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Minggu, 20 Desember 2020

European nations halt UK flights, fearing new COVID-19 variant - CNA

BERLIN: Several European nations on Sunday (Dec 20) have or are planning to halt flights from the UK to ensure that a new strain of coronavirus sweeping across southern England does not establish a strong foothold on the continent.

The Netherlands banned flights from the UK for at least the rest of the year while Belgium issued a flight ban for 24 hours starting at midnight and also halted train links to Britain.

German officials were considering “serious options” regarding incoming flights from the UK, but have not yet taken action.

The Netherlands said it will assess “with other European Union nations the possibilities to contain the import of the virus from the United Kingdom".

READ: Britain says new COVID-19 strain 'out of control'

The three EU governments say their response comes in reaction to tougher measures imposed on Saturday in London and surrounding areas by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

He immediately put those regions into a new Tier 4 level of restrictions, saying that a fast-moving new variant of the virus that is 70 per cent more transmissible than existing strains appears to be driving the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England.

“There’s no evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness,” the British prime minister stressed, or that vaccines will be less effective against it.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Sunday said he was issuing the flight ban for 24 hours starting at midnight “out of precaution.”

“There are a great many questions about this new mutation and if it is not already on the mainland,” he said. He hoped to have more clarity by Tuesday.

Germany has not yet spelt out a ban but is considering limiting or halting flights from the UK as well, the dpa news agency reported Sunday. A high-ranking German official told dpa that restrictions on flights from Britain are a “serious option".

READ: British PM orders new curbs to slow more infectious COVID-19 strain

Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the 27-nation EU, was in contact with its neighbours and was following all developments about the new variant closely, dpa reported.

Italy plans to suspend flights to and from Britain over fears of a new strain of the coronavirus detected there, Foreign Minister Luigi di Maio said in a Facebook post.

"As a government we have the duty to protect Italians, for this reason, after having notified the British government, with the Ministry of Health we are about to sign the provision to suspend flights with Great Britain," Di Maio said.

"Our priority is to protect Italy and our compatriots."

Europe has been walloped this fall by soaring new infections and deaths due to a resurgence of the virus, and many nations have reimposed a series of restrictions to reign in their outbreaks.

Britain has seen more than 67,000 deaths in the pandemic, the second-highest confirmed toll in Europe after Italy.

Johnson on Saturday closed all non-essential shops, hairdressers, gyms and pools and told Britons to reorganize their holiday plans.

No mixing of households is now allowed indoors in Tier 4 areas, including London, and only essential travel is permitted into and out of such areas. In the rest of England, people will be allowed to meet in Christmas bubbles for just one day instead of the five that were planned.

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2020-12-20 13:19:46Z
52781255173134

Britain says new COVID-19 strain 'out of control' - CNA

LONDON: British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday (Dec 20) that the government has imposed a strict Christmas lockdown in London and southeast England because a new strain of the coronavirus was "out of control".

Hancock warned that the strict measures could stay in place until the virus vaccine is fully rolled out.

"We acted very quickly and decisively," Hancock told Sky News, justifying the "stay at home" order and closure of non-essential shops affecting around a third of England's population.

"Unfortunately the new strain was out of control. We have got to get it under control."

READ: WHO says in close contact with UK officials on new COVID-19 virus variant

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that millions must cancel Christmas plans and stay home because the new strain was spreading far more quickly.

Around 16.4 million people entered the strictest "tier four" measures from Sunday, or 31 per cent of England's population.

They are not allowed to hold family gatherings for Christmas, while in the rest of the country households are allowed to mix on Christmas Day alone.

London's Metropolitan Police said that it would take action against those who "make reckless decisions that risk lives."

Other UK regions have also tightened their anti-virus measures in response.

Wales introduced a strict lockdown from Sunday, while Scotland has banned travel to and from other UK regions for Christmas. Both Scotland and Northern Ireland will enter fresh lockdowns on Dec 26.

Hancock suggested the tougher measures - which require about a third of the population of England to stay at home except for essential reasons such as work - might stay in place until vaccinations become more widely available.

Hancock told Sky News that the situation was "deadly serious".

"It's going to be very difficult to keep it under control until we have the vaccine rolled out," he said, adding: "This is what we face over the next couple of months."

The UK hopes to reach a figure of half a million vaccinations over the weekend, the health minister said.

It emerged that scientists first discovered the new variant in a patient in September.

Susan Hopkins of Public Health England told Sky News that the agency notified the government on Friday when modelling revealed the full seriousness of the new strain.

READ: Dutch ban UK flights to stop COVID-19 virus 'mutation'

She confirmed the figure given by Johnson that the new virus strain could be 70 per cent more transmissible while saying this was an initial figure.

"I think 70 per cent looks like a good number to land on at the moment," she said.

