Singapore morning news for March 17, 2020

17 new COVID-19 infections in Singapore in largest single-day increase to date
The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Monday (Mar 16), bringing the country’s total to 243.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Non-essential trips abroad: Those in isolation may have to use own leave
Employees who insist on proceeding with non-essential, non-work-related travel outside Singapore may have to use their annual leave to serve out their quarantine, stay-home notice or company-imposed leave of absence periods.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Commentary: COVID-19, the biggest crisis ever for Singapore’s aviation industry and Singapore Airlines
The global aviation industry is facing its biggest crisis in at least several decades.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

S’pore not in danger of running out of food or supplies: Chan
Singapore has a robust, multi-pronged strategy to ensure the country does not run out of essential items, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said last night.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Asean travellers rush to enter Singapore before border restrictions affecting them kick in
With her luggage packed, Ms Nadine rushed to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and bought a ticket for the earliest available flight to Singapore.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Suzie the hippo, S’pore zoo pioneer who arrived in 1976, dies at 44
The Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) shared in a Facebook post on Mar. 16 that one of its pioneer animals has passed on.
— Mothership

Mosques to remain closed until Mar 26 amid risk of large COVID-19 cluster forming from Malaysia gathering
All mosques in Singapore will remain closed until Mar 26 to prevent further spread of COVID-19, said the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) on Monday (Mar 16).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

New travel restrictions won’t affect supply of food, other essentials between Singapore and Malaysia: Chan Chun Sing
The latest border restrictions announced on Sunday (Mar 15) for travellers arriving from ASEAN countries will not affect the supply of food and other essentials between Singapore and Malaysia, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Sunday.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Scoot offers voucher refunds, sets up self-service portal to apply for them
Budget carrier Scoot will be offering vouchers in refund for bookings made on or before Sunday (March 15) for travel up till end-May.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Sea robbery attempt in Singapore Strait foiled by Singapore and Indonesian navies
A daring robbery attempt by three pirates in the Singapore Strait on Monday (March 16) morning was foiled by the close cooperation between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

SCDF officer working at Sengkang fire station diagnosed with Covid-19
He is linked to Case 142, who is linked to the cluster involving the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong.
— Mothership

Commentary: Why Singapore is better prepared to handle COVID-19 than SARS
Lessons learnt from SARS and investments in science, research, and technology have provided game-changers for Singapore, says NHG’s Chief Research Officer Dr Benjamin Seet.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

SIA slides following govt travel directive
SHARES of Singapore Airlines (SIA) fell S$0.46 or 6.4 per cent to close at S$6.74 on Monday, after the government announced new measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
— The Business Times

Scientists get grant to study why Asians more vulnerable to certain diseases
A team of scientists from Singapore, Japan and Korea has received the first Asian research network grant by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for a study on what causes Asian populations to be predisposed to certain diseases.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Uncertain times for Singaporean students abroad as US, UK universities shut campuses
Tufts University student Russell Yip was given about a week to pack up his belongings and leave his dormitory on Monday (March 16). He is returning to Singapore and is not sure when he can go back to the United States.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Expect rest of March to remain warm, says weatherman
Expect the rest of the month to remain warm, the weatherman said on Monday (March 16).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

ICA man sent e-mail to superiors falsely stating that ex-supervisor could have taken photos in toilet
A disgruntled Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) assistant superintendent decided to fix his former supervisor by sending an e-mail falsely stating that the officer could have taken photos of another man in a public toilet.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Italians in Singapore watch events unfold back home with anxiety
These are anxious times for Singapore’s Italian community as they watch from afar while the coronavirus wreaks havoc on their home country.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

S’pore imports nearly 30 million eggs from 10 other countries other than M’sia
We’re not entirely dependent on one single country for food supply imports.
— Mothership

3 arrested for attempting to rob Liberian-flagged ship in Singapore Strait
Three people were arrested after they attempted to rob a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier in the Singapore Strait on Monday (Mar 16), said the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in a media release.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Powder, vegetable matter with new psychoactive substances seized, 7 men arrested: CNB
Seven men were arrested for suspected drug-related offences on Saturday (March 14), with powder and vegetable matter laced with new psychoactive substances were seized, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Monday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

New private homes sales up 57.3% in February amid COVID-19 situation
Sales of new private homes rose in February despite the COVID-19 outbreak.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

COVID-19 FAQ: When will a stay-home notice be issued, and what does it mean?
Singapore expanded its border controls on Sunday (Mar 15), with stay-home notices a key tool used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 here. But what does it entail, exactly?
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

