The World Health Organization has updated the name of the new coronavirus. We first knew it as the Wuhan Coronavirus. Then it became the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. And now it has officially been named Coronavirus Disease 2019, or Covid-19.
It’s the same virus that all have come to fear. But as a nation, the Government, NTUC, and employers are standing their ground in the fight against this outbreak.
From having enough supply of essential items to the precautionary measures put in place, here are some things we need to know about the Covid-19 situation, and what the Labour Movement is doing to help workers and employers.
1: Singapore is at DORSCON OrangeAgain. The last time was during the H1N1 virus outbreak in 2009. In fact, the framework was set up after the SARS episode in 2003 to better manage pandemics. We came out alright when we were at DORSCON Orange previously. We will be alright again this time.
Even though we’re at DORSCON Orange now, there’s no need to go on a panic-buying spree of essential items. There’s enough to go around for everyone.
NTUC FairPrice is ramping up its volume of daily essentials sent to all their stores by three times. The NTUC social enterprise has also doubled its delivery trips to these stores.
FairPrice has also committed to keeping prices stable and moderated to deter others from profiteering. So don’t worry.
When BCPs came into effect, some of us cheered as we could “work” from home, while some of us groaned as we found out that the alternative worksite was farther away from our home than our usual workplace. Not forgetting to mention the temperature checks we have to do twice a day.
Photo: Ian Tan Hanhonn
No matter our sentiments, BCPs and precautionary measures are important.
First, BCPs make sure workers are protected, and they assure everyone that if there is a case of infection, it will be detected early and the spread will be contained.
Second, BCPs allow companies to operate while minimising the risk of a community spread.
Emerald Suite at Orchid Country Club.
Even our preschools have put in precautionary measures. Some include suspending excursions, temperature checks, and encouraging children to practice good personal hygiene.
But what about preschools located in hospitals? As a precautionary measure, NTUC First Campus’ (NFC) The Little Skool-House temporarily vacated its premise at Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital.
Tapping on the Labour Movement’s network, NFC secured an arrangement with Orchid Country Club, which converted its Emerald Suite into a temporary teaching facility.
Thanks to this arrangement, over 140 little ones went on learning their ABCs and 123s.
There have been stories circulating in social media of how the public is shunning healthcare workers. There was even a story of how a nurse was chased out from a bus. Times like these make us think that our healthcare workers are the heroes we need, but not the ones we deserve.
Healthcare workers pull insane shifts to save lives at the frontline. Appreciate them, be kind to them, because they might be saving our loved ones or one of us.
Volunteers from NTA and NPHVA.
Kudos to the National Taxi Association (NTA) and National Private Hire Vehicles Association (NPHVA). Their leaders recently stepped up to provide transport services to and from hospitals for our healthcare workers. Many of them, such as the likes of NTA General Secretary Foo Chi Yong, have had experience ferrying healthcare workers to and from work during the SARS outbreak in 2003.
Lest we forget, workers in the cleaning, transport, security and hotel industries are all at the frontline too. They keep our workplaces clean; they take us from point A to Point B; they ensure checks are put in place to keep us safe from the virus; and they keep the economy going in this time of need.
USE Exco members spotted at NTUC's e2i giving out vitamin C pastilles to security officers.
It was heartwarming to see the Union of Security Employees (USE) going around worksites to give out sachets of Vitamin C pastilles to security officers, and to remind them to follow the health guidelines, especially on the frequent washing of hands.
And from what I’ve heard, the Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees' Union (BATU) will be doing something similar soon.
Our foreign friends are also not being left at the fringes – the Centre of Domestic Employees (CDE) and the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) are making sure domestic workers and other migrant workers do their part in containing the spread of the coronavirus, kept informed and up-to-date on the situation.
A CDE ambassador braving the rain to give domestic workers vital information to help combat the coronavirus situation.
When the DORSCON level was raised to Orange, CDE ambassadors braved the rain and spent their Sunday to spread the message to every domestic worker they came across – that it is vital to maintain proper personal hygiene and to be socially responsible during the current coronavirus situation.
The MWC, on the other hand, activated more than 5,000 MWC ambassadors to share the various hygiene precautions. Through its network, MWC shared infographics sent out by the Ministry of Health and even helped to translate key messages into the respective vernacular languages to let migrant workers understand the situation.
Every worker matters. No matter local or foreign, every worker has a part to play.
