Several additional support measures to fight the coronavirus in the island will be announced by the Singapore government on Monday, April 6. The government had previously announced US$ 33.4 billion to help the impact of the coronavirus in Singapore two weeks ago.
Singapore has stepped up its measure to combat the coronavirus. Singapore has seen a record high of 120 cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, April 5. The national cases are presently at 1,309. The residents of Singapore are headed to community clubs and residents' committee centres to collect reusable masks. The country has been taking new measures in the past few weeks to combat the rising number of cases in the country.
On Saturday, April 4, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on a Facebook post that the government will "waive foreign worker levies for April and boost an existing jobs support programme." Recently the government shut down schools and workplaces to reduce the interaction between the people and maintain social distance in public to combat the spread of the disease. The government didn't mention the expenditure or any other measures.
Free reusable masks and new legislations
The government is encouraging the residents to collect the masks. The distribution will happen from April 5 to April 12. The collection point is set up in designated community clubs and centres, and residents' committee centres. On Sunday during the collection safe-distance measures were set in place for the people in the queue. Temperature taking was also taken before the residents entered the area. The reusable masks are unfamiliar to the residents as they are used to being in the blue surgical masks.
In addition to the ongoing measures, the government is set to pass new legislation by Tuesday, April 7, that would pass on through to the tenants about the previously announced property tax rebates. The Straits Times said that another legislation will be passed for the contingency plans to be put in place by the Elections Department to ensure polls can be carried out safely during the outbreak.
Since the global financial crisis, this will the first time that the island-state will be using the national reserves for the stimulus package announced last month. There has been an 8.6 percent year-on-year decline in retail sales in Singapore as of Friday. The Deputy PM said that the businesses could hopefully sail the tide this year.
Singapore's Gross Domestic Product fell in the first quarter from the previous three months. The government is forecasting an economic contraction this year.
Make your own mask trend on the internet
As Singapore distributes reusable masks to its residents, people have been showcasing innovative measures online to show several ways to make masks at home. People are making masks using materials such as quilters cotton, and fabrics with tighter lining and thread count. Recently the US Center for Disease Control asked everyone to wear masks to hopefully reduce the transmission.
People are forming their own approaches to make masks with materials that can substitute the masks and end the shortage of resources.
Read more
