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Sabtu, 19 Desember 2020

13 imported COVID-19 cases who served stay-home notice at Mandarin Orchard hotel investigated for 'potential link' - CNA

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is investigating 13 COVID-19 cases who served their stay-home notice at Mandarin Orchard Singapore hotel as they were observed to have "high genetic similarity" despite coming from different countries.

The health ministry and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Saturday (Dec 19) that this suggests the cases were "likely infected from a similar source".

MOH and STB said they cannot exclude that transmissions could have occurred at Mandarin Orchard hotel.

As a precautionary measure, the hotel will stop accepting new guests with immediate effect and all current guests will be checked out, the authorities said in a press release.

"The hotel has made arrangements to check out existing guests progressively," said the authorities, adding that restaurants and event spaces within the hotel will also be closed.

Those who are currently serving their stay-home notice at the hotel will be moved to another dedicated facility.

READ: 17 new COVID-19 infections in Singapore, all imported

13 CASES CAME FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

"Thirteen imported cases, who were confirmed between Nov 2 and Nov 11 to have COVID-19 infection, were observed to have high genetic similarity despite the cases having arrived from different countries, including Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Philippines, South Korea, UAE, UK and US," said MOH and STB.

"This suggests that these cases were likely infected from a similar source."

Further investigations by MOH found that these 13 cases served their stay-home notice at Mandarin Orchard hotel between Oct 22 and Nov 11.

"Epidemiological investigations were immediately initiated to determine if there is a potential link between these 13 cases, and to study if transmission could have occurred locally, and not from their country of origin," added the authorities.

The 13 imported cases include Singaporeans, permanent residents, work pass holders and short-term visit pass holders.

Among the short-term visitors was an Indonesian woman who came to visit family members in Singapore; a British woman who came to visit her child who is a permanent resident; and a US national who was on a work project in Singapore.

MOH and STB said people on stay-home notice are housed in a dedicated tower and floors at the hotel, segregated from all other guests, with no interaction among them.

They will be taken via dedicated vehicles to an alternative dedicated facility, and deep cleaning and disinfection will be carried out by the hotel in consultation with MOH and the National Environment Agency.

Mandarin Orchard hotel has stopped taking in people on stay-home notice from Dec 13 as its contract to serve as a dedicated facility will expire at the end of December, said MOH and STB.

TESTING FOR STAFF MEMBERS

MOH has started a "special testing operation" to test about 500 staff members of the hotel for COVID-19, said the authorities. These include both staff members serving those on stay-home notice, and those who serve other guests in other parts of the hotel.

Mandarin Orchard said that COVID-19 swab tests will be carried out for all full-time and part-time employees.

MOH and STB said those who are currently serving stay-home notice at the hotel will also be tested to determine their status, instead of waiting until their stay-home notice exit swab.

In an update on Saturday night, the health ministry said that most of those currently serving their stay-home notice at the hotel have been tested, with the results pending.

"Guests who have stayed at Mandarin Orchard Singapore between Nov 11 and Dec 19 are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their last date of stay.

"They should see a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection (such as cough, sore throat and runny nose), as well as fever and loss of taste or smell, and inform the doctor of their exposure history," said the authorities.

"HIGH GENETIC SIMILARITY" SPOTTED

As part of routine laboratory surveillance, the National Public Health Laboratory conducts whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis on all COVID-19 cases.

It takes about four weeks to culture the virus and complete the genome sequencing, said MOH and STB. The "high genetic similarity" between the 13 imported cases was detected.

Genome sequencing and analysis are continuing for cases beyond Nov 11, said the authorities.

The hotel said it is "working closely and cooperating fully" with the authorities in their investigations and will "continue to implement stringent infection control measures" across its operations.

"The safety and well-being of our guests and employees remain the utmost priority to all of us at Mandarin Orchard Singapore," the hotel said in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.

According to a list on STB's website, Mandarin Orchard Singapore was among the hotels that have been approved to reopen.

As announced by the STB on Jul 3, hotels can apply to reopen for staycation bookings as Singapore resumed more activities after the end of the COVID-19 "circuit breaker".

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2020-12-19 20:36:07Z
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13 imported COVID-19 cases who served stay-home notice at Mandarin Orchard hotel investigated for 'potential link' - CNA

The health ministry and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Saturday (Dec 19) that this suggests the cases were "likely infected from a similar source".

MOH and STB said they cannot exclude that transmissions could have occurred at Mandarin Orchard hotel.

As a precautionary measure, the hotel will stop accepting new guests with immediate effect and all current guests will be checked out, the authorities said in a press release.

