Crash Landing On You star Son Ye Jin was in the ER. Picture: Instagram
The Korean TV drama series Crash Landing On You, starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, is currently the country’s hottest show.
There were reports on Monday (Jan 27) that Son was rushed to the emergency department at the hospital while filming the series. The cause of her hospitalisation was fatigue.
MSteam Entertainment later issued a statement on Son’s health. It said the actress had been sent to the emergency department because of accumulated fatigue from the filming schedule. She had received treatment and had been discharged.
Son has resumed filming. The agency said it was not a serious illness and that Son was sent to the emergency department and not the regular hospital service because it was a public holiday.
Son has received treatment and has been discharged. Picture: Instagram
tvN’s Crash Landing on You hit its highest viewership ratings on Jan 19 at 14.5 per cent. The show’s premiere was on Dec 14 last year.
It is a romantic drama in which Yoon Se-Ri, a South Korean conglomerate heiress, falls in love with Ri Jung-Hyuk, a North Korean army officer.
They meet when Se-ri sets out on a paragliding adventure that turns into an accident, causing her to land in North Korea. Jung-hyuk protects and hides Se-Ri from the authorities. They fall in love.
In other news, Hyun Bin is reported to be taking legal action against those who have been spreading rumours about the stars.
Reports say that Hyun Bin and Son have denied rumours that they were dating and intended to get married.
The actor and actress have been filming the TV series without disruption despite the swirling rumours.
On Jan 14, however, Hyun Bin’s label, Vast Entertainment, released a statement saying that it would be taking legal action on his behalf against rumour mongers. The company said it was collecting evidence on various false and malicious rumours to protect the interests of the stars.
Fans have been asked to send any malicious rumours they come across about the stars to the label.
Manila — Singapore-born Angeline Tham is a hero to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Filipino commuters. Unfortunately, with some leaders, she is not nearly as popular, with one Philippine senator even seeking to deport the young mother of one due to controversy over a motorcycle ride-sharing business the entrepreneur runs in the country.
Ms Tham, who is 33 this year, is married to a Filipino and used to work for JP Morgan Singapore and ride-sharing giant Grab. She started “Angkas”, which means “to hitch a ride”, in 2016.
In Manila’s notorious gridlocks, which can cost as much as S$94 million in daily economic losses, she had found herself stuck in traffic and would be late for meetings. She then began the city’s first motorcycle ride-sharing service, which has greatly benefited Filipinos from all walks of life.
However, questions over the company’s business permit arose in 2017, which led to a brief suspension of services the following year.
But the company’s troubles intensified towards the end of last year, when the Department of Transportation ruled that only 30,000 motorcycle riders would be allowed for ride-sharing in Manila, a number that needed to be divided equally among three companies: Angkas, JoyRide and MoveIt. Angkas, which already had 27,000 riders, was being forced to let go of 17,000.
The company went to court to fight this ruling, arguing that it had worked hard to grow its ranks of riders over the past few years.
Angkas held a “unity gathering” on Dec 22, which Senator Aquilino Pimentel III termed an “indignation rally” that paralysed the streets of Metro Manila.
He sought for Ms Tham to be declared persona non grata and called for an investigation into her stake in the company, on the grounds that the country’s law capping foreign ownership at 40 per cent had allegedly been violated.
But supporters of Angkas, who are very vocal online, said the senator was railroading the company to make room for JoyRide, whose business development adviser is the Secretary-General of the PDP-Laban political party. The senator presides over the party and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is its Chairman.
Senator Pimentel responded: “I do not have bias and favour of any current operator.” But he does not deny having endorsed JoyRide.
He added that the persona non grata petition against Ms Tham would not affect the company. “Angkas will not be affected as an entity. Hence this cannot be in favor of anybody, but the need for the foreigner to now account for her actions,” he said.
The senator claimed that Ms Tham “bullied” members of the technical working group (TWG) of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
He added: “For me, the actions and pronouncements of (Angkas) were intended to bully the TWG. You cannot bully the government, especially under the Duterte administration.”
