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Morning brief: Wuhan coronavirus update for Feb 3, 2020

By
Miren Gonzalez
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0
The latest updates on the Wuhan coronavirus. Infographic: The Independent SG (*The total death count now stands at 305)

As of 5am, Feb 3, 2020:

CHINA: There are 14,497 confirmed cases of infection in China, 116 more than this time yesterday. The death count of the virus has risen to 305 people—one more than yesterday. It was the first virus death outside of mainland China—a man in the Philippines. With China’s Xiangyang city announcing a lockdown at the end of January, all major cities in China’s Hubei province are now under lockdown, and more than 62 million people are affected. Hong Kong confirmed a new case of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 15. The health department noted that the woman is stable and under quarantine. Macao has also confirmed a new case of the virus, raising the country’s total number of cases to 8.

SINGAPORE: There were no new cases of the coronavirus in Singapore reported on Sunday (Feb 2); the total number of confirmed cases stands at 18. According to the Ministry of Health, 240 people have tested negative so far, while 43 cases are still pending results.

ASEAN: On Sunday (Feb 2), the Philippines reported the first coronavirus death outside of mainland China. A 44-year-old Chinese man died from the virus on Saturday (Feb 1). He was one of the two confirmed cases in the country; the other was a 38-year-old Chinese woman he was travelling with from Wuhan. She was the first reported case in the country and is currently being treated in isolation at a hospital in Manila. Vietnam reported a new case of the virus, increasing the country’s total case count to 8.

ASIA: South Korea reported three new cases of the coronavirus in the country. The South Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) confirmed the total cases as 15 in a press release. The country has also announced a ban, which is set to take effect on Tuesday (Feb 4), on all foreign nationals who visited the Hubei province in the last 14 days. South Korean citizens who travelled to the province in the last 14 days are being instructed to voluntary quarantine themselves at home for two weeks after they arrive. Pakistani students studying in Wuhan University are appealing to the Pakistani government for evacuation. They are willing to shoulder the expenses themselves, but as of last week, the Pakistani government said they would not be evacuating any students from Wuhan. Israel announced that it is temporarily banning all sea, land and air travel coming from China. The country still has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, although a number of people have been tested for symptoms. All tests came back negative. The United Arab Emirates reported its fifth case of the coronavirus. On Saturday (Feb 1), the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced that the patient, who arrived from Wuhan, is stable. India has also reported another new case of the virus, bringing the country’s total to 2 cases. The national airlines of Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have all stopped flights to and from China.

EUROPE: Germany reported two new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the country’s total of infected persons to 10. The pair arrived from Wuhan and are being isolated in Frankfurt. Germany’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday (Jan 31) that about 100 German citizens would be evacuated from Wuhan and placed under quarantine for two weeks upon arrival in the country. More citizens from the United Kingdom who were still in Wuhan were repatriated on Sunday (Feb 2). The Belgian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday (Feb 2) that a plane carrying European passengers evacuated from Wuhan will repatriate citizens to their respective countries—Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Czech Republic and  Slovakia.

NORTH AMERICA: The United States Department of Homeland Security announced that it will be enforcing the new travel restrictions on flights carrying persons who have recently travelled to China. A second flight set to evacuate US citizens remaining in the city of Wuhan is scheduled for Monday (Feb 3). Canada has not declared any new cases of the coronavirus. The country’s total stands at four confirmed cases.

AUSTRALIA: Australia announced that from Saturday (Feb 1), all travellers who have come from or transited through China will be banned from entering the country. An exemption is being made for Australian citizens, permanent residents, immediate family members, or any aircrew member previously using appropriate protective equipment—persons in these categories will be quarantined for 14 days upon their arrival. The country has a total of 12 confirmed cases of the infection. New Zealand, which has not reported any cases of the coronavirus, announced on Sunday (Feb 2) that any traveller that has come from or passed through China would temporarily not be allowed into the country, save New Zealand nationals. The ban will take effect on Monday (Feb 3).

AFRICA: As of yet, no confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been reported in the region.

 

/TISG

Crash Landing On You stars maintain they are only close friends

By
The Independent
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0
Crash Landing On You star Son Ye Jin was in the ER. Picture: Instagram

It appears that the on-screen chemistry of Crash Landing On You stars Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin extends to their real-life friendship.

The stars of the popular Netflix drama have been sharing photos of themselves in everyday activities like grocery shopping and celebrating each other’s birthday.

