship after it was not allowed to enter is final destination of Japan. While they currently have no confirmed cases aboard, they are scheduled to dock in Laem Chabang, Thailand on Thursday (Feb 13) after Japan and the Philippines closed their docks to cruise ships. There are over 3,600 people aboard the World Dream cruise ship. It has been quarantined for five days in Hong Kong after three former passengers tested positive for the coronavirus. No confirmed cases have been found. The Anthem of the Seaswas docked in New Jersey for two days more as four passengers were sent to the hospital for coronavirus screenings. The four, who are family members, and 23 other passengers were all cleared of infection.
CHINA: There are40,199 confirmed cases of infection in China. The country’s death count now stands at 908 people. On Monday (Feb 10), China began going back to work. The Lunar New Year holiday was extended and quarantine for hundreds of millions was enforced in order to mitigate the virus spread. While some companies are slowly resuming operations, many employees remain under quarantine, working from home as much as possible. In Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, hundreds of volunteers have organized themselves into groups using China’s popular messaging app WeChat, where they respond to the requests of medics, driving health care workers, delivering medical resources and supplies to hospitals, and providing accommodation and food to hardworking medical professionals. Of all the patients confirmed to have the Wuhan coronavirus in mainland China, 8.2 percent have been cured, said officials at the country’s National Health Commission (NHC). In Wuhan, 6.1 percent of patients have been cured and showed no signs of the virus. The coronavirus outbreak has increased the cost of food in China, among other things. AirBnB has announced that because of the coronavirus outbreak, all listings in Beijing will be suspended from Feb 7 to Feb 29.
There are now 42 confirmed cases in Hong Kong, after the country announced that it had six new cases of the virus. Macao has not reported any new cases of the virus, with the country’s total at 10.
SINGAPORE: Singapore reported two new cases of the virus, bringing the countrywide total up to 45. The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that all large-scale events will be cancelled or postponed after the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) alert level was raised to the second highest level, code orange. The HSBC Women’s Golf World Championship scheduled to be held in Singapore from Feb 27 to Mar 1 and the 2020 Honda LPGA Thailand tournament scheduled for Feb 20 to 23 will also be cancelled for health reasons.
ASEAN: Malaysia reported one new case of the coronavirus in the country, raising the total number of cases to 18. No other countries in the region confirmed new cases of the coronavirus.
ASIA: The Japanese government announced that it is working to increase the domestic production of face masks in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, with major manufacturers working around the clock to make new masks. The country reported 65 cases of the virus and now has a total of 161 cases. Taiwan, which has 18 cases of the virus, put in place new travel restrictions—most people travelling from Hong Kong and Macao will be banned from entering the country. Exceptions are business travellers, “internal transfers of multinational companies” and spouses and minors of those holding residence permits. South Korea announced a temporary suspension entry for all cruise ships amid the coronavirus outbreak. However, cruise ships that need to dock without people getting off, such as for refuelling and stocking up supplies, will still be allowed in port. Kia Motors announced a suspension on nearly all production lines at its three South Korea factories today, due to “the problem of wiring harness supplies from China”. The country has 27 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Kazakhstan, which has no confirmed cases of the virus, said it was sending two Air Astana planes to evacuate Kazakh citizens from China. The flights were set to depart from Kazakhstan to Beijing on Monday (Feb 10) and Wednesday (Feb 12). The United Arab Emirates reported one new case of the coronavirus, bringing the country’s total to 8 cases. No other countries in the region confirmed new cases of the coronavirus.
EUROPE: The World Health Organization (WHO)’s team of international experts arrived in China on Monday (Feb 10) to help in the fight against the coronavirus. WHO says this is an “advance” team and that a “larger international team” ranging from 10 to 15 will join them in China “as soon as possible”. The United Kingdom doubled its coronavirus cases with the addition of four new confirmed cases, raising the country total to 8. Two of the four infections are healthcare workers, and British authorities are conducting contact tracing. The UK government has declared the coronavirus a “serious and imminent threat to public health”. Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside, and Kents Hill Park in Milton Keynes, England have been assigned as “isolation facilities”. Spain, which currently has two cases of the virus, is scheduled to host the Mobile World Congress 2020 from Feb 24 to 27.
Tech giants Amazon and Sony are the latest firms to pull out of the Congress amidst the coronavirus spread. No other countries in the region confirmed new cases of the coronavirus.
AMERICA: A top infectious disease doctor from the UnitedStates, which currently has 12 cases of the coronavirus, said travel restrictions are ineffective against the spread of the virus, which has become a “diffuse outbreak”. The Trump administration has proposed cuts to global health programs during the coronavirus epidemic—a nearly US$65 million (S$90 million) proposed cut to the World Health Organization and a 34 percent overall cut to Global Health Programs. However, it proposed US$115 million (S$160 million) for Global Health Security.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has listed 398 people under investigation for the virus across 37 states, of which 12 have tested positive, 318 negative and 68 are still pending. No other countries in the region confirmed new cases of the coronavirus.