"The hotel has made arrangements to check out existing guests progressively," said the authorities, adding that restaurants and event spaces within the hotel will also be closed.

Those who are currently serving their stay-home notice at the hotel will be moved to another dedicated facility.

READ: 17 new COVID-19 infections in Singapore, all imported

13 CASES CAME FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

"This suggests that these cases were likely infected from a similar source."

Further investigations by MOH found that these 13 cases served their stay-home notice at Mandarin Orchard hotel between Oct 22 and Nov 11.

The 13 imported cases include Singaporeans, permanent residents, work pass holders and short-term visit pass holders.

MOH and STB said people on stay-home notice are housed in a dedicated tower and floors at the hotel, segregated from all other guests, with no interaction among them.

Mandarin Orchard hotel has stopped taking in people on stay-home notice from Dec 13 as its contract to serve as a dedicated facility will expire at the end of December, said MOH and STB.

TESTING FOR STAFF MEMBERS

Mandarin Orchard said that COVID-19 swab tests will be carried out for all full-time and part-time employees.

MOH and STB said those who are currently serving stay-home notice at the hotel will also be tested to determine their status, instead of waiting until their stay-home notice exit swab.

In an update on Saturday night, the health ministry said that most of those currently serving their stay-home notice at the hotel have been tested, with the results pending.

"Guests who have stayed at Mandarin Orchard Singapore between Nov 11 and Dec 19 are advised to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their last date of stay.

"HIGH GENETIC SIMILARITY" SPOTTED

As part of routine laboratory surveillance, the National Public Health Laboratory conducts whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis on all COVID-19 cases.

It takes about four weeks to culture the virus and complete the genome sequencing, said MOH and STB. The "high genetic similarity" between the 13 imported cases was detected.

Genome sequencing and analysis are continuing for cases beyond Nov 11, said the authorities.

The hotel said it is "working closely and cooperating fully" with the authorities in their investigations and will "continue to implement stringent infection control measures" across its operations.

"The safety and well-being of our guests and employees remain the utmost priority to all of us at Mandarin Orchard Singapore," the hotel said in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon.

According to a list on STB's website, Mandarin Orchard Singapore was among the hotels that have been approved to reopen.

As announced by the STB on Jul 3, hotels can apply to reopen for staycation bookings as Singapore resumed more activities after the end of the COVID-19 "circuit breaker".

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

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2020-12-19 17:21:07Z
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British PM orders new curbs to slow more infectious COVID-19 strain - CNA

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday (Dec 19) announced a "stay at home" order for London and southeast England to slow a new coronavirus strain that is significantly more infectious.

Early data suggests the new strain could be "up to 70 per cent more transmissible," Johnson said at a televised briefing.

He ordered new restrictions for London and south-eastern England from Sunday, saying that under the new "tier four" rules, "residents in those areas must stay at home" at least until Dec 30.

The aim of the new rules is to slow the spread of the new strain to areas where it is not yet prevalent.

The measures will mean around a third of England's population cannot travel or meet other households for Christmas.

It was a dramatic step-up after Johnson said last week that it would be "inhuman" to "cancel Christmas" by banning family gatherings, though he urged people to have small celebrations.

"It is with a very heavy heart I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned," Johnson told the nation.

"Alas when the facts change, you have to change your approach."

The announcement came as Britain has seen rising cases and hospital admissions this month.

"This virus has taken off, it's moving fast, and it's leading inevitably to a sharp increase in hospital admissions," said Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser.

Non-essential shops, gyms, cinemas, bowling alleys, casinos, hairdressers and nail bars will be closed in London and other affected regions, including Kent, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

Only one person from one household will be allowed to meet one person from another household in a public place, outside.

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said that while there was no current evidence the variant of the coronavirus causes a higher mortality rate or impacted vaccines, urgent work was underway to confirm this.

READ: New UK COVID cases rise to highest number since mid-November

READ: Two-thirds of England to be under toughest COVID-19 measures

"We have alerted the World Health Organization and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding," Whitty said in a statement.

Britain reported 27,052 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 489 deaths, slightly less than on Friday.\

Much of the country, including London, is currently in the highest of a three-tier system of restrictions to curb the pandemic's spread. The Daily Telegraph newspaper said ministers could now announce curbs on travel between southeast England, including the capital, and the rest of the country.

READ: UK general practitioners may use extra COVID-19 vaccine doses at discretion: NHS

The BBC said these areas would now be placed in a new Tier 4, with a tightening of rules for Christmas.

"Failing to act decisively now, will mean further suffering," Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said on Twitter. "We must keep asking ourselves 'are we doing enough, are we acting quickly enough'."