Although they have denied all dating rumours, fans cannot help but link the two stars whenever their photos appear on social media.

On Jan 21, they were spotted doing a little grocery shopping at a supermarket in the United States. However, their agencies, MSTeam and VAST, denied the reports.

“Son Ye Jin is currently vacationing alone,” said MSTeam Entertainment. “Her parents are currently in Korea.”

“Hyun Bin has been overseas for personal business,” confirmed VAST Entertainment. “He is not with Son Ye Jin.”

Meanwhile, Hyun Bin has been a familiar face on Son’s Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram

??‍✈️??‍♂️ #협상

A post shared by 손예진 (@yejinhand) on

In 2018, the duo celebrated Hyun Bin’s birthday and shared some clips online.

Despite the constant support and prodding from fans, the duo have maintained that they are only close friends and are not in a romantic relationship.

Meanwhile, Hyun Bin’s agency has taken steps to track down those who spread rumours  about their relationship and even marriage.

Meanwhile, it was reported on Jan 20 that Son had been rushed to a hospital’s emergency department. Her agency confirmed the matter but said the actress was suffering from fatigue. It added that she had been discharged and had resumed filming. MSTeam Entertainment said Son was sent to the emergency department only because regular hospital services were closed for a public holiday. It gave the assurance that she was in good health.

Read related:

Korean star Son Ye Jin rushed to hospital while filming hit TV drama series

A day before the stars were spotted at the supermarket, the Korean drama hit record-breaking viewership ratings of 14.5 per cent since its premiere on Dec 14 last year. /TISG

US presidential hopeful Andrew Yang “having a blast” in Iowa campaign

By
The Independent
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0
Photo: Twitter screengrab/ @AndrewYang

Iowa – Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang is currently making his rounds in Iowa to woo voters for the Presidential Election on Nov 3 this year.

The 45-year-old former tech executive continues to keep his campaign speeches light, relatable and with a touch of humour.

Just as Mr Yang was finishing his pitch in Cedar Rapids on Thursday (Jan 30), a piece of metal falls to the ground just a few feet from where he was standing.

Quick to poke fun, Mr Yang said: “It’s the Russians. They’re always trying to mess up with my events.”

The typically carefree, Democratic presidential candidate has been holding town hall meetings in various eastern Iowa cities for his 17-day bus tour across the state.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Mr Yang would frequently be seen breaking out into a running motion mimicking an athlete preparing before a big game.

Should Mr Yang win the approval of Iowa, he stands to gain a stamp of legitimacy and possibility during the presidential race.

Despite failing to secure a spot for the Democratic debate in January, Mr Yang has proven his perseverance and staying power and eventually qualified for the Feb 7 debate.
“I’m having a blast,” he said as he signed autographs at Cedar Rapids. “It’s like we’ve been in the regular season for months and now the playoffs are beginning.”
Mr Yang’s approach in wooing Iowa is to keep things down-to-earth like with his intentionally lame jokes and his invitations to his two young sons to join him on stage, for example.

By bringing his sons over, Mr Yang is making a promise to restore the American dream that could still be present and achieved by the next generation, reported the LA Times.

The entrepreneur who founded a non-profit to create jobs plans to establish a universal basic income which he calls the Freedom Dividend.

The plan is for every American over the age of 18 to receive a monthly income of US$1,000 (S$1,360) which is separate from one’s employment salary. “This would enable all Americans to pay their bills, educate themselves, start businesses, be more creative, stay healthy, relocate for work, spend time with their children, take care of loved ones, and have a real stake in the future.”

“Our country is sick, and I’m the right Asian doctor for the job,” said Mr Yang during one of his events.

Using his knowledge and experience in technology, he also hopes to combat the threats of automation on manufacturing industries.

Catch the latest updates of Mr Yang’s campaign through his Twitter account.

The first presidential nominating contest for the 2020 election will be held in Iowa on Monday (Feb 3).

Heroes on the front lines of battle against Wuhan virus outbreak

By
The Independent
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0
Photo: from Facebook / The Scientist

Wuhan – With more than 14,000 confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus in China alone, the fate of many rests in the hands of health professionals who serve as the first line of defence against the outbreak.

Many stories are emerging in various media outlets about the heroic acts of doctors, nurses and health practitioners in the battle against the outbreak. These have been receiving much support and appreciation from the online community.

One story is about a retired ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, Dr Liang Wudong, 62, who decided to help out as hospitals in China began to be swarmed with patients showing symptoms of the virus.

