TR EMERITUS

I will be frank. There will be good and bad points. What are the good points that come from a new govt? Bad policies and practice will be changed. For example: a) The cost of govt will come down with lower salaries for ministers, top civil servants and heads of govt agencies and linked companies, b) Families members heading top agencies with be replaced. c) Crony capitalism will be stopped d) Stop wasting govt spending on infrastructure and defense e) Abolish the policy of jobs for foreigners, NS for locals f) Stop accepting fake degrees of foreigners g) Cancel CECA h) Stop treating locals unfairly, e.g NS, scholarships for foreigners. What are the benefits from a change of govt with new policies? a) Cost of living will come down, starting with abolishing GST b) Give jobs to locals first, before accepting foreigners c) Reduce cost of housing and stop the "lease decay" d) Reduce full time and reservist duty under NS e) Make CPF more flexible and earn a higher return f) Reduce the cost of health care by controlling charges g) The new govt will be run by people with experience, in touch with the ground and more responsive to the people. What are the negative effects from a change of govt? There will be uncertainty and disruption following a change of govt. It will not be easy, but we must be prepared to accept the pain of change. Even a 4G govt under the PAP has many uncertainties. If we do not change, and the current PAP policy continues, it will be worse. OK, people. D you agree that Singapore will do wlll under a non PAP govt, in spite of uncertainty and disruption?   Tan Kin Lian      Read More →

Here is what we know so far about the Coronavirus (also known as 2019-nCoV) that has resulted in the lock-down of Wuhan city in China. What are the symptoms? Patients who have contracted the virus have experienced fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties. The virus can also cause pneumonia, an infection that inflames the air sacs in the lungs and can cause them to fill with fluid or pus. Elderly Patients tend to be more affected by the virus than younger ones. Since the virus broke out in the city of Wuhan in December last year, it has infected hundreds of people across China, resulting in some 17 deaths. Imported cases have also been reported in the United States, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau and Singapore.. How is the virus transmitted? Where it all started The new strain of Coronavirus can be transmitted between humans, according to Chinese health authorities. It is also adapting and mutating, which could make the virus spread faster and possibly more difficult to treat. It is not yet clear how infectious the virus is. Although many other Coronaviruses are transmitted by coughing and sneezing, there are no indications so far that the virus is transmitted via the respiratory tract. The first infection was detected in Wuhan and traced back to a wild animal and fish market （武汉华南海鲜批发市场）, which has now been shut down. The virus might have been transmitted through direct contact between humans and animals, or simply via the air like many germs. Viruses that can spread between humans and animals cause so-called zoonotic diseases. Such viruses may be transmitted when humans consume meat or animal products — or if such products were insufficiently heated or prepared in an unsanitary environment. What do we know so far? Health experts recently managed to decode the Coronavirus' gene sequence. Coronaviruses were first discovered in the 1960s and their name derives from their crown or halo-like shape. Viruses of this kind are not per se lethal. Sometimes, they also lead to gastrointestinal disorders and diarrhea, in particular. But Coronaviruses, which are RNA viruses, are also extremely adaptable and genetically diverse. This means they can easily infect and spread between different species, eg: from animals to humans. While some Coronaviruses can cause the common cold, others can develop into more serious illnesses that lead to difficulty in breathing, pneumonia and even death. In 2002 and 2003, for example, the aggressive SARS-CoV Coronavirus led to an epidemic in 30 countries. More than 8,000 people worldwide were infected with the virus, resulting in about 1,000 death. Is there a treatment for the Coronavirus? There is no specific treatment for disease caused by Coronavirus. However, many of the symptoms caused by this virus can be treated and therefore treatment should be based on the symptoms of the patient. What can be done? Singapore’s Ministry of Health has issued a public health travel advisory on Wednesday (22 Jan) reminding the public to exercise caution and attention to personal hygiene when travelling to China. All travellers should monitor their health closely for two weeks upon their return to Singapore and seek immediate medical attention if they feel unwell, and to also inform their doctor of their travel history. If they have a fever or respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough, shortness of breath ), they should wear a mask and call the clinic ahead of the visit. Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times: Avoid contact with live animals including poultry and birds, and consumption of raw and undercooked meats; Avoid crowded places and close contact with people who are unwell or showing symptoms of illness; Observe good personal hygiene; Practise frequent hand washing with soap (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to the toilet, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing); Wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or shortness of breath; Cover your mouth with a tissue paper when coughing or sneezing, and dispose of the soiled tissue paper in the rubbish bin immediately; and Seek medical attention promptly if you are feeling unwell. .  Read More →