AUSTRALIA:Australia, which currently has 15 confirmed cases of the virus, did not report any new cases. Australian experts from the New South Wales Health Pathology lab have successfully grown the live coronavirus from patients rather than synthetic specimens. This breakthrough will allow health experts around the world to be able to contain the spread of novel coronavirus among the population faster. “We’re proud to be able to share our discovery with the World Health Organization, and international researchers and clinicians, so together we ultimately help save lives,” said their statement. New Zealand still has no cases of the virus in the country.
AFRICA: As of yet, no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been reported in the region.
Singapore – There have been complaints about retailers, online shops and even individuals selling face masks at inflated prices. This has been happening despite warnings from the authorities against the practice.
Now one man has even been seen selling them in broad daylight from the boot of a car.
On Sunday (Feb 9), Facebook user Alexie Tan came across a man outside the Block 505 Market and Food Centre in Jurong West Street 52. He had boxes of face masks in the boot of a car and was reselling them at a higher price.
“This kind of people who hoard mask is already bad enough,” said Ms Tan. “And still sell at S$1 per piece, S$40 per box illegally. Please reflect on yourself.” She added photos of a man standing by the boot of a vehicle containing boxes of masks.
“Please be more considerate and give those people who really need it a chance to purchase a mask. For instance, people working in the frontline,” she said.
It is unclear from where the man got his supplies. One netizen commented that, to sell them at S$1 each, was “selfish and unfair”.
Each mask is estimated to have cost around 20 Singapore cents before the rush for boxes of them following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China, and as it spread further afield.
This kind of people who hoard mask is already bad enough and still sell at $1 per piece, $40/ box illegally. Please…
According to gov.sg: “We have sufficient supply of surgical masks available in Singapore, so long as people use them responsibly when they need to. Wear a mask only if you are sick. If you are not ill, there is no need to wear a mask.”
Meanwhile, the Government has extended the distribution of face masks at various Community Clubs (CCs) and Residents’ Committee (RC) centres. Those who have not claimed their set of four masks per household can do so until Feb 29. /TISG
Photo: from Facebook public photos / Khaw Boon Wan
In a Facebook post on Thursday (Feb 6), Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan had urged Singaporeans to remember that, despite the challenge that the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) posed to the country, there were other matters that had to be given attention. “There is more to life than nCoV,” he said in his post. Although he attempted to shift the public’s attention to the progress achieved in the transport sector, those online found his statement to be insensitive.
Among the accomplishments was the official order of additional trains for the Jurong Region Line, which is set to be operational by 2026. Mr Khaw also reported that the Mean Kilometres Between Failure for all MRT lines had already passed the one million kilometre mark, signifying rail reliability. He also noted that, according to the 2019 Public Transport Customer Satisfaction Survey, there had been “continued improvement in commuters’ perception of our bus and train services”. As the aviation sector had been severely impacted by the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) given the drastic drop in flights to and from Singapore, Mr Khaw paid a visit to retailers in Changi Airport and assured them that a package to help them manage during this time of reduced traffic was already in the works.
However, despite the good news from the Transport Minister, some people online found his statement to be inconsiderate. A few said that it was easy for people who have as big a salary as Mr Khaw to say “there is more to life than nCov”. Given that Singapore was now one of the countries outside China with many confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, netizens were disappointed that he had made such a comment. /TISG
Photo: From Facebook / The Independent SingaporePhoto: From Facebook / The Independent SingaporePhoto: From Facebook / The Independent SingaporePhoto: From Facebook / The Independent SingaporePhoto: From Facebook / The Independent SingaporePhoto: From Facebook / The Independent SingaporePhoto: From Facebook / The Independent Singapore
Secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Dr Tan Cheng Bock urged Singaporeans to stay calm, take care of one another and to be considerate, in a message on social media.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (Feb 9), the retired general practitioner said that it was because Singapore took what she learnt during the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak that our country was able to apply “these lessons to counter subsequent threats such as the swine flu and the H1N1 bird flu”.
“What we can do may not seem much compared to our courageous health workers. But if everyone chips in, it will send a signal that we stand with them. To do so, we also need to be brave in the way we react” Dr Tan added.
Calling for Singaporeans to stay calm, Dr Tan said: “It takes courage not to panic”. He advised for people not to forward rumours on social media, panic buy groceries or blame others.