The virus has been found in all regions of England but in small numbers, Hopkins said. Hancock said cases have also been identified in Australia and Europe.

Soon after Johnson told the nation of the changes, some in London headed for the capital's train stations to try to travel to see relatives over Christmas, and there were scenes of crowding - something Hancock called "totally irresponsible".

He also said the government acknowledged that the economic impact of the new measures would be "severe" after the Confederation of British Industry called them a "real kick in the teeth" for many businesses.

But speaking on the BBC, Hancock said a new national lockdown was "not necessarily" inevitable to stem the rise in cases.

"One of the reasons we brought in the strict travel movements in Tier 4 ... is to try to stop this new variant from spreading," he told the "Andrew Marr Show".

Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, said Saturday that the new strain "contains 23 different changes," including to the way the virus binds to human cells and enters cells.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Sky News that London now has the same number of inpatients with the virus as during the peak of the first wave in April. Cases have also grown rapidly among those aged 10 to 19, he said.

Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, told the Observer weekly that "if this new variant is behind the increase in this age group, then that is a big worry."

PM 'SCARED'

The grave situation prompted widespread criticism of the prime minister for promising last week not to "cancel Christmas."

"Not much was understood about this mutant virus. But that uncertainty should have been enough for the PM to see that then was the time to call off Christmas," wrote The Sunday Mirror weekly.

Labour Leader Keir Starmer said in a video statement: "We have a prime minister who is so scared of being unpopular that he is incapable of taking tough decisions until it is too late."

Some Londoners backed the lockdown measures.

"See I think it's the right move at the moment," said Marcel Hadula.

"We don't want to overwhelm the NHS, because if we do that, then how can we effectively treat everybody that will come into contact with this new strain of the COVID-19 virus?"

But Chiara Morreale said her relatives were likely to break the lockdown rules over Christmas.

"On Christmas (Day) there's a good chance, my auntie and uncle will come around," she said.

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

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2020-12-20 12:56:15Z
52781247698161

Britain says new COVID-19 strain 'out of control' - CNA

Hancock warned that the strict measures could stay in place until the virus vaccine is fully rolled out.

"We acted very quickly and decisively," Hancock told Sky News, justifying the "stay at home" order and closure of non-essential shops affecting around a third of England's population.

"Unfortunately the new strain was out of control. We have got to get it under control."

READ: WHO says in close contact with UK officials on new COVID-19 virus variant

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that millions must cancel Christmas plans and stay home because the new strain was spreading far more quickly.

Hancock told Sky News that the situation was "deadly serious".

"It's going to be very difficult to keep it under control until we have the vaccine rolled out," he said, adding: "This is what we face over the next couple of months."

It emerged that scientists first discovered the new variant in a patient in September.

Susan Hopkins of Public Health England told Sky News that the agency notified the government on Friday when modelling revealed the full seriousness of the new strain.

READ: Dutch ban UK flights to stop COVID-19 virus 'mutation'

She confirmed the figure given by Johnson that the new virus strain could be 70 per cent more transmissible while saying this was an initial figure.

"I think 70 per cent looks like a good number to land on at the moment," she said.

But speaking on the BBC, Hancock said a new national lockdown was "not necessarily" inevitable to stem the rise in cases.

"One of the reasons we brought in the strict travel movements in Tier 4 ... is to try to stop this new variant from spreading," he told the "Andrew Marr Show".

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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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".

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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2020-12-20 08:45:49Z
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Sabtu, 19 Desember 2020

Commentary: Hong Kong's woes don't look to be going away - CNA

SYDNEY: “To catch crabs on a hill” is a Cantonese expression meaning that something is almost impossible.

Hong Kong’s prospects are this bleak. But it would be a mistake to write them off. There is a dynamism in Hong Kong’s local culture — reflected in its pithy proverbs — that may yet save the day.

Events in Hong Kong during 2020 cannot be understood without recapping the history of 2019.

READ: Commentary: China and Australia went from chilly to barely speaking. That could have been avoided

Its people rejected a proposed extradition treaty, fearing that anyone found guilty of an offence could be deported to mainland China and sentenced under mainland law if it were passed. Hundreds of thousands marched.

When a small group ransacked the Legislative Council and the representative office of the national government, the protests moved beyond local concern.

China’s sovereignty was called into question, but for a while Beijing relied on Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam to resolve matters.

BEYOND THE EXTRADITION TREATY

The withdrawal of the extradition treaty did not satisfy the protestors.

They escalated their demands to include an independent investigation into police brutality, amnesty for all arrested, retraction of the characterisation of the protests as “riots” and Carrie Lam’s resignation.

FILE PHOTO: Anti-government students gather for protests after school in Lok Fu, Hong Kong — Students gather for protests after school in Lok Fu, Hong Kong, Sept 23, 2019. (File photo: REUTERS/Jorge Silva)

Protests expanded. District elections in November 2019 showed a deep rift between pro- and anti-government forces with opposition candidates winning 392 out of 452 seats.