However, Angkas claims that the majority shares of the company are now owned by Ms Tham’s Filipino husband, Mr George Royeca.
Ms Tham said in a statement: “We respect the prerogative of the good senator and hope to move forward from these issues. We have high regard for the Senate and hope for a positive result in the process.” -/TISG
Singapore—Ruling People’s Action Party (PAP)’s fourth generation leaders (4G) were seen springing to action on Monday (Jan 27) in response to the issue of the quickly spreading novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, and has thus far infected over 2,840 people, with a death toll of 82.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed its fifth Wuhan virus case late on Monday evening even as new measures were announced that day by the 4G leadership in mitigating the effects of the disease and preventing widespread effects.
This has led political observers to say that just as the SARS virus outbreak was a test for the previous generation of leaders, 3G,including current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, addressing the problems brought about will be a test for PAP’s new generation of leaders, they told The Straits Times (ST).
In a multi-ministry media conference on Monday (Jan 27), a task force to address Wuhan-virus related issues was announced, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Heng Swee Keat as an adviser to the team, although DPM Heng was not present at the media conference.
The task force is co-chaired by Gan Kim Yong, the Health Minister, and Lawrence Wong, the National Development Minister. Also present at the media conference were Communications and Information Minister S. Iswaran, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.
Other leaders included in the task force who spoke about how their ministries would address Wuhan virus-related issues were Masagos Zulkifli (Environment and Water Resources Minister), Ng Chee Meng (labour chief and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office), Josephine Teo (Manpower Minister), Desmond Lee (Social and Family Development Minister) and Dr Janil Puthucheary (Senior Minister of State for Transport, and Communications and Information).
ST quotes former People’s Action Party (PAP) MPInderjit Singh as saying that the 3G leadership had done well in addressing the SARS outbreak 16 years ago, noting that the health screening tests done in Singapore’s airports were adopted in different parts of the world.
Mr Inderjit said, “How the 4G team handles the Wuhan virus crisis will be an important measure of their ability. Singaporeans are looking to them to tackle this issue to protect everyone and we want them to succeed. All Singaporeans should work with the leaders and the government so that we can come out of this crisis with minimal impact.”
For Tan Ern Ser, an Associate Professor from the National University of Singapore, addressing the Wuhan virus outbreak is more of a test of the collective leadership of the 4G, as tackling issues across ministries requires good collaboration.
”More importantly, it would be a test of collective leadership, which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has previously pointed out would characterise the 4G leadership,” he said.
The professor added that the outbreak of the Wuhan virus could bea defining moment for 4G leaders in the same way that SARS was for the 3G leaders, the financial crisis in Asia for the 2G leaders, and building Singapore was for the first generation of the country’s leaders. -/TISG
Three fires broke out in different parts of Singapore on the first two days of Chinese New Year.
According to straitstimes.com, the first fire broke out at about 11.30 am on Saturday (Jan 25) in a supermarket at Block 539A, Bedok North Street 3.
Ten emergency vehicles and around 30 firefighters were deployed to put out the fire. According to Channel News Asia, in a public post, the Singapore Civil Defence Force disclosed that, as firefighters “inched their way into the poor-visibility interior of the unit” to ensure no one was trapped inside, they saw that a large part of the supermarket had been “extensively damaged”.
The fire was eventually put out with a water jet. The authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
The second fire also broke out on Saturday (Jan 25), not long after the first was reported. It was in a flat in Block 672, Hougang Avenue 8. According to Asia One, the SCDF was alerted to the fire at around 11.40 am. Twenty-five people had already managed to evacuate the flat by the time the firefighters arrived. The fire, whose origin was traced to the living room, was also put out with a water jet.
This fire is also being investigated by the authorities.
The third fire broke out the next day, Sunday (Jan 26), in a condominium unit in 5 Buangkok Green, Hougang. According to a report by straitstimes.com, the SCDF responded to the fire at around 5.50 am. By the time the authorities arrived at the scene, around 180 residents had already evacuated the burning building. The fire was eventually put out, also with a water jet.