Many people were saddened that, according to the People’s Daily, Dr Liang had died on Jan 25 from the virus and heart diseases.

Netizen Dan DeBusschere commented on Twitter that “there is little difference between a doctor treating infectious diseases and a frontline infantry soldier. They are both heroes”.

Another hero is French doctor Philippe Klein, who heads the International SOS Hospital in Wuhan. Describing himself as a “virus tamer”, he has decided to stay on in Wuhan, the first city to be locked down by the Chinese government in efforts to contain the epidemic.

“It’s not an act of heroism. It’s been well thought out, it’s my job,” he replied when asked why he had decided to stay as France began efforts to fly out hundreds of French nationals from Wuhan. According to a channelnewsasia.com report, there are about 500 registered French nationals in the city.

Although Dr Klein will continue the fight against the outbreak, he has urged his family to leave the country. “The concern now is that the Chinese hospitals are currently one hundred per cent mobilised in controlling this coronavirus epidemic, so there are lots of ways humans could contract other infections or diseases,” he said.

“It would, therefore, not be appropriate at this time to go to a Chinese hospital under these circumstances,” he added. The doctor advised French nationals in Wuhan to return to France.

Dr Klein added that he saw his stay as the application of years in training as a medical professional. He admitted, however, that standing on the front lines of the virus felt like he was “with a lion in its cage”.

On Thursday (Jan 30), the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency. -/TISG

Read related:

WHO declares novel coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency

Carousell seller, hoping to share some kindness, giving away surgical masks

By
The Independent
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0
Photo: Carousell screengrab/ @ilovesingaporesg

Singapore – A Carousell seller has earned the admiration of many after she posted that she was giving away surgical masks to those in need.

Last Thursday (Jan 30), a Carousell listing offering free surgical masks by user ilovesingaporesg was spotted and shared with media outlets.

“Giving away (1) one free mask to old folk, child, sick ppl and those who r unable to get from store. I am giving 1 each for free who is staying near me,” wrote the seller, who wished to be known as CNG and who lived in Anchorvale Road.

The seller added that, due to the high demand for 3-ply face masks, her stocks were running low. However, she still had some 2-ply face masks available which she will be giving out as well.

“I share whatever I have at my own limit,” said CNG. She added that she could only provide a few pieces per household and had to reserve some for her child and parents.

CNG shared with The Independent Singapore that she decided to give away rather than sell the masks because of the numerous texts she had received.

“I received many texts from people. There was a family of seven with two elderly and three kids who were sick and had no masks,” she said. “There was also a pregnant woman who really needed a mask. They had been searching everywhere to no avail.”

“I’m glad they approached my post, and I was able to help them by supplying them with the masks.”

It could not be avoided that many wanted to get their hands on the face masks in bulk. “Some asked for 50 boxes,” she added. “Some texted me saying ‘Hi, I’m coughing, give me one box’.”

CNG also received offers from other sellers who wanted her to buy the masks from them so she could give them away. “One wanted to sell me 1500 pieces for S$750,” she recalled.

Upon receiving such offers, she informed the sellers that she was only giving away her current supply. She reminded them to sell the masks to those in need and at reasonable prices.

CNG understands the feeling of needing the face masks, especially for those with sick loved ones. The grateful reactions of those she’s helped made all her efforts worth it. “Please help to share kindness around. Many people are suffering,” she said.

Since then, from Feb 1, the Government has begun to give out face masks. Each family will get a pack of four. The distribution will be carried out progressively at residents’ committees (RCs) and community clubs (CCs). /TISG

Read related:

Stores run out of masks, prices online reach S$288

Former K-pop idol Seungri indicted on prostitution and gambling charges

By
The Independent
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0
Former BIGBANG boyband member Seungri, real name Lee Seung-hyun, arrives at the High Court in Seoul on May 14, 2019. - The 28-year-old is linked to a police investigation into Burning Sun, a nightclub where he was a public relations director, where staff are alleged to have filmed women with hidden cameras and used alcohol and drugs to sexually assault them. (Photo by Ed JONES / AFP) / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Ed JONES has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [28-year-old] instead of [29-year-old]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.”

Seoul – Former Big Bang member Seungri has been indicted on prostitution, oversees gambling and other financial criminal charges, a year after allegations were made against him.

On Fri (Jan 31), new developments were released about the ongoing drug and sex scandal investigation involving Seungri, who is also known as Lee Seung-Hyun.

