Very Difficult Time Ahead

The S$1.6B Care & Support Package for households announced in last week’s 2020 Budget is supposedly for virus support. However, nothing is given to protect us from the virus. The cash amount & some virtual money given out aren’t much & isn’t enough to pay for all the price increases in living expenses here. With the current COVID-19 spreading in communities, each Singaporean household should have been given a box of face-mask to protect and wait-out this critical period. This isn’t the case and our ‘Big Bro’ has missed this golden opportunity to cool-off my ‘steam’ and calm my emotions for the shortage of face-mask here. How to give a good performance appraisal this year?  

Risk of Misinformation

Dear Big Brother,

I’d like to ask why clinic doctors wear masks since all their patients already worn one? Isn’t this contrary to what you keep telling everyone not to wear mask if we are well?

The rational is simple: doctors want to protect themselves. So it’s the same analogy, I wanted to wear a mask too to protect myself. Even so now since the latest poll showed that 35% of surveyed respondents would still go out even if they are unwell or had mild symptoms. Worst if they don’t wear a mask if they are already infected!

So Bro, just be honest and explain why I could not get any mask outside because you are hoarding and controlling all the mask stockpiles for priority use in hospitals and frontline people. If you had explained, I’d understand.

Please also explain why only now you start to investigate how SingPost had allowed many Chinese nationals and celebrities to ship thousands and many boxes of face-masks back home while we are facing a serious shortage here! 

Now if I want to buy mask from overseas, I need to declare them, pay GST and maybe won’t get my deliveries (stopped at custom for controlled goods). 

Head you win, tail I loose! Sigh!

Very Challenging Time Ahead!

COVID-19 has started to spread in our communities here. Infectious people without symptom can still spread the virus. So, sick or not, I believe it’s safer to wear a face mask and practice good hygiene habits to protect one-self and others when you have to be at crowded places like mrt, buses, meeting lots of strangers, etc. This is also advised by doctors.

Our ‘Big Bro’ keeps saying there is no need to wear face mask if one is well and there is enough stockpile of face-mask. Still, I could not find any to buy at reasonable price. This confirms my belief that face mask’s stock is being controlled to avoid panic-buying. It’s a very challenging time ahead!

New Year New Challenges

Many experts have concluded that this 2019-nCoV is unlikely to be contained. It’s a matter of how far and deep it’s going to spread. After SARS, trading in wild animals should have been banned permanently. The Chinese leaders should have disseminated accurate information faster and acted earlier to contain its spread. Now it’s a serious problem disrupting many people, businesses and economies.

I was too late to look for face mask when news first broke out in late November last year. I did not think far ahead! Sigh!