Based on initial investigations, the cause of the fire appears to be an e-bicycle battery which was being charged in a bedroom.
Two people suffered surface burns and had difficulty breathing. Both, however, opted not to be taken to hospital. /TISG
Singapore—In response to an opinion piece activist Kirsten Han wrote that was published in The New York Times (NYT) on January 21, Singapore’s ambassador to the United States Ashok Kumar Mirpuri has written a letter to the NYT’s editor rebutting the points that Ms Han made, which was published on NYT’s online edition on January 27.
According to Ambassador Mirpuri, Ms Han “is wrong on several counts.”
In Ms Han’s piece, entitled “Want to Criticize Singapore? Expect a ‘Correction Notice’” she wrote that POFMA—the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act—which was passed in Parliament in May this year and was implemented starting from October, has been invoked by the Government a number of times and that “there is now reason to fear that the law is, instead, a tool to quiet dissent.”
Mr Mirpuri clarified, first of all, that correction notices are only issued for “deliberate online falsehoods” and not for writing that is critical of Singapore, such as Ms Han’s article.
Since Ms Han had written that as of the time her piece was published every POFMA “order so far has been directed at an opposition party or politician, or a government critic,” the ambassador replied with “Ms. Han asks whether Singapore is cracking down on fake news or the opposition. That depends on the answer to another question: Which are true: the corrections or the offending posts?”
Mr Mirpuri follows this up by writing pointedly, “If corrections remain unchallenged, the question is not why opposition activists were the subject of corrections, but why they posted so many false statements in the first place.”
He adds that all the articles that have been issued correction directions are still available online and that “No one’s speech has been curtailed.”
The ambassador ends his letter with, “Surely, enabling people to decide for themselves whether the original post or the correction is true is what freedom of speech is about.”
Ms Han, along with The Online Citizen and Yahoo Singapore, had been directed to add a correction notice to posts they had shared. “They will be required to carry a correction notice alongside their posts or articles, stating that their posts or articles contain falsehoods,” the MHA statement said.
To which, Ms Han has complied, although she wrote that she had reached out to the Singapore Prison Service for comments after the piece from Lawyers for Liberty came out, but received no response from them.
In a Facebook post she wrote, “I thought it was important for there to be more information about what actually happens in the execution chamber. As someone who has been invested in the issue of the death penalty for a long time, I was extremely interested in doing a story taking into account both LFL and the prison’s statements.
When I received no response, I followed up with the prison on 17 January. Still no response.
Instead of responding to media queries, a POFMA order was made instead.”
Last April, Mr Mirpuri wrote to the Washington Post (WP) also in defence of POFMA, citing other countries that have either adopted or are considering laws that would fight online falsehoods, such as Germany and France. The Ambassador also highlighted how vulnerable Singapore is, since it is an an “open, English-speaking, multiracial and multi-religious city-state in a rapidly changing region.”
Mr Mirpuri wrote to WP after a piece was published by Washington Post’s Editorial Board on April 5, 2019, entitled, “Is Singapore fighting fake news or free speech?” In it, the author/s write that there is a thin line between the two, and that endeavouring to combat online falsehoods comes with certain risks. -/TISG
For illustration purposes only (Photo by NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP)
I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. –Revelations 6-2
Each time there is an outbreak of some strange and deadly pestilence, I am reminded of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, predicted in the Book of Revelations.
Of the four horsemen, the white horse represents death and destruction through pestilence and the carnage caused by disease in the world.
The latest, known as the Wuhan virus because it seems to have radiated out from that city in China, has announced that deaths have spiked to 80 while 2,700 cases have been confirmed, at the time of writing.
Nations in Europe, South East Asia, including Malaysia and Singapore have reported cases of the virus among Chinese nationals who arrived from that city.
There was a marked increase in the number of people wearing masks as I travelled in an MRT from City Hall along the Red Line route. At one point, a male passenger, who was sitting next to me, without a mask and having snooze, to my horror, slumped towards me!
