Reports from Singapore have reported 41 new cases of the corona virus taking the total number of casualties in the nation to 61,730 as per the media on Friday. It’s reported that a 70 year old person died due to the infection within 24 hours. The reports stand on as 70 year old Singaporean man has died from complications due to COVID-19 infection on Thursday. While 41 new infection cases were reported including 27 infections in the community as per the reports released by the ministry of health on Thursday. The MOH said that the deceased was linked to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital cluster, one of the centers of emerging corona virus cases. The one is the second COVID-19 death reported in May. As of Thursday, Singapore’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 32 with the total number of cases at 61,730 as it.
As per preliminary reports, the economy is also being hampered with contracting 41.2% quarterly terms in April- June as the city state, heavily reliant on trade and tourism, imposed with circuit breaker. With the outbreak of COVID-19 there lead to certain surge in cases among Singapore’s sizable migrant worker population. This promoted authorities to suspend non essential services and close many offices to stem the spread of infections.
The economy contracted 0.3% from the year earlier in the first quarter of the year and 3.3% in quarterly terms. This means with two straight quarters of contraction it is in technical recession. The biggest contraction during the last quarter was in construction, which plunged 55% from the year earlier, and 96% on quarterly basis with the workers were quarantined to stem the outbreaks of the virus. Manufacturing got dropped 23% in quarterly terms and rose 2.5% from year earlier.
There is also news that the second COVID 19 death reported in May. As in the Thursday, Singapore’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 32, with the total number of cases at 61,730. Twenty one of the new community infections reported on Thursday are also linked to the previous cases, while six are currently unlinked. Among then, 15 cases had already been placed on the quarantine earlier. Even six of the community cases involve students. There were also 14 imported cases, which had already been placed on stay home notice upon arrival in Singapore. Seven Singaporeans and three permanent residents returned from India and Indonesia while two dependants pass holders arrived from Germany and Sri Lanka.
Impact on economy:-
With the new cases of COVID-19, the economy contracted around 0.3% from a year earlier in the first quarter of the year with 3.3% in quarterly terms. This means that with two straight quarters of contraction it is in a technical recession.
The biggest of contraction during the last quarter was in construction, which plunged 55% from the earlier year and 96% on quarterly basis and workers were quarantined to stem outbreaks of the virus. The manufacturing dropped around 23% in quarterly terms but rose to 2.5% from year earlier. Even with the outbreak of new covid cases in Singapore, the retail sales, food and beverages sales have fallen down to more than 50%in may( details from earlier reports figured). But the grocery stores sales have rose with people dined at home more in comparison to other times. Those 14 new covid cases are foreign returnees who already have been into home quarantine with their arrival to Singapore. Among them 7 causalities is Singaporean. While three are permanent residents returned from India and Indonesia, while two were dependent pass holders from Germany and Sri Lanka with two others were work pass holders and from Nepal and Philippines.
Work performances and COVID at Singapore:-
Its counted that pandemic has been testing the ability of the firms with their response to crises and have indeed exposed inefficiencies in the number of firms and companies as a whole undergoing significant adaptation. With remote working and work from home opening few opportunities to interact face to face as led to significant changes in the ways organizations conduct their businesses as well as the law firms increasingly need to stay aware of the clients changing expectations to integrate them into their well sourced business strategies which need to move forward.
So from the outset of the pandemic and again getting repeated waves, the companies are focusing on protecting their employees, meet with clients and do need to keep the wider firms completely operational. Even internally, there are plans to implement work from home setups with proper and flexible working arrangements. It’s the speed and efficiency at which this was carried out by the groups IT and business continuity teams was exceptional.
It’s a must as reported that the companies in Singapore are focusing on developmental strategies away from personal meetings to deliver information and relevant commentary to the clients through virtual meetings. Recently in Singapore, with information from various sources, the pandemic has not changed the need for some of the clients to litigate disputes in the offshore courts. These courts have sought to remain active mainly with the use of advanced technology or oral hearing devices and meeting devices. Even though the pandemic has hit hard to the society, still there are expectations to go more with the priorities of businesses and economic growth. With vaccination becoming a prominent aspect in the pandemic, soon there is expectation to get a proper treatment to the disease and get reconstructed with the power to overcome the pandemic situations.
There are foreign countries who have their investments in Singapore and are expecting a hike in every kind of performances, but the pandemic has given a break to such situation, further the sources released that the new casualties are giving a challenge of getting more in near days with the variant getting more prominent into public. Hence it can be assumed that further the post pandemic situations might take some time to get into control with better conditions.