INSEAD dean tests positive for COVID-19, close colleagues put on leave of absence
The dean of graduate business school INSEAD tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Sunday (Mar 15), it said in a statement.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Singaporean overseas students scramble for flights home after schools issue blanket recall
The Education Ministry said on Sunday that institutes of higher learning are to suspend all official overseas placements until end July.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Coronavirus: 1m safety distance, free masks among precautions by food delivery firms
Many of these measures were already in place before a GrabFood rider – believed to be the first case of an infected food delivery rider here – was confirmed with Covid-19 on Saturday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Coronavirus: Pink Dot SG latest local event to be called off
The annual Pink Dot SG event, slated for June 27 at Hong Lim Park, is the latest event to be called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Food catering at Sikh temples suspended to limit Covid-19 spread, scripture readings to be live-streamed
Food catering will be suspended and equipment for live-streaming of programmes will be installed at the Central Sikh Temple and Silat Road Sikh Temple over the next four weeks, as the Sikh community heeds calls from the Government to be vigilant in their religious practices amid a global worsening of the Covid-19 outbreak.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

PM Lee’s Canberra trip to be replaced with video conference in view of Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions
A scheduled visit by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Australia will be replaced by video conference in view of Australia’s COVID-19 restrictions, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday (Mar 16).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

COVID19: The impact on small Singaporean-owned businesses overseas
Chilli crab, rojak and laksa – these quintessential Singaporean dishes usually excite foodies around the world.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Scoot offers voucher refunds for flexible rebooking due to COVID-19 situation
The vouchers will fully cover the cost of bookings made on or before Mar 15 and will be valid for 12 months.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore Airlines offers fee waivers, flexible rebooking amid virus outbreak
WITH immediate effect, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is waiving all rebooking fees for tickets issued on or before March 15, 2020 for travel up to May 31, 2020, the flag carrier said late on Sunday night.
— The Business Times

Domestic tourism to cushion some of the blow for Singapore hotels
AS the global coronavirus epidemic strikes at Singapore’s tourism-related sectors, the staycation market is taking on newfound importance.
— The Business Times

Contempt of court: Apex court dismisses appeals by opposition politician John Tan, activist Jolovan Wham
The Court of Appeal on Monday (Mar 16) dismissed appeals by social activist Jolovan Wham and opposition politician John Tan against their convictions and sentences for contempt of court.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Government intervenes as 77 honestbee employees file salary claims
The crisis at honestbee has deepened further with its employee approaching the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) regarding non-payment of salaries, says a report in The Straits Times.
— e27

The Big Read: The untold sacrifices by frontline healthcare workers as they soldier on against COVID-19
For more than a month now, frontline healthcare workers have been grappling with lost time with family members and disruptions to their personal routines and plans.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Starbucks S’pore releases sakura drink plush case, mug with kitty on lid
On Mar. 16, Starbucks Singapore will be launching its third drop of sakura merchandise.
— Mothership

40 evacuated from Clementi West HDB block after fire guts 19th floor unit
A fire broke out in a flat on the 19th floor of a Housing Board block in Clementi on Monday afternoon (March 16).
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Religious teacher jailed for kissing 8-year-old student on lips before class
A religious teacher tasked with teaching two young siblings began kissing them on the cheeks, before kissing only the girl twice on the lips.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Man gets 4 weeks’ jail for offering $200 bribe to NEA officer over smoking offence
A 61-year-old man has been sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment on Monday (March 16) for offering a $200 bribe to a National Environmental Agency (NEA) officer.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Feature photo PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo focuses on World Water Day, March 22

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

—

About Singapore morning news.

Singapore morning news roundup is the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Singapore English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the most recent Singapore English language news today.

We filter our the dull, the boring, the repetitive, and the click-bait and package all of the Singapore daily news that you need to know to start your day into an easy to read, time saving format of Singapore news headlines and first paragraphs before 8.15am Singapore time.

We clearly identify the source of all the Singapore news headlines, whether it is behind a paywall, a media release, or whether the news site uses annoying pop-up advertising or auto-play video, in case those things annoy you too. If a website uses particularly invasive pop-up adverts, we’ll tell you.

This enables you to make an informed choice of whether you want to learn more by clicking directly through to the original Singapore news article, or keep on reading the remaining Singapore daily news headlines.

Click here to get your Singapore English language news today by email before 9am Singapore time daily. Remember to watch out for the confirmation email from us to confirm your subscription. Check your trash folder if you do not see it.

For more immediate updates download the AEC News Today Mobile App from the Apple or Google stores, or follow us on Twitter.

#Independentmedia

Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Singapore morning news for March 17 added by Justhine De Guzman Uy on March 17, 2020
View all posts by Justhine De Guzman Uy →

Bio
Latest Posts

Justhine De Guzman Uy

Writer at AEC News Today

Justhine De Guzman Uy completed a Bachelor of Arts Major in Mass Communication at New Era University, Quezon City, the Philippines in 2016

After graduation she worked at the Philippine Broadcasting Service performing transcription and business news writing, before moving to Eagle Broadcasting Corporation where she worked as a news editor, translator and production assistant.