I was petrified and as soon as I got home checked my temperature. It was normal. And, I have been checking my temperature every half-an-hour or so as I wait for the clinics to open after the CNY holidays are over.
No, I am not a hypochondriac. But when it comes to the flu, I am reminded of the SARS and MERS epidemics that hit both Malaysia Singapore. But this episode on the train is a reminder that the world is moving very fast and that air travel is both a boon and bane.
You get there faster and get back in double-quick time compared to our predecessors who took long voyages via ships, camel caravans, horses and by foot.
Any disease-carrying individual or tribe had limited time and space to expose others and if it was highly contagious and deadly, the tribe would have been wiped out as it roamed about and foraged for sustenance.
But these statistics brings into focus how desperately ill-equipped we seem to be in containing an influenza virus. We can only react after the fact, in fact after the disease has taken its initial toll and has been reported officially. How good are the systems in place in terms of prevention, detection and response and exactly how effective is the health system’s commitment to improving vulnerability to biological threats?
It is a compilation of the findings of what is known as a “Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of the country’s implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR (2005)).
“IHR (2005) is a legally binding instrument requiring countries to build a minimum set of core capacities to be better able to protect their citizens, and the citizens of other countries, during outbreaks and health emergencies,” the report adds.
But as average human beings, we tend to panic when there are sporadic outbreaks such as the current Wuhan Virus, also known scientifically as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). According to CNA, the Ministry of Health (MoH), “the risk of infection from transient contact, such as from public transport or public spaces, is “assessed to be low”.
Whether it has been assessed low or not, I am not taking any chances. I will have a mask on and wash my hands as frequently as I can each time I leave home. Perhaps the mask will veil and allay my fears, but I doubt it. Pandemics become accentuated when there is mass panic. There are enough Hollywood movies that can testify to this. And, I am giving the movies miss for a while.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore. /TISG
This undated photograph made available on April 24, 2018 by Singapore Ministry of Communications and information shows S Iswaran, who will be Minister for Communications and Information in Singapore. - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promoted younger ministers in a cabinet reshuffle on April 24 as speculation mounts about who will replace him. The changes saw three ministers from the old guard retire, more women taking leadership roles, and younger figures promoted as part of a carefully planned succession process that has made Singapore an oasis of stability in sometimes turbulent Southeast Asia. (Photo by Handout / MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
SINGAPORE — On Monday (Jan 27), Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran emphasised that in line with the new Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), the Government will come down hard on anyone found to be spreading falsehoods about the Wuhan virus, as this action can cause fear and panic among Singaporeans.
At a press conference led by Health Minster Gan Kim Yong, where several members of the fourth-generation leadership were present, Mr Iswaran spoke on taking action against fake news surrounding the Wuhan virus outbreak.
“We will not hesitate to use the powers under the law to take action against any party that spreads such falsehoods,” Mr Iswaran underlined.
A fake fatality
Mr Iswaran’s statement comes after an incident with online forum HardwareZone. On Sunday night (Jan 26), a user put up a post which falsely stated that there had been a fatality in Singapore because of the Wuhan virus.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) posted about the incident on its Facebook page:
At 5.50pm on 26 Jan 2020, a HardwareZone Forum post claimed that a 66 year-old man died in Singapore from a newly…
“We advise members of the public to not speculate and/or spread unfounded rumours,” wrote MOH.
The website was issued a correction direction by the POFMA office to remove the fake post. HardwareZone complied with the directive and the post was eventually taken down after two and a half hours; however, more than 4,600 separate visitors had already viewed it that time period.
Iswaran expressed concern that users who read the post could have “shared it with others and been misled by it”, as false information has the power of inciting fear, anxiety and panic in people, especially in a situation that is already charged with worry.
Other instances of false news
Aside from that incident, the POFMA office has issued more correction directions and clarifications on several other posts which claimed and posted unverified information on the Wuhan virus in the last few days.