The opposition Labour Party said the tiering system had failed to curb the virus' spread.

"It has been apparent for some days that the virus is again out of control in parts of the country," said Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's health spokesman.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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2020-12-19 17:15:00Z
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Mandarin Orchard Covid-19 cases: Holidays cut short as guests' worries grow over hotel stays - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Staycations were cut short at the Mandarin Orchard Singapore, while those on stay-home notices (SHN) at the hotel were subjected to a Covid-19 test on Saturday (Dec 19), after the Ministry of Health (MOH) said it was probing 13 Covid-19 cases among people who served their SHN there.

While the hotel said all guests would be moved out by Sunday, guests with luggage were already seen waiting at a pick-up point when The Straits Times visited at 5pm on Saturday.

Security staff were on hand to help with bags, and at least two safe distancing ambassadors were spotted.

Most of the guests seen were families with young children.

A 37-year-old hotel guest who declined to be named said she saw, from a distance, some people wearing full personal protective equipment being ushered into a separate part of the hotel.

"It's probably just precautionary measures but I thought it's better to check out one night earlier and be safe at home," she said. She was initially booked for a two night stay with her two daughters, aged nine and seven.

Fitness instructor Fazli Ahmad, 29, and his wife, who were checking out of the hotel after a two-night stay, said they will keep a close watch for any possible symptoms over the next two weeks.

"We came back from swimming earlier in the afternoon and saw many safe distancing ambassadors in the hotel, so we thought maybe there was an event. When we read about the matter on the news, we just started packing...to get ready to check out," he said. The couple had their seven-month-old daughter with them.

Other guests decided to cut short their staycation, too, after reading media reports.

Senior manager Muneer, who wanted to be known only by his first name, said he heard the news when he was shopping with his family along Orchard Road.

He decided to check out of the hotel one night earlier as his three-year-old daughter was with him. "It's a little disappointing because we had plans for dinner nearby but now we're going home. Our mood is affected but safety definitely comes first," he said.

Those serving SHN in the hotel were also given a Covid-19 test to determine their status.

Project manager Ginny Leow, 51, who completed her SHN on Saturday and was supposed to check out at noon, said she only managed to get her SHN exit swab after 2pm as the testing stations were "quite busy and crowded".

"Of course I'm worried because I'll be staying with relatives," she said, adding that she was unsure if she should meet anyone before her test results were out.

Ms Leow lives in Vancouver, Canada, and returned to Singapore with her 13-year-old son to spend Christmas with her family.

"Today is my son's birthday so it's supposed to be a happy day but now we're feeling a bit uncertain," she said.

Those who had not completed their SHN were filled with uncertainty.

"I am unsure about whether I should pack my things, so I have just kept half of my belongings. The hotel should inform us about what's going on but we also know that some of the staff might not be clear about what's happening," said a 35-year-old teacher who wanted to be known only as Ms Kok.

After going for hours without any news, she finally received a call around 9.15pm informing her that she would be transferred to another hotel on Sunday.

Mandarin Orchard said in a statement on Saturday that it had no information about how long the hotel would be closed as investigations are still being done.

It added that refunds for upcoming stays, room and dining reservations, and events will be processed within 14 days.

Those in need of assistance for room bookings can call 6737-2200.

Those with dining reservations can contact 6831-6288 or 6831-6271 while those who have booked events can contact 6831-6078.

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2020-12-19 15:32:00Z
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UK discusses action after confirmation new COVID-19 strain spreads more quickly - CNA

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed with his senior ministers on Saturday (Dec 19) what urgent action to take after it was confirmed that a new strain of the COVID-19 virus could spread more quickly and lead to a surge in cases.

The BBC reported that London and southeast England would be placed in a new higher tier of restrictions and the government would cut back on a planned relaxation of the rules over Christmas, but gave no further details.

Johnson will hold a news conference at about 4pm during which he will discuss what his plans are in light of a rise in infections across London and southeast England linked to a new, more transmissible variant of the virus.

READ: New UK COVID cases rise to highest number since mid-November

READ: Two-thirds of England to be under toughest COVID-19 measures

"We have alerted the World Health Organization and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding," Whitty said in a statement.

Britain reported 28,507 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and 489 deaths, with the reproduction R number estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, meaning the number of cases is rapidly increasing.

Johnson said on Friday he hoped England would not need a third lockdown after Christmas and has so far resisted calls to change plans to ease restrictions for five days over the festive period, allowing three separate households to meet indoors.

