By: Reet Lath
ABOUT COVID-19
– The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that COVID-19 is spread primarily through droplets
– While there have been rumours going around that the virus is airborne, this seems unlikely
– A new symptom has been identified: the loss of smell ('smell blindness' or anosmia)
FROM AROUND THE WORLD:
– Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, has issued a stay-at-home order across the nation, banning people from leaving their homes except for a few 'very limited' reasons such as shopping for necessities and providing medical services; he has also said police may be used to enforce these measures if they are not followed
– The majority of India's population is staying at home, with a nationwide curfew from the hours of 7 am to 9 pm ('Janta curfew') yesterday; whilst the number of cases are below 500, the Indian government wants to manage the crisis before it spreads rampantly
– The state of New York now has over 20,000 cases, which is 6% of the world's total COVID-19 cases
– Airlines are drastically reducing flights, with at least 65 airlines cutting their flights by around 95%
SINGAPORE
– Yesterday, 54 cases were confirmed in Singapore; this is the highest single day spike
– Singapore has developed a coronavirus tracing app called 'TraceTogether' which uses bluetooth to track who novel coronavirus patients have come in close contact with and notifies the users of the app if they have potentially been exposed to the virus
– Whilst schools, restaurants and stores in Singapore remain open, the government has banned all short-term travel (tourism) to the nation and tightened travel restrictions on work-pass holders
It is more important now than ever that we take action as a community.
Click here for a comprehensive list of the countries which have closed their borders to all non-locals in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19
Click here for some helpful statistics on the spread of coronavirus
Click here for more detailed numbers on the pandemic worldwide
Here is a comprehensive list on all cancelled events worldwide.
As always, stay safe, stay indoors, and wash your hands – if you're questioning the futility of these measures, watch this video from 6:25
It is of utmost importance to mitigate the spread of this virus, and this can only be done if we do our part. See this video on why the spread of COVID-19 depends on US.
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