Some groups called for independence or the restoration of British rule, neither of which has ever been an option. Hong Kong’s Basic Law opens with “the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China”.

Protesters have also called for democracy and won sympathetic support from local and international media. Genuine democracy has never been realised in Hong Kong, despite outgoing British Governor Chris Patten’s efforts.

READ: Commentary: Parts of Asia will miss Donald Trump’s tough China policy

READ: Commentary: Hong Kong’s future clearly lies with China

But the demand for “democracy” by young leaders is vague. It reflects multiple reasons for dissent and popular distrust of government, including attacks on local language and culture, and resentment of mainland people moving to live and work in Hong Kong.

CAN ANYTHING BE DONE?

The Legislative Council — which should be responsive to popular opinion — is proving incapable of passing any reforms or finding a middle ground, and Carrie Lam is constrained by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Appointed by a Beijing-backed committee, to quote another cogent Cantonese expression, she is a “two-headed snake”, serving two masters. The Liaison Office of China’s central government coordinates pro-Beijing groups and political leaders and mobilises patriotic rallies.

People wear masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the financial Central d — People wear masks, following the COVID-19 outbreak, at the financial Central district in Hong Kong, Dec 1, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)

COVID-19 overwhelmed China, Hong Kong and then the rest of the world early in 2020 and Hong Kong police banned protests and enforced social distancing rules. Protests died down but did not disappear.

Despite official bans, thousands gathered to observe the anniversary of the Jun 4, 1989 massacre during the Tiananmen Square protests.

The day before the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty, Beijing passed a national security law for Hong Kong. The law bans acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Under the terms of this law, a central government office has jurisdiction over security cases when referred by the Hong Kong government. Protestors, fearing the worst, called on the United States and the United Kingdom to take action.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON HONG KONG

The United States condemned China and announced sanctions on Hong Kong leaders.

READ: Commentary: Trump’s playbook on China in the South China Sea has some lessons for the Biden administration

Many businesses are closing because of the protests and COVID-19 restrictions. Hong Kong’s role as a major transport and finance hub is being affected.

Real GDP growth for 2020 is forecast to sink to negative 6.1 per cent.

Looking ahead, the government predicts that the mainland economy will continue to grow strongly while Hong Kong exports to other markets are likely to be affected by the international COVID-19 situation, China–US relations and other geopolitical tensions.

Locally, unemployment has stabilised at 6.4 per cent — cushioned to some degree by government relief measures.

On Nov 11, China’s National People’s Congress passed a resolution making it possible for Hong Kong to remove lawmakers seen as endangering national security.

Beijing disqualified four opposition legislators immediately and the remaining 15 opposition members resigned.

DANGLING THE DEVELOPMENT CARROT

Addressing a Legislative Council without any opposition representation, Carrie Lam’s policy address on Nov 25 assured residents that Beijing is committed to reviving the ailing economy.

Carrie Lam Legco speech protest stage — Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam prepares to deliver her speech as slogans which read "Five demands, not one less" are projected on the wall of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, Oct 16, 2019. (Photo: AP/Kin Cheung)

She listed 200 projects ranging from car parks and dental services to new roles for the Territory in the Greater Bay Area development plan for the Pearl River Delta.

Cooperation with the mainland would deepen through new joint trading schemes between stock exchanges, mainland investment in local technology firms and Hong Kong investment in the Zhuhai Airport.

Lam failed to address the need to mend political rifts in the community and rebuild relations between the government and the opposition.

These budget measures alone cannot achieve Lam’s announced goal of “restoring people’s confidence”. The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute’s latest survey reveals the Chief Executive’s popularity rating is 33.5 per cent and the satisfaction rating of all main government policies is negative.

READ: Commentary: After years of demonising China, the US has to start an honest dialogue

READ: Commentary: Shanghai and Shenzhen, vital cities in China's next phase of growth

Popular protests will continue and evolve in the face of increasingly heavy-handed government action.

While there may be no sympathetic leadership nor popular parliamentary representation in Hong Kong, people’s spirits remain high.

As the local saying goes: “When the horse dies, you get off and walk”.

Jocelyn Chey is Visiting Professor at the University of Sydney. She was formerly Australia’s Consul-General to Hong Kong. This commentary first appeared on East Asia Forum. Read it here. This article is part of an EAF special feature series on 2020 in review and the year ahead.

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2020-12-19 22:03:53Z
52781251771061

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 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
CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9zaW5nYXBvcmUvY292aWQtMTktY2FzZXMtc2luZ2Fwb3JlLXN0YXktaG9tZS1ub3RpY2UtbWFuZGFyaW4tb3JjaGFyZC1ob3RlbC0xMzgwNTc4ONIBAA