Secondly, he wrote: “Take good care of your personal health and hygiene. If we stay healthy, we will help free up the medical profession to treat those who really need medical care and attention”
“The 3rd thing we can do is to Be Considerate. Think of the well-being of others. Look out for the interest of our senior citizens and young children. Stay home if you are unwell. Wear a mask if you have a cold or are coughing. Your cough may be harmless but you will ease the worry of others when you wear a mask”, Dr Tan advised.
Concluding his post, Dr Tan urged once more, “Let’s do this together with our frontline heroes. Don’t leave this fight to them. This virus is everyone’s problem, and together, with God’s grace, we shall overcome”. /TISG
Former US vice president Joe Biden drew criticism Sunday after he called a woman a “lying dog-faced pony soldier” at a campaign event in New Hampshire.
In an exchange that was widely shared on social media, 21-year-old Georgia college student Madison Moore asked the presidential hopeful to explain his poor performance in the Iowa caucus last week.
“It’s a good question,” replied Biden, whose status as national frontrunner for the Democratic nomination was shaken by a damaging fourth-place showing in Iowa’s caucuses.
“Have you ever been to a caucus?” he asked the Mercer University student, who nodded.
“No, you haven’t,” Biden said. “You’re a lying, dog-faced pony soldier.”
Biden’s campaign press secretary Remi Yamamoto tweeted the comment was a joke: “It’s from a John Wayne movie and he’s made it plenty of times before.”
But the remark still drew criticism online, with many Twitter users saying the remark was not funny.
“If he can’t handle a simple question from one of his own supporters, how can Joe Biden possibly take on Donald Trump one on one for six months?” tweeted Donald Trump Jr, the US president’s son.
Moore told The Washington Post it was “totally irrelevant whether I’ve been to a caucus or not.”
“Joe Biden has been performing incredibly poorly in this race. His inability to answer a simple question from a nobody college student like me only exacerbates that reality,” she said.
Building management staff conduct temperature screenings of visitors and tenants of a building in the financial district of Singapore on February 10, 2020, in the wake of the spread of the novel coronavirus. - Singapore, which has reported 33 cases of people infected with novel coronavirus, raised its alert level on February 7 to "orange" -- the same as during the deadly 2003 SARS outbreak, indicating the virus is severe and passes easily between people. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)
The British government on Monday warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a “serious and imminent threat” and announced new measures to protect the public.
Two hospitals have been designated as “isolation” facilities — both are currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak.
Anyone with the virus can now be forcibly quarantined and sent into isolation if they are deemed to pose a public health threat.
Britain has four confirmed cases of the virus, including one man who fell ill after going to a conference in Singapore. He was being treated as a specialist infectious diseases unit in London.
Two evacuation flights have returned British nationals from Wuhan and returnees have been taken into quarantine for two weeks.
“The incidence or transmission of novel Coronavirus constitutes a serious and imminent threat to public health,” the health ministry said in a statement.
Health minister Matt Hancock said the new regulations would “ensure that the public are protected as far as possible from the transmission of the virus”.
The SARS-like virus, which first emerged at the end of last year, has killed more than 900 people and spread around the world. Some 40,000 people have been infected in China and 350 elsewhere.
In this handout photo provided by A.M.P.A.S. Best Picture Award winners for "Parasite" pose onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Matt Petit / AMPAS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / AMPAS/ Matt Petit" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
South Koreans reacted with joy and stunned disbelief Monday to the historic best picture Oscar for “Parasite”, with one film fan suggesting the feat should be recognised with a public holiday.
Director Bong Joon-ho’s movie — about the widening gap between rich and poor — became the first non-English-language film to win Hollywood’s biggest prize, prompting celebrations in South Korea.
Even President Moon Jae-in got in on the act, saying he was overjoyed to see South Korean cinema receive world recognition.
“I extend my gratitude especially for giving a sense of courage and pride to the (Korean) people,” Moon said.
“I am very proud of director Bong Joon-ho and the cast, as well as the staff members.”
“Parasite” won four awards — best picture, best director, best international feature and best original screenplay — defying the received wisdom that the Academy would overlook a subtitled Asian movie.
South Korean film fans were overjoyed.
“I am in tears,” one wrote on Twitter. “I’m so proud of Bong Joon-ho. It’s amazing to hear acceptance speeches in Korean.”
Another joked: “Shouldn’t today be declared a public holiday?”
Along with a congratulatory tweet, US ambassador Harry Harris posted a photo of what looked like jjapaguri — an instant noodle dish featured in “Parasite”, where it was unusually garnished with sirloin steak.
“Wow! Congrats Director Bong, Team #Parasite & ROK cinema!” Harris wrote.
The success of “Parasite” comes despite the global dominance of the English language in the 92-year-history of the Academy Awards.
Actor Sandra Oh, the Canadian-born daughter of South Korean immigrants who was among the award presenters in Los Angeles, tweeted her congratulations, saying: “So so proud to be Korean”.
