[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-4-february-2021\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-4-february-2021\/","headline":"Latest News: 4 February 2021","name":"Latest News: 4 February 2021","description":"1. Extra COVID-19 testing for all newly arrived foreign workers in CMP sectors; Mandatory serology testing for foreign domestic workers and confinement nannies To further reduce the risk of transmission, the post-stay-home notice testing regime will be extended to all newly arrived work permit and S Pass workers in the construction, marine and process (CMP) […]","datePublished":"2021-02-04","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\/1612404307375_TON_1280X626_28729.png","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1612404307375_TON_1280X626_28729.png","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-4-february-2021\/","about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":1281,"articleBody":"1. Extra COVID-19 testing for all newly arrived foreign workers in CMP sectors; Mandatory serology testing for foreign domestic workers and confinement nanniesTo further reduce the risk of transmission, the post-stay-home notice testing regime will be extended to all newly arrived work permit and S Pass workers in the construction, marine and process (CMP) sectors from higher-risk countries and regions.\u00a0All such workers will thus be required to stay at a designated facility for 21 days upon arrival. Previously, only those headed to dormitories were subject to the additional 7-days testing regime after completing their 14-day stay-home notice (SHN).\u00a0This new requirement will be implemented from 5 February onwards, and will apply to all workers who have yet to complete their 14-day SHN as of 5 February, and all new arrivals to Singapore from then.\u00a0Meanwhile, foreign domestic workers and confinement nannies arriving in Singapore from 5 February onwards will also be subjected to a serology test for COVID-19 on top of the on-arrival polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test. The test will be mandatory for maids and nannies with recent travel history to higher-risk countries and regions.\u00a0The serology test is able to detect if a person has recovered from a past COVID-19 infection and thus, have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.Currently, travellers from higher-risk countries and regions are required to serve a 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities. These countries include the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar, where the majority of maids in Singapore are from, as well as Malaysia, where most confinement nannies are from.\u00a0With serology testing, those that test positive can then be released from their SHN period, helping to defray the costs for employers.\u00a02. HSA authorises use of Moderna\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore; First shipment expected around MarchThe Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has announced on Wednesday, 3 February, that interim authorisation has been granted for the use of Moderna\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore for individuals aged 18 and above.\u00a0The Moderna vaccination regime will involve two doses administered 28 days apart.\u00a0The first shipment of the Moderna vaccine is expected to arrive in March, barring any disruptions to the shipment schedule. Subsequently, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will progressively roll out the vaccine.\u00a0HSA\u2019s authorisation of the vaccine comes after reviewing data from Moderna\u2019s pre-clinical studies, clinical trials in human volunteers, as well as manufacturing and quality controls.Two groups of experts from HSA\u2019s Medicines Advisory Committee and panel of infectious disease experts were consulted during the review.\u00a0It was determined that based on the data submitted to date, the vaccine is \u201csafe, efficacious, and of good quality\u201d, and that the benefits outweigh the known risks. Additionally, it has demonstrated a high vaccine efficacy of 94 per cent.\u00a0The Moderna vaccine has also undergone an independent review by the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination, who has examined its safety and efficacy data for different population segments in Singapore.\u00a0At the moment, the Moderna vaccine is the second vaccine to be granted interim authorisation under the Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR) after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\u00a0Under PSAR, the HSA can evaluate new vaccines, medicines, and medical devices from the early stages of clinical studies as more data becomes available on a real-time basis instead of waiting for the full data set to be submitted before beginning evaluations. This expedites the process while still maintaining scientific rigour.\u00a0One of the conditions for interim authorisation under the PSAR is for Moderna to continue monitoring the longer-term efficacy of the vaccine and continue to follow up on the safety of the vaccine over a longer time frame. They will also have to continue studying the safety of the vaccine in certain subpopulations, such as children.\u00a0Over time, the HSA will continue to \u201cactively review\u201d the data submitted by Moderna to ensure that the benefits continue to outweigh known risks. The PSAR authorisation may be terminated at any time should new data deem otherwise.\u00a0MOH has also announced that more doses of vaccines from both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna will arrive over the course of 2021. They will continue to monitor the vaccine supply to ensure that there will be sufficient vaccines for all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore by Q3 2021.\u00a0Those who are medically eligible for vaccination are highly encouraged to get vaccinated when offered. At the moment, individuals with a history of anaphylaxis or a severe or multiple allergies to medicines or food, pregnant women, severely immunocompromised individuals, and those under 18 should not receive the Moderna vaccine.Individuals receiving the vaccine may experience common side effects including pain, swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle ache, fever, chills, vomiting and joint pain. These symptoms should resolve on its own within a few days.\u00a0There will also be a small proportion of people who may experience severe allergic reactions upon vaccination. In such cases, immediate medical attention should be sought and they should not receive the second dose of the vaccine.\u00a03. 11 SMRT bus services to have revised operating hours on Chinese New Year\u2019s EveEleven bus services under SMRT will have shortened operating hours for Chinese New Year\u2019s Eve on 11 February.\u00a0Affected bus services include 964, 971, 981, 652, 653, 656, 657, 670, 951E, 963e, and 982E.The last bus timing of service 964 will be brought forward from 10:45pm to 5:00pm, and 10 other bus services will also have adjusted operating hours for evening trips. Operating hours for the morning trips will remain the same.The revised operating hours will aid passengers who leave work earlier on Chinese New Year\u2019s eve.\u00a04. World Economic Forum\u2019s special annual meeting to be rescheduled from May to AugustDue to the COVID-19 situation, the World Economic Forum (WEF)\u2019s annual meeting in Singapore has been postponed from May to 7 \u2013 20 August 2021.In a statement on Wednesday, the WEF noted that the change to the meeting\u2019s timing \u201creflects the international challenges in containing the pandemic\u201d, while acknowledging that it was confident of the measures in place to ensure that the meeting was safe and effective.Current restrictions on global travel were cited as a limiting factor for the planning of a physical meeting within the first half of 2021, as the WEF observed that \u201cdiffering quarantine and air transport regulations have increased the lead time necessary to ensure that participants globally can make arrangements to join\u201d.The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said that the Government is amenable to the rescheduled meeting and understands the challenges that the WEF faces.Traditionally conducted in Switzerland at the of end January, the WEF\u2019s special annual meeting brings together leaders in the politics, business and education sectors for the purpose of discussing critical issues of global significance.The WEF said that the 2021 meeting in Singapore would be the first international leadership summit to address pandemic recovery from COVID-19 and would pave the way to create a more sustainable world.WEF founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab noted that the meeting would \u201cprovide the place for leaders from business, government and civil society to come together to address the steps for global recovery.”In January, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan shared in Parliament that participants of the WEF meeting would be subjected to stringent health regimen, which includes taking COVID-19 tests prior to departure and on arrival and abiding by safety measures in place.Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that the WEF is vital to encouraging discussion amongst global leaders, as a platform that enables those from smaller and larger countries alike to be heard.\u00a0\u00a0The WEF said that Singapore conference would entail both virtual and physical participation from global leaders.\u00a0Join the conversations on THG’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram.\u00a0"},{"@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: 4 February 2021","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/latest-news-4-february-2021\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]