WORLD
Johor Immigration must strictly adhere to Malaysia's decision that Malaysian workers returning from Singapore must first show proof of being cleared of Covid-19, said the Immigration Department's director-general. Only those who had undergone the swab test in Singapore and certified negative would be exempted from the otherwise mandatory 14-day quarantine.
TOP OF THE NEWS
2 Connectivity boost in S'pore
With a majority of Singaporeans now confined to their homes, telecommunications infrastructure is being beefed up to ensure that consistent Internet services are available islandwide and working and learning indoors is a breeze. Some free entertainment content is also on its way to your screens.
WORLD
Tens of thousands of people left China's Wuhan city by rail and air yesterday, the first day major transport links reopened after the city was closed off to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Some 55,000 people were expected to leave by rail yesterday. Ninety-six flights were scheduled to take off from Wuhan yesterday alone, with 11,855 travellers expected to go through the airport.
WORLD
President Donald Trump and top US officials have stopped referring to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus", and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Mr Zhao Lijian, has backpedalled on earlier remarks blaming the United States for the virus.
OPINION
As the coronavirus continues its spread, its impact has not spared newsrooms. The stakes are high as having reliable sources of news is more important than ever, especially as the contagion has also spawned a separate epidemic of fake news, says editor-in-chief Warren Fernandez (below).
HOME
A $30 million grant has been launched to help local farms ramp up their production of eggs, leafy vegetables and fish over the next six to 24 months. The 30x30 Express grant will help accelerate local food production in the shortest time possible, said the Singapore Food Agency and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.
HOME
Pre-schoolers whose parents are working in essential services and cannot find other caregivers for them can still stay in school during the nearly month-long closure. The PAP Community Foundation said that at least two-thirds of its centres will offer limited services for about 3,000 children during the circuit breaker period.
BUSINESS
Local and foreign employees who continue to work full-time during the circuit breaker month must be paid their prevailing salaries, including employer contributions to the Central Provident Fund. This is according to an advisory on salary and leave arrangements by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
SPORT
Former Singapore artistic swimming consultant coach Julie Sauve, 67, died suddenly in her native Canada on Tuesday. The local aquatics fraternity paid tribute to Sauve, who coached the 1992 Olympic champion, and helped Singapore become a regional force in the sport with three gold medals at the 2017 SEA Games.
LIFE
JJ Lin, Stefanie Sun, Tanya Chua and Kit Chan - some of the biggest names in Mandopop - have launched a joint video in which they urge their fellow Singaporeans to stay at home to help fight the coronavirus. The clip was shared by the four singers on their social media accounts on Monday.
Straits Times Digital
SOCIAL MEDIA
Share stay-home ideas
Many have taken to social media to show how they have been coping while stuck at home. Share your #stayhomesg ideas with us on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #stayhomewithST, and you may be featured. str.sg/blurb307
VIDEO
Day 1 of circuit breaker
The Straits Times visits Orchard Road, Bedok and Punggol to see how Singapore is faring on day one of the circuit breaker measures. str.sg/blurb308
What it should have been
Yesterday's report, "Number of smoking offences in Orchard Road down by 28%", stated that there are now more than 15 designated smoking areas in Orchard Road.
There are actually more than 50 of them.
We are sorry for the error.