Darcy Paquet, a Seoul-based film critic who wrote the English-language subtitles for “Parasite” said: “I’m so happy… this isn’t real.”
“I hope that all Korean filmmakers can share in this moment and be proud, because it’s the tremendous hard work and professionalism of the industry as a whole that makes a movie like ‘Parasite’ possible.”
South Korean filmmaker and scholar Kim So-young, who introduced Bong’s early comedy “Barking Dogs Never Bite” to programmers at San Sebastian Film Festival back in 2000, said the win was “well deserved”.
“I’ve been following his work for the last 20 years, and I can confidently say he is a true artist,” she told AFP.
“I’m very happy for him as a fellow cineaste in South Korea, as Bong has always been a respected colleague who always remained a socially conscious, outspoken citizen even outside the film industry.”
Shim Woo-hyun, a 31-year-old film fan in Seoul, said: “I heard the news while eating tonkatsu at a food joint, and I was just speechless.
“I screen-captured the news immediately and shared with people through my mobile messenger. I will never forget today’s tonkatsu.”
Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg - McNamee/Getty Images/AFP
by Michael Mathes
Even out on ice-covered Lake Winnipesaukee the talk turns to politics, as voters in tiny New Hampshire, which plays a disproportionate role in picking American presidents, mull which Democrat should face Donald Trump in November.
“I’m surprised the candidates aren’t out here. This is where the constituents are,” said Heidi Barrett-Kitchen, chair of the 2020 Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby which was expected to attract up to 10,000 people over the two-day contest ending Sunday.
Every four years this state of just 1.3 million residents is swarmed by presidential hopefuls desperate to win the nation’s first primary, set for Tuesday on the heels of the troubled Iowa caucuses last week.
Iowa’s vote is considered the kickoff to the nominations race.
But New Hampshire tends to set the tone for the long state-by-state primaries battle, and weed out the weakest candidates.
“Being first in the nation is something we pride ourselves on,” Barrett-Kitchen told AFP as anglers socialized out on the frozen water or huddled in “bob houses” where they cut holes in the ice — hoping to hook the largest specimens of lake trout, pickerel, or black crappie.
The results from New Hampshire’s century-old primary tradition are closely watched by the rest of the nation, though, and for good reason.
World War II general Dwight Eisenhower won the state’s primary in 1952, a victory that set him on the path to the White House and cemented the state’s role in American political life.
Of the 17 presidential elections since then, 14 candidates who won their party’s nomination contest in New Hampshire went on to become president. Of the three remaining times, a runner-up in the state won the White House.
In other words, little hope for anyone coming third.
But the 2020 race remains wide open, with 11 candidates still chasing the Democratic Party’s nomination.
The national Democratic frontrunner, former vice president Joe Biden, is polling a distant third in New Hampshire, behind Senator Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg.
“Most voters in New Hampshire, the overwhelming majority of voters, make up their mind during this week, and this weekend,” Bill Gardner, the state’s secretary of state since 1976, said in an interview in the capital Concord.
“Anything can happen here,” he said.
“And the person who won or didn’t win in Iowa, it doesn’t have a major impact on what happens here.”
Candidates are aware of the stakes, and how seriously Granite State voters take their role as the first to hold a US primary, and pour millions of dollars and attention into the race.
Several candidates — including Sanders, Buttigieg, and Senator Amy Klobuchar — have each hosted 65 or more campaign events in New Hampshire since June 2019.
Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang has held 95 events, while Senator Michael Bennett and congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, both longshots like Yang, have each met with voters in the state 97 times.
– ‘Hard time’ deciding –
Polls show Sanders, a leftist who handily beat Hillary Clinton here in 2016 before ultimately losing the nomination to her, likely to win New Hampshire.
But independents are a potent political force in the state, whose motto famously is “Live Free or Die.”
New Hampshire has more independents than registered Democrats or Republicans, and they are allowed to vote in either primary, prompting both parties to campaign hard to attract their support.
“It can get overwhelming sometimes,” retiree Theresa McCormack, a registered Democrat from the town of Campton, said of the candidates’ relentless pre-primary campaigning.
“I think people are having a hard time in deciding which way to go, including myself,” she said while grabbing lunch on Lake Winnipesaukee.
The state is especially in the spotlight this year after Iowa’s caucus, in which participants publicly display their support for a candidate rather than vote by secret ballot, turned into a fiasco.
Amid concerns that the smartphone app — that failed to completely deliver Iowa results — had major security flaws, New Hampshire could help ease anxiety about the nomination process with a clean and clear result Tuesday.
Gardner, the guardian of New Hampshire’s primary, insisted Iowa’s snafu would never occur in his state.
“Everyone in New Hampshire votes on a paper ballot,” he said.