The youngest former member of one of Asia’s best-selling boy bands in the world has been indicted on the charges that shook South Korea’s entertainment industry last year.

Two other singers were linked to the allegations which tarnished the clean image of the country’s K-pop industry.

Seungri has been accused of drugging women in clubs and offering them to wealthy potential investors. He was the part-owner and public relations liaison of a popular nightclub called Burning Sun in the Gangnam district.

It has been reported that the nightclub incurred over US$1 million (S$1.36 million) in gambling losses amidst other drug and sex-related abuses.

Soon after the victims stepped forward to testify, the K-pop idol retired from showbiz.

In an Instagram post, he wrote: “I just cannot bear causing any further damage to people around me, while being hated and criticised by the public and being treated as a nation’s enemy during the investigation.”

It is reported that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office indicted, without detention, Seungri on allegations of overseas gambling and acquiring prostitutes for investors. 

The authorities are now a step closer to putting him on trial.

K-pop stars Jung Joon-young and Choi Jong-hoon were among those linked to the case. In November 2019, they were jailed for six years and five years respectively for offences such as gang-rape.

Singapore billionaire Peter Lim’s daughter Kim Lim and Korean A-list actress Han Hyo-Joo have also been mentioned in reports on the scandal. Ms Lim has stated that she had merely visited the club, while Han has said that she has never set foot there.

Both women have filed lawsuits against Seungri and Burning Sun. Han is also suing those who have spread false rumours connecting her to the club. /TISG

Read related:

K-pop star Seungri’s sex trade scandal rocks showbiz industry

The Philippines reports first death from Wuhan coronavirus outside China

By
Anna Maria Romero
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0
Twitter screengrab

Singapore — The first fatality from the Wuhan coronavirus outside China was reported in the Philippines on Sunday (Feb 2).

According to the World Health Organization, the 44-year-old man, who was confirmed as the second person with the virus in the Philippines, was visiting from Wuhan. He died on Saturday (Feb 1).

The other person who has tested positive for the virus is a 38-year-old woman who had been the travelling companion of the man who died. She was the first positive case identified in the country last Thursday. She was admitted to hospital on Jan 25 and is in stable condition.

The man and the woman had been in the Philippines since Jan 21.

The Philippines’ Department of Health announced the death on Sunday morning. The man developed severe pneumonia after he was diagnosed with the virus. 

Dr Rabi Abeyasinghe, the WHO representative in the Philippines, said: “This is the first reported case outside of China. However, we need to keep in mind that he came from Wuhan, China.”

According to Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III: “The patient was stable and showed signs of improvement. However, the conditions of the patient deteriorated within the last 24 hours resulting in his demise.”

He added: “We are currently working with the Chinese Embassy to ensure the dignified management of the remains according to national and international standards to contain the disease.”

It was announced at the media conference that the man’s remains would be cremated.

The man and the woman had travelled via Hong Kong from Wuhan and went to two major cities in the Philippines, Cebu and Dumaguete, before arriving in Manila.

The Department of Health is tracing individuals who had been on the same flight as the man and woman from Wuhan. These people will be monitored and placed under isolation.

Others, including hotel personnel, who may also have had close contact with the man and woman are being tracked down in order to be monitored. The authorities have said they do not need to be quarantined yet.

Also on Sunday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced an entry ban on all individuals who have travelled to China, Hong Kong and Macau within the last two weeks, saying this would take effect immediately.

“With the safety of the country and all persons within our territory as prime considerations, and upon further advise from the Department of Health (DOH) that the virus has affected all regions of China, the President has immediately approved… Temporarily banning the entry of any person, regardless of nationality, directly coming from China and its Special Administrative Regions,” said Mr Duterte’s Executive Secretary, Mr Salvador Medialdea.

Only Filipino citizens and those who hold permanent resident visas issued by the Philippine Government have been exempted from the ban.

Read related: Wuhan virus outbreak: Whole of nation, not just whole of government, approach

Wuhan virus outbreak: Whole of nation, not just whole of government, approach

Malaysian minister forced to climb fence to escape “gangster” group that gatecrashed Johor event

By
The Independent
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0
Photo: Facebook screengrab/ @Yusrizat Idris

Johor Baru – Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister had to climb a fence to escape a large group of men who gatecrashed an event organise by his political party on Friday (Jan 31).

