WORLD
Temperature screening, hand sanitiser and transparent dividers on tables. These and more precautionary measures greeted some 450,000 mask-clad high school seniors returning to school yesterday, as South Korea pushed ahead with resuming normal life despite concerns over sporadic outbreaks of the coronavirus.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Covid-19 will change this year's National Day Parade (NDP), but organisers plan to involve even more Singaporeans than ever by shifting parade segments into the heartland and handing out about 1.2 million funpacks to every local household.
TOP OF THE NEWS
Experts have cautioned that disinfection tunnels being used as a safety measure against Covid-19 may cause more harm than good, with one warning that "human disinfection chambers are not the answer as they pose extreme health and safety risks". Chemical disinfectants safe for topical use could irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory system when aerosolised as a spray, experts said.
WORLD
Indonesia has set up a team to gauge which cities should ease restrictions amid growing financing pressures because of lockdowns to fight the pandemic. The team will also study which sectors should reopen first.
OPINION
From enterprises to institutions, workers and students to families, Singapore is speeding up its embrace of digitalisation as the pandemic hastens the adoption of Smart Nation initiatives, says tech editor Irene Tham (below).
HOME
6 Staff help seniors on visits
Seniors who are vulnerable and who need urgent help have been visited by staff from centres which run activities for the elderly but which are closed during the circuit breaker period. The Agency for Integrated Care said such physical visits - made with precautionary measures such as safe distancing - are allowed only for seniors who need prompt care assistance or who do not have a phone.
HOME
A man who went to a family member's flat for dinner during the circuit breaker period and posted pictures of the gathering was fined $4,500 yesterday. The man was one of six people dealt with in court yesterday over separate offences related to the Covid-19 outbreak.
BUSINESS
8 Lifeline for small businesses
The launch of several virtual Ramadan bazaars has thrown a lifeline to many home-based retailers who rely on Ramadan sales. The online bazaars allow businesses to list their contact details and goods on their sites, connecting them with customers at a time when face-to-face sales are no longer possible.
SPORT
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the runaway leaders can win the Premier League title without a boost from their home fans should the season restart behind closed doors next month. Clubs have started non-contact training, and six positive Covid-19 cases have emerged from the 748 tests conducted so far.
LIFE
In teenage crime drama series Extracurricular, fresh-faced South Korean actor Kim Dong-hee (above) plays a seemingly normal straight-A student who secretly runs an illegal prostitution ring to earn school fees for university. The actor has made his mark with schoolboy roles in Sky Castle (2018 to 2019) and Itaewon Class (2020).
STRAITS TIMES DIGITAL
INTERACTIVE
Traffic respite in megacities
From Jakarta (above) to Manila, strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the coronavirus brought a rare respite from transport mayhem in some of South-east Asia's most congested cities. str.sg/blurb381
VIDEO
Firms cope with Covid-19
We take a look at how some firms, including Bengawan Solo, Theo10 and Shine Precision Engineering, have changed the way they operate in the light of the outbreak. str.sg/blurb382