On Friday (Jan 24), a message circulating on WhatsApp alerted recipients against going to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, for the reason that infected patients from China were being sent there.
In response, the Ministry of Healthy (MOH) issued a post on Facebook, clarifying that “all public hospitals have strict protocols to handle and manage suspect cases related to the novel coronavirus”.
A message on the novel coronavirus has been circulating on WhatsApp asking the public not to visit certain public…
“If you receive this message or any other unsubstantiated information over WhatsApp or other platforms, we urge you not to forward or circulate them,” posted MOH.
There was another incident on —another WhatsApp message and video which told people to avoid Eastpoint Mall in Simei because the first suspected case had been reported there, at Raffles Medical clinic. MOH Again clarified that avoiding the mall is not necessary, as proper protocol had been followed when transporting the patient in an ambulance to hospital for further examination.
On Saturday (Jan 25), there were messages on the HardwareZone forum saying that Singapore had repatriated more than 100 Wuhan tourists back to China. This was also false news, and both MOH and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) published corrections on Facebook.
How to steer clear of fake news online
With four confirmed cases and 42 suspected, pending cases of the Wuhan virus in Singapore, it is natural that Singaporeans are worried, concerned and scrambling for answers online regarding the quick-spreading outbreak as well as tips and tricks to protect themselves.
At the press conference, Mr Iswaran said that the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and MOH are working together to keep Singaporeans properly informed through different online platforms—MOH website, the Gov.sg website, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Factually.
The Government’s regular updates on the Wuhan virus should help citizens “safely navigate the online terrain” and steer clear of fake news on the matter.
Mr Iswaran added that the Government is also using mediums like television, newspapers, radio and digital display panels in Housing Board apartments to bring real-time updates to people.
For those experiencing delays on the Gov.sg WhatsApp group, which has had more than 56,000 new subscribers since Sunday, Mr Iswaran said the Government is working with Facebook and WhatsApp to find solutions to fix the lags and reminds Singaporeans that information on the virus will continue to be available and accessible on the aforementioned online platforms.
“Please rely on information only from trusted sources,” Mr Iswaran emphasised, adding that “the help and cooperation of all Singaporeans” is what is needed “in this critical national effort to prevent misinformation and falsehoods about the Wuhan coronavirus, from sowing fear and causing panic in our society”.
Camila Cabello performing at the Grammys. Picture: Instagram
Artists shone during the Grammy awards on Sunday but there was a sad undertone to the ceremony with news of the tragic death earlier in the day of basketball star Kobe Bryant.
The ceremony was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where Byrant once led the LA Lakers to multiple championships, but many people gathered near the venue to mourn. Flags were flown at half-mast.
Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter accident in California. Nine people perished, including his daughter Gianna, 13. She was the second of four daughters Bryant had with his wife Vanessa, 37.
At the Grammys, there were performances by Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X and tributes to Aerosmith and late rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Beyonce won a prize for best music film for Homecoming, while Lady Gaga snagged two awards for the movie A Star Is Born’s original soundtrack.
Steve Pamon, a Homecoming director, mentioned in his acceptance speech to Bryant to rest in peace and that they loved him.
Lil Nas X was nominated for six awards and he won a Grammy for his Old Town Road music video.
The first award of the night went to Eilish’s debut studio album in the engineering categories.
LL Cool J, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X at the Grammys. Picture: Instagram
However, backstage scandal threatens to tarnish the glitz at the Grammys.
CEO Deborah Dugan, the first woman in that role, was suspended by the Recording Academy when she made a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Issues such as sexual harassment, voting irregularities and other misconduct were raised.
Although it is an influential organisation to music, the academy is said to be biased and lacking in diversity.
Dugan also claimed that former CEO Neil Portnow had raped a foreign female musician. He rejected the claim as “ludicrous and untrue”.
The Pre-Grammy gala was hosted by Clive Davis. Sean “Diddy” Combs caused some controversy at the ceremony. After being named an industry icon, he said American-African music had never been taken seriously by the Grammys. He said there was a need for transparency and diversity. /TISG
Singapore—Concerns over the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, a city in Hubei, central China, continue to mount as more cases of the infection are confirmed around the world.