 

According to The Star Online, Mr Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was at that time having a meeting in Ulu Tiram, Johor, with his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM or Bersatu) Armada youth wing and Srikandi women’s wing. Bersatu Chairman is Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

 

However, the peaceful meeting descended into chaos when a group of about 200 uninvited men dressed in black gatecrashed the event.

 

Mr Syed Saddiq shared his experience on his Facebook profile. “They screamed rude remarks, insults and foul words,” he posted. “Their actions were aggressive and threatening.”

 

The group, who looked and acted like “gangsters”, demanded that the Youth and Sports Minister apologise to the Johor Crown Prince. Mr Syed Saddiq, who at 27 is the youngest-ever Cabinet minister, said he could not comprehend the reason for such a demand.

 

The aggressive behaviour of the group forced the minister to escape from the premises. He added in his post that he, together with a Melaka Executive Councillor and the Johor Bersatu party chief, were “forced to escape the scene through a backdoor route and climb over a fence – like criminals”.

 

Mr Syed Saddiq expressed concern for the safety of the women and children at the event.

Armada lodged a police report on Friday evening.

 

On Saturday (Feb 1), Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador released a statement that two individuals suspected to be the “masterminds” of the incident had been arrested.

 

“We view this provocation and threats against the minister seriously,” he said. “The incident was committed by certain irresponsible parties who failed to respect the laws of Malaysia.”

The Inspector-General added that a special task force had been established to investigate the incident.

 

Video footage of the event, including those who were involved in the commotion, has been shared by the minister on Twitter. The recordings will be provided to the police to help the investigation, he said.

Mr Syed Saddiq’s Facebook post quickly garnered more than 13,000 comments. Many wanted action to be taken against the men who disrupted the event, while some criticised the minister for fleeing and for not facing up to the group. /TISG

Malam ini, saya dan Armada Johor berkumpul di Ulu Tiram, Johor. Kami rancang untuk duduk semeja, sembang santai dan…

Posted by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman on Friday, January 31, 2020

DPM Heng: Govt will support firms and workers hit by economic slowdown from Wuhan virus outbreak

By
The Independent
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0
Photo: Heng Swee Keat FB

Singapore — The Government will be providing targeted support to sectors that have been directly affected by the Wuhan virus outbreak, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat.

On Saturday (Feb 1), Mr Heng visited Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa with National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng.

The hotel’s guests were Singapore’s first and third confirmed cases of the Wuhan virus.

While it was less crowded, Mr Heng was “glad to see that the staff were in good spirits”. Along with some photos posted on his Facebook page, Mr Heng included preliminary details on how the Government will address the virus outbreak’s effects on the economy.

“Safeguarding the well-being of our people remains our top priority,” he said. “The Multi-Ministry Taskforce has stepped up precautionary measures in the past week to reduce the risk of both community spread and the risk of more imported nCoV (Novel Coronavirus) cases.”

With the situation “rapidly evolving”, the Government is expecting a “knock-on impact” on related industries and firms such as those in the aviation, tourism and transport sectors.

A press release issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Industry on the same day noted that the Government has strengthened its 2020 Budget to address the possibility of a broad and intense economic slowdown.

“A package of measures to help viable companies stay afloat and help workers stay in their jobs” will be included in the Budget.

It said measures include helping firms with their short-term cash flow needs and supporting firms retain and train their workers during this period. This includes “providing some support for part of their wage costs”.

The Government will also continue to work together with tripartite partners to “restructure the economy, build new enterprise capabilities, and upskill our workers for the future”, the ministries added.

Mr Heng mentioned that the economic impact of the outbreak is understandably weighing on people’s minds. “But with this, we are prepared to do more. We will continue to monitor this closely and implement decisive measures as needed.”

“We can emerge stronger as long as we continue to work together,” he added in his post.

Details of the relief measures will be announced in the Budget Statement on Feb 18.

Read related:

PM Lee visits NCID, thanks staff for their work during Wuhan virus outbreak

Visited Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa this afternoon to meet with frontline workers, together with Ng Chee Meng 黄志明 and…

Posted by Heng Swee Keat on Saturday, February 1, 2020

Wuhan virus outbreak: Whole of nation, not just whole of government, approach

By
Tan Bah Bah
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0
Photo: Airport travellers and flight crew. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)

So far there is a certain calm in the way Singapore takes the Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in its stride. No doubt, the experience gained from tackling SARS in 2002 has helped. The very fact that both originated from China – SARS in Guangdong  and coronavirus in Wuhan city in central China – does not make things easier, given the close links and high volume of human traffic between China and Singapore.

