[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-20-january-2021\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-20-january-2021\/","headline":"Latest News: 20 January 2021","name":"Latest News: 20 January 2021","description":"1. New partnership launched by Grab and Watsons Grab and Watsons have announced an \u201conline+offline\u201d partnership which allows Grab users to receive hygiene products at their doorstep and use GrabPay as a payment option in Watsons\u2019 outlets around Singapore.\u00a0 According to Freda Ng, Watsons International\u2019s Chief Digital Officer, this partnership will help provide \u201cadded convenience […]","datePublished":"2021-01-20","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/nurhuda-a-bakar\/#Person","name":"THG Team","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/nurhuda-a-bakar\/","identifier":192,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc34876b3fb3590dc3c3af86fecb433aaaadfb1c38122c5a851f730f44b6a43d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dc34876b3fb3590dc3c3af86fecb433aaaadfb1c38122c5a851f730f44b6a43d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1611114558474_TON_1280X626_28129.png","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1611114558474_TON_1280X626_28129.png","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-20-january-2021\/","commentCount":"3","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-20-january-2021\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-05-03 04:40:24","description":"You\u2019ve got a new fan here!","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"tv world live","url":"https:\/\/redirect.playgame.wiki\/url?url=https:\/\/www.oneotv.com\/"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-20-january-2021\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2026-04-27 22:22:04","description":"The examples really helped.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"puma ladies casual shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/puma-women-shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-20-january-2021\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2026-04-25 09:04:18","description":"This should be a required read.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Salomon feid shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/men\/Salomon-Men-Shoes"}}],"about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":1064,"articleBody":"1. New partnership launched by Grab and WatsonsGrab and Watsons have announced an \u201conline+offline\u201d partnership which allows Grab users to receive hygiene products at their doorstep and use GrabPay as a payment option in Watsons\u2019 outlets around Singapore.\u00a0According to Freda Ng, Watsons International\u2019s Chief Digital Officer, this partnership will help provide \u201cadded convenience to [their] customers who can now shop for over 62,000 health and beauty products [online]… and have them delivered to their doorstep in under two hours\u201d.\u00a0This new partnership will see Grab acting as Watsons\u2019 last-mile delivery partner for shoppers using GrabExpress. Shoppers who use this service will receive their purchases within hours instead of days.\u00a0Additionally, Watsons\u2019 online catalogue is now listed on GrabMart, where items will be delivered instantly upon confirmation.\u00a0With the GrabPay option now available in Watsons\u2019 physical stores, customers can now earn GrabRewards loyalty points while shopping at Watsons.\u00a0This partnership currently benefits Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines will also be involved in the expansion at a later time.\u00a02. Lion dances not allowed in several locations; annual Chinatown light-up to go on amid quieter festivitiesThis Chinese New Year will be a quieter affair, with lion dances not being allowed to be held at coffeeshops, food centres, markets, and homes this year to prevent crowds from gathering.\u00a0The Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation had announced on Sunday, 17 January, the stricter control measures in place for lion dance troupes in the Year of the Ox due to the COVID-19 restrictions.\u00a0Under these measures, only eight performers are allowed. This will also mean that dragon dances cannot function as they require many more participants.\u00a0Performers will also have to wear masks for the duration of the performance, except for those controlling the head and the tail of the lion.\u00a0Lion dances will still be allowed to proceed in larger venues such as offices, factories, hotels, temples, and shops in mega shopping centres.\u00a0 All participants taking part in these activities will have to adhere to social distancing rules, and no more than 50 people are allowed at these venues for such performances to take place.\u00a0On a brighter note, the annual Chinese New Year light-up in Chinatown will go ahead on 23 January, Saturday.\u00a0The 880m light-up will feature lanterns in the shape of pomelos, blossom trees, and ingots. There will also be 88 ox lanterns that will illuminate Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road. In total, there will be 888 lanterns lighting up the precinct.\u00a0This year\u2019s decorations are symbolic of the theme – \u201cUsher in Good Health, Prosperity and Happiness\u201d. The centrepiece of this year\u2019s light-up will be located opposite Chinatown Point. It will be a 10m tall golden ox surrounded by gold coins and ingots, with a riverbank and water wheel next to it to represent the flow of wealth and fortune.\u00a0The lanterns this year were designed in collaboration with 12 undergraduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).\u00a0Visitors who would like to observe the light-up are reminded to abide by safe management measures. Alternatively, they can watch it from their homes as the event will be live-streamed on Chinatown Festivals\u2019 Facebook Page on Saturday at 8 p.m.\u00a0Other than the light-up, there will also be short films about Chinese New Year delicacies to look forward to. These films will be streamed on the Chinatown Festivals’ Facebook page this month and the next.3. Quarantining tennis players voice frustrations at the Australian OpenMany of the tennis players slated to play at the Australian Open have voiced their frustrations over \u201cunequal practice\u201d due to quarantine requirements.\u00a0Originally scheduled to start this month, the Australian Open was rescheduled for 8 to 21 February because of COVID-19 concerns.\u00a0Nine people linked to the Australian Open have now tested positive for COVID-19 and are quarantined. Among those diagnosed are a coach, a member of the traveling broadcast team, and crew who were working on board the flights which brought the tennis players to Melbourne.All 72 players who are affected are required to quarantine for two weeks and will not be allowed to leave their hotel rooms during this time and until they are medically cleared. This means that players are not eligible to practice.\u00a0While some players understood the need to quarantine, they are concerned that their inability to train and practice during this time will affect their ability to compete effectively at the Australian Open.\u00a0This might put quarantined players at a significant disadvantage in the first grand slam of the tennis season.\u00a0In the week leading up to the grand slam, players will be allowed out for five hours daily to train in strict bio-secure bubbles ahead of a host of warm-up tournaments, all in Melbourne.\u00a04. Light to Night Festival returns in 2021 with an innovative hybrid formatA marquee event of the Singapore Art Week, the Light to Night Festival returns this year with a host of innovative art experiences in a novel hybrid edition.\u00a0Spearheaded by National Gallery Singapore, the festival seeks to inspire audiences to forge deeper connections with art in new and engaging ways, and start the new year off with hope and positivity under the theme: \u201c____-in-Progress.\u201dTo bring the theme of \u201c____-in-Progress\u201d to life, this year\u2019s edition of Light to Night Festival will extend its reach beyond the Civic District by blending online, offline, and hybrid online-offline programmes.\u00a0The public can look forward to integration of augmented reality technology as well public art installations aboard the cabins of an SMRT train.\u00a0Like in previous years, the Light to Night Festival 2021 will also support the local arts community through greater collaboration with local artists and the mentorship of art students.\u00a0For the full programme of what you can expect at the Light to Night Festival 2021, do check out their website at www.lighttonight.sg. Additionally, you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.\u00a0Onsite admission to the festival is free. It takes place from 22 to 31 January 2021, with activities ongoing from 10 a.m. until midnight daily.\u00a0\u00a0It will be held across various locations in the civic district including: National Gallery Singapore, Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, Asian Civilisations Museum, Asian Civilisations Museum Green, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Padang, and the Arts House. Join the conversations on THG’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Latest News: 20 January 2021","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-20-january-2021\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]