Hubei Province (Click to enlarge) Wuhan (武汉), the capital city (省会) of Hubei province in China has been "sealed off and isolated", announced the Chinese authorities on early Thursday morning (23 Jan). 武汉市新型冠状病毒感染的肺炎疫情防控指挥部消息发布: 自23日10时起，全市城市公交、地铁、轮渡、长途客运暂停运营；无特殊原因，市民不要离开武汉，机场、火车站离汉通道暂时关闭。恢复时间另行通告。 Following the announcement, the Chinese city with a population of about 11 million and at the heart of a deadly virus outbreak is effectively isolated from the rest of China and the World. Various measures were implemented, which the Chinese authorities said  is meant to “effectively cut off the virus spread, resolutely curb the outbreak and guarantee the people’s health and safety”. Among some of the numerous measures announced (implemented at 1000 hours on Thursday) are: 1. All departures (local and international flights, trains, taxis, coaches, cars, etc) from the city have been cancelled/banned unless on a need-to basis, for example: those in transit. Flights into the city were subsequently banned in the late afternoon after all arriving flights have landed. 2. All public transport within the city have also been halted, including but not limited to buses, taxis and subway trains. 3. All Wuhan residents are barred from leaving the city while visitors are "strongly advised" against entering the city "without special reason". Major roads leading to the city are heavily guarded by traffic police and paramilitary troops. 4. Major tourist attractions and entertainment outlets are to be closed and all New Year celebrations where a large number of public may gather are to be cancelled. 5. Residents of the city are required to wear face mask whenever they leave their homes. In a nutshell, you are "strongly advised" to not enter the city but if you insist on entering, you can enter but cannot leave (until further notice). The lock-down was confirmed by our techie, who is currently based in a city neighboring Wuhan. You see people wearing mask everywhere on the street and all Wuhan residents have been barred from leaving the city. One of my brother-in-law, who was scheduled to return from Wuhan for the reunion dinner on Friday had to cancel his plan as his family was not allowed to leave. Anyway, unlike the situation during the SARS outbreak (where the prices of essential medications sky-rocketted), the authorities have issued a prohibition directive to ensure that prices for medical essentials like Antibiotics and Masks cannot be raised. The supply of Mask are adequate and affordable, with each priced at RMB 1.00 (SGD 0.23 approx). The new strain of Coronavirus, which medical experts said "can be transmitted between people"  has so far claimed 17 lives, with more than 574 confirmed to have been infected throughout China. Medical staff were not spared from the deadly virus and 15 have been confirmed to be infected, with 1 in critical condition and another "seriously ill". The Coronavirus has been determined to be similar to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong within a year in 2002. The Chinese authorities have since classified the outbreak in the same category as SARS, implying compulsory isolation for those diagnosed  to be infected. So far, the Coronavirus has been detected in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and Singapore. Meanwhile, Singapore's Ministry of Health has issued a public health travel advisory on Wednesday (22 Jan) reminding the public to exercise caution and attention to personal hygiene when travelling to China. Latest update @2359 hours: Wuhan after lock-down Our techie has shared that other cities on the outskirt of Wuhan have also been partially or fully locked down. 1. HuangGang (黄冈) has been scheduled for lock-down on Thursday (23rd Jan) during midnight.  All public transport and railway services in the city will be suspended indefinitely. Its approximately 7.5 million residents have been told to not leave the city "without special reason" and to wear mask (compulsory) in public places. The city reportedly has 12 confirmed infections, among which are 1 doctor and 4 nurses. 2. ErZhou city (鄂州) with a population of about 1 million has also initiated a partial lock-down and suspended its railway and inter-state coach (bus) services as a precautionary measure (effective 1120 hours on Thursday). 3. Following suit is XianTao (仙桃), a city with a population of 1.5 million halted all public transport services as of 1700 hours on Thursday, indefinitely. 4. TianMen (天门), another small city of about 160,000 residents have banned all public celebratory gatherings and "strongly advised" its residents to conduct celebrations at home, avoiding public restaurants and entertainment outlets as far as possible. There was no official announcement on the barring of travel for residents of ErZhou, XianTao and TianMen, all of which have reported no confirmed infections so far. As of 2359 hours on Thursday (23rd Jan), thousands of residents throughout cities in Hubei province have reported sick for fever, with hundreds being warded for further observations and tests. No additional confirmed infections have been reported.      Read More →