READ: UK general practitioners may use extra COVID-19 vaccine doses at discretion: NHS

The BBC said these areas would now be placed in a new Tier 4, with a tightening of rules for Christmas.

The opposition Labour Party said the tiering system had failed to curb the virus' spread.

"It has been apparent for some days that the virus is again out of control in parts of the country," said Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's health spokesman.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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Japanese serial killer, who chopped up nine bodies, wants to get married while on death row - The Straits Times

TOKYO - Takahiro Shiraishi, the Japanese serial killer who was sent to the gallows on Dec 15 for murdering nine people and chopping up their bodies, craves romance and hopes to get married.

"I am thinking it'd be good to have someone who supports me. She'd be able to come and see me here, and bring me things," said the lovelorn 30-year-old in an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun the morning after he was sentenced to death.

"I want to meet a normal girl (and) get married. If I do, she could see me even when I go to the Tokyo Detention House," he added, referring to the facility where death row inmates are kept.

Shiraishi has long preyed on human weaknesses, first as a sex scout baiting women into prostitution and then an unrepentent killer who has not shown a tinge of remorse for his deeds.

He used Twitter to bait eight suicidal women to his 13.5 sq m home where he drugged, robbed, raped, and killed them before dismembering their bodies in a three-month spree from August to October 2017.

He also killed a male friend of the first victim who came too close to discovering his crimes.

Police found nine human heads and 240 bones stashed in cooler boxes on Halloween that year.

Shiraishi had initially craved love - however perverted or abnormal his definition of romance might be - when he began sussing out his female victims. He was looking for a woman with whom he could live with, and leech off without ever having to work.

Tapping his experience as a scout for the seedy sex trade in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district - a role he had to give up after he was caught and given a suspended sentence - he targeted vulnerable women by whispering sweet nothings.

He used two Twitter accounts. In one, he posed as a suicide guru with the handle "Hangman", skilled at helping people end their lives.

In the other, he portrayed himself as a forlorn man hoping to find people with whom to enter into suicide pacts. He said: "I thought it would be easier for people with some worries or problems to persuade. It's easier to operate."

Shiraishi's modus operandi for most cases was similar, and he was prepared to play the long game. He won the trust of women by acting sympathetic to their plight, by which point he would toy with their feelings with sweet nothings to reel them in.

Whether or not he was serious about the relationship, he dispensed of many of his female victims after they lost their use to him - either because they were poor and could not support his lifestyle, or because he feared that they would report his sexual assault.

"I thought I could get money without working, while satisfying my sexual desires," Shiraishi said. He robbed his victims anywhere between several hundred yen to tens of thousands of yen.

While media outlets once reported the names and photographs of the victims, there has since been a court gag order to keep their identities anonymous. They were ascribed the letters A to I, in chronological order, during the hearings.

"It was a very comfortable and pleasurable life," Shiraishi said in court. "I failed because I was caught. I have no other feelings."

Love gone south

Shiraishi thought he had met the love of his life in A, a 21-year-old company employee who once entertained suicidal thoughts after her best friend killed herself.

But things went south after she demanded the return of a loan, and as jealousy struck when he suspected there was another man in the picture.

Shiraishi found their heated arguments "bothersome" and struck by attacking her from behind.

After days went by without having been found out, he began to think that he could get away with murder.

The smooth operator targeted vulnerable women, winning their trust with sweet nothings like "I badly want to meet you", even as he juggled multiple women at the same time.

One reportedly said in 2017 that she lucked out: "I had a date with Shiraishi at his house, but he cancelled on me saying that he was meeting a friend."

During these "meetings" at home, he fed the women alcohol and drugged them with sleeping pills or tranquilisers before robbing them. For eight of them, he also raped, killed and dismembered their bodies in his bathroom to destroy evidence.

The male victim was drugged and robbed before he was killed and dismembered.

"I disposed of their flesh and internal organs like garbage, but kept their bones out of fear that I would be caught," he told police investigators.

One woman, now 24, was working as a nurse in 2017 when she was acquainted with Shiraishi. She told the Shukan Genkai weekly that she might have been the next victim had he not been nabbed.

They met on Twitter after the woman said she was suicidal. Shiraishi introduced himself as 25-year-old Ryo Yamamoto living in Tokyo's Machida district.

They exchanged messages for 52 days. "I love you," Shiraishi reportedly told her.

They made plans to move in together and holiday at Nagasaki's Huis Ten Bosch theme park. But she also had a glimpse of his dark side, which she brushed off as a sick joke.

She told the tabloid that Shiraishi had informed her that he had killed people, and sent her a photograph of a rope.