This perspective has to be borne in mind always.  There is hardly any distance between the two countries because of ease of travel and social and business intermingling. The World Health Organisation may have declared the outbreak a Global Public Health Emergency on January 20. But a casual scan of the top news headlines in the West over the weekend showed interest mainly on Brexit,  the Donald Trump impeachment trial, deaths of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant and his daughter and 18-year-old multiple Grammy awards winner Billie Eilish.  Not that much attention was paid to the Wuhan virus.

Somehow, Asia has to be on its own. The Wuhan virus may be our equivalent of Aids. Between the early 1980s and 2018, that pandemic killed an estimated 32 million deaths worldwide, with a huge number of fatalities in Africa. Handling the 2019n-CoV crisis may well be some kind of defining moments for both Singapore and China.

I just had an interesting conversation with a well-travelled young Singaporean, who has worked in Shanghai for more than a decade, on Thursday Jan 30. He saw the Wuhan virus crisis as an important opportunity for the Beijing government, or rather the Chinese Communist  Party, to strengthen its legitimacy. He said: “The last time, during SARS, it was a bit of struggle. China wasn’t all that ready. But since then, as with most things in the country, Beijing has accumulated enough experience and developed all the necessary templates to deal with such a crisis. It knows that not only are the eyes of its citizens but also the attention of the world is on how it goes about stopping the spread.

“This whole thing is not about window-dressing or putting up a coming-of-age party like during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is about applying all the necessary best practices to make a statement that it is as responsible a government as any elsewhere.”

I agree with him, up to a point. Speed of action and transparency are vital in today’s Internet world. The social media in China was already grumbling about the situation in the early stage. The Communist Party chief of Wuhan Ma Guoqiang said that the impact of the virus on the rest of China and on the world “would have been less” if the containment measures had been come sooner.  He added: “The measures we took on Jan 23 to suspend flights, high-speed railway, ferries and to restrict cars could have yielded  better results if we had taken them earlier, perhaps on Jan 12 and 13…Right now, I’m in a state of guilt, remorse and self-reproach.”

Beijing will deal with its problem in its own way but it certainly cannot afford to act like it is still a closed society or can continue to depend on a wait-for-instructions party machinery to move heaven and earth. Better to be safe than sorry. Here is the chance for it to get its act right, so that the public gets the proper information to understand and help cope with the outbreak. If it does not, there are political, social and life-threatening consequences far, far greater than simply having to apologise for incompetence.

In Singapore, the situation seems less scary on the ground than during SARS but the calibrated measures being taken do not mean that everything may not get worse as, according to National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday Jan 31,  “The situation remains fluid, it’s constantly changing and we do not rule out taking further measures.” He was announcing the ban from Feb 2 on new visitors of any nationality with recent travel history to mainland China. These visitors will also not be allowed to transit in Singapore. Those with Chinese passports, with the exception of Singapore permanent residents and long-term pass holders, will also not be allowed to enter Singapore.

Far more important to the ordinary Singaporeans is: what exactly is the coronavirus , how does it spread and what can they do to prevent its spread? Of course, many would have already read the news and learnt through the media the answers to the three questions. They can also check out this authoritative WHO link:  https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

There is now a whole-of-government action plan to contain the outbreak. No doubt, the government will have put in place all the best practices it has developed since SARS. These would include: zero-error entry point checks for air, sea and land, comprehensive quarantine procedures and facilities, state-of-the-art medical treatment and counselling and so on.

Right at the heart of the containment strategy must be public education. It may seem obvious. It is not. It is not enough to disseminate information through mainstream and traditional channels or to believe that the standard establishment grassroots outlets will automatically see it as their duty to explain because they themselves need to be educated in the first place.

I would suggest a whole-of-nation approach.

Do not exclude. Rope in all the social media platforms to pass the message. There is a whole new universe out there of people who do not now read newspapers or watch “national TV”. The government is worried about fake news. It should be equally worried that being turned off by MSM really means not tuning in to conventional media.

Finally, if it is not too late, the whole exercise of handing out masks is actually the best opportunity to educate everyone on everything that they ought to know and do about the Wuhan virus. Don’t waste it.

Tan Bah Bah, consulting editor of Theindependent.SG, is a former senior leader writer with The Straits Times. He was also the managing editor of a local magazine publishing company.

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