To date, over 2,740 people have been infected by the virus, with a death toll of 82. The majority of those infected by the virus live in China, although the disease has been spreading to other countries, with Germany and Sri Lanka being the latest to confirm positive identification of the virus within their borders.
The woman is presently confined at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) in an isolation room. MOH’s statement says that she is in a stable condition.
One cause for concern is that the newest Wuhan virus patient did not show any symptoms on the disease en route to the country, and only began to fall ill last Friday (Jan 24). On Sunday she was brought to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, was categorized to be suspicious for the Wuhan virus and was put in isolation, before confirmation that she was positive for the virus was made the next day.
The woman has no links to other confirmed cases, MOH says.
The statement adds that the woman stayed in their family home in Ceylon Road since her arrival in Singapore, and when she fell ill she remained there until she was brought to the hospital on Sunday.
The MOH added that it is reaching out to those who may have had close contact with the patient.
The first case of the novel coronavirus was also confirmed in Germany on Monday (Jan 27). An official from the health ministry in Bavaria, in the southern part of the county, confirmed that “a man in the Starnberg region has been infected with the new coronavirus.”
Starnberg is around 30km southwest of Munich, Bavaria’s capital.
The patient is now in isolation and under observation, the official added, and that he is in a “medically good state.”
Similar to the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal, Germany is looking to evacuate its citizens living in Wuhan, reported Der Spiegel earlier that day.
Der Spiegel added that the government of Germany is talking to Berlin to see whether it can send a military plane to bring its citizens home.
Sri Lanka also saw its first confirmed novel coronavirus patient on Monday. Sudath Samaraweera, the chief epidemiologist with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health, told Reuters that “a Chinese lady, who is in her 40s, arrived on the 19th as a tourist and fell ill on the 25th and was confirmed as having the coronavirus following a test on Monday.”
Meanwhile, Chinese capital Beijing saw its first death from the Wuhan virus also on Monday (Jan 27). According to the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, the patient was a 50-year-old man who traveled to Wuhan on January 8, and retuned to Beijing on January 15. He developed a fever and tested positive for the Wuhan virus on January 22, succumbing to respiratory failure on January 27. -/TISG
Amid the panic and tension brought about by the Wuhan outbreak, Singapore retail outlets recently found themselves unable to restock on a product for which demand has risen tremendously in such a short period of time, face masks.
According to a recent report by Channel News Asia, on Friday (Jan 24), just one day after Singapore confirmed its first reported case of the Wuhan virus, the shelves of some stores had already been cleared of both N95 and surgical masks. Wherever there were masks still available for purchase, there were long queues of people waiting to get their hands on anything that could help prevent themselves from contracting the infamous novel strain of coronavirus, with many even grabbing hand sanitisers and thermometers while they were at it.
As supplies of the masks dropped on the physical shelves of stores, people took to online shops, where they were met with another dilemma. Though they weren’t quite met with the problem of a shortage on stocks, buyers were instead greeted by unbelievably exorbitant prices. According to a report by Mothership, prices for face masks went as high as up to S$288 for a box of 20 N95 masks.
According to a recent article by The Straits Times, on Wednesday (Jan 22), the Ministry of Health disclosed that with regards to the novel coronavirus originating from Wuhan, surgical masks are more appropriate than N95 masks–the reason for this is that surgical masks are better designed to prevent the spread of viruses than N95 masks as they are ergonomically formed to guard both the mouth and nose from large particle droplets, which is a medium known to pass viruses in general. In contrast, the N95 masks are specially-designed respirators that work to filter out particles in the air, which is why it is most commonly used by medical practitioners in hospitals, which are very concentrated areas. N95 masks have also been used for the haze.
The Ministry of Health assures, however, that the Government is aware of the increase in the sales of these items in the wake of the Wuhan outbreak and that should the need arise, the Government will step in to help. The MOH also assured that there are enough masks in stock.