"I had the impression that he was a good man with a refreshing, trustworthy voice," she said. "But he was talking to me even as he lived in a house surrounded by skulls and bones from carved up bodies."

Shiraishi used Twitter to bait eight suicidal women to his 13.5 sq m home where he drugged, robbed, raped, and killed them before dismembering their bodies. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM TWITTER

Vicious murderer

Court testimonies by friends and relatives of the nine victims tell a story of people who once entertained suicidal thoughts but had emerged from the darkest periods of their life.

Victim A was applying for new jobs. Her friend C - the only male victim - was passionate about music and wanted to become a full-time musician, though a major illness once left him hospitalised and briefly robbed his will to live.

Victim B, 15, had a change of heart but felt pressured into meeting Shiraishi due to their age difference of more than 10 years.

Victim D, 19, had bought a kimono to wear on Coming-of-Age Day, a major celebration in Japan to mark the adulthood for those turning 20 years old.

Victim E, 26, was a divorcee with a daughter who is now nine years old. Her ex-husband said: "She showered our child with so much love. She was not rich, but would always prioritise our girl when she bought food and clothes."

He has not told their daughter that her mother is dead, and wished that they could have put aside their differences and "live together again as a family of three".

Victim F, 17, had dreams of working as a nurse.

Victim G, 17, was working part-time at a gyoza dumpling shop and promised her father they would make gyozas together.

Victim H, 25, was a social recluse who emerged from her shell, and was working part-time at a convenience store. She told her family she hoped to marry and have her own family and was saving up for the future.

Victim I, 23, was depressed when her mother died in June 2017, but was coming out of the dark period with the support of her brother.

He eventually raised the alarm of Shiraishi's crimes, after he hacked into his sister's Twitter account and read the messages.

Nonetheless, Shiraishi's defence team argued that there was "tacit agreement" behind the "consensual murders", given that they told Shiraishi they wanted to die.

But the prosecution said there was obviously no consent given, and that Shiraishi had struck when the victims were unaware.

Shiraishi was visibly shaken during the trial, when a message from his mother was read out in court. "I've been asking myself if I could even live, thinking of the victims and their bereaved families."

He told the prosecution that he will "kill the perpetrators" when asked to imagine that his mother and sister were strangled, sexually assaulted, and killed.

Throughout the trial, he defied his own attorneys by refusing to answer their questions, hoping to end the process faster so as not to "inconvenience his relatives".

Addressing his family, he said: "I don't think it's possible, but I want you to forget about my existence and live on."

A court sketch drawing shows Takahiro Shiraishi at the first trial in Tokyo on Sept 30, 2020. PHOTO: AFP/JIJI PRESS

Shiraishi's attorneys appealed the death sentence on Friday, likely against their client's wishes, which means the appeal could yet be withdrawn.

Nonetheless, in Japan, death row inmates get no prior notice of their impending execution until the very morning they face the gallows.

"I want to use the time I have left to find a girl," Shiraishi told the Mainichi daily.

"I want to look for someone who'll marry me while I'm in prison. Several people have come in the last two years, but nothing has led to marriage."

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2020-12-19 13:19:26Z
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Thailand reports biggest jump in daily local COVID-19 cases in more than 7 months - CNA

BANGKOK: Thailand reported nine new local COVID-19 infections, the biggest one-day rise in local transmissions in more than seven months, health officials said on Saturday (Dec 19).

The nine cases are connected to a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon province, near Bangkok, where four infections were reported on Friday, officials told a briefing.

The cases started with a 67-year-old woman, who sells shrimp in the market, who was confirmed to have the infection before three of her family also tested positive.

READ: Thailand reports local COVID-19 infections as measures to restart tourism begin

There is no need for a lockdown yet but steps will be taken if cases keep rising, Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand's COVID-19 taskforce, told the conference.

"If the number of cases won't come down tomorrow or the day after and become a cluster with unfound origins, we will choose measures from light to strong to handle it," he said.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said late on Friday the situation was not worrisome and more than 2,000 people in the area have been tested and more tests would be conducted.

READ: Thailand to see more visitors, 'signal' for reopening: Tourism chief

Local cases have largely been found in people observing quarantine after having been in close contact with an infected person. Most of Thailand's recent cases have been imported.

Thailand has kept infections at 4,331 cases and 60 deaths, but its tourism-reliant economy has suffered from a travel ban imposed since April to curb the outbreak.

The country on Thursday further eased restrictions to allow more foreign tourists to return.

The government predicts about 8 million foreign tourists in 2021 after 6.7 million expected this year. Last year's foreign visitors were a record of nearly 40 million.

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2020-12-19 11:48:45Z
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