How Coronavirus Affected My Family In Singapore

In 2020 the news was about Trump and Weinstein. If you could get away from it all, that was good.

Singapore
In 2020 we began the year with optimism. I joined an online Toastmasters International club.

For our family from the UK, Brexit was the big worry. How would it affect business, house prices, property rental. Some of our UK family, a couple engaged to be married, left the UK for Malaysia.

We travelled from Singapore to Malaysia.  And back.  With family visiting from the UK. Some were seeing Singapore for the first time.

Flag of Malaysia.

Some were seeing Malaysia for the first time.

Flag of China

After half of the UK visitors had gone home, late in January, we heard about the trouble in Wuhan,
China, but it seemed so far away from us in Singapore.

Our Chinese friends in Singapore and Hong Kong had been more worried about the riots in Hong Kong.

Where is Wuhan?
I had never heard of Wuhan. I looked it up in Wikipedia and Wikivoyage. I could not find a lot of interest for tourists. Just a lot of dull pictures of university buildings.

Later my friend from Hong Kong spoke to me. She gave me a new view of both China and Hong Kong. She told me:

Wuhan, the VIP City
"Wuhan is geographically the crossroads of China. The hub of industry and manufacturing. Parts of your mobile phone are probably made there.

"Wuhan is known for its universities and research - a cutting edge place, highly advanced, has several universities."

Ah, that accounts for the photos of the universities in Wikipedia. No coincidence. The important feature of the place.

Hong Kong Riots
I asked, "What about Hong Kong. How come so many people are rioting? All day and all night. Don't they have jobs? You would think eventually they would get tired of being out in the streets in all weathers and go back to work or go back to their homes."

She told me, "They can't get jobs. They don't have homes. Hong Kong does not have enough homes. Not enough for all the people to live in."

Housing
I replied, "Singapore did not have enough homes. So they made it their policy to be build homes for everyone, the Housing Development Board, HDB."

My friend replied, "Yes, the government could do it if they wanted. But they don't care. That's why the people are rioting. The latest issue is just the spark that set it off. The poverty and lack of jobs and housing is what is the underlying cause."

Previously I wondered why the rioters were destroying their own city. The shops where they could buy goods. The restaurants and cafes where they could eat.

Now I see why the rioters are damaging the shops and cars. People who don't have money don't care about destroying shops where they can't afford to shop and coffee houses where they can't afford the coffee and cars they can't afford to buy and drive.

Chinese New Year Cancellations
In Singapore Chinese New Year was upon us in late February. Then the travelling for Chinese New Year from Wuhan and later all over China was stopped.

CNY Party - low-key
The weekend of Jan 26 was Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year dinner in the condo on Singapore was not cancelled. The marquee was up, the decorations, the noise from the loud speakers. But far fewer people. It seemed to end early.

Masks Distributed From Community Centres
Next the population started wearing masks. The HDB residents were given masks, four per household.

Condos Masks Distributed
Those in the condos were given masks, four per household. You had to show your NRIC, identity card, to claim.

Washable Masks
A friend from my Toastmasters group, Faith, wore a washable re-usable mask.

Hand Washing
Videos told us how to wash hands and how often.

Tongs
Clubs supplied tongs for handling food.

My family shrugged. What will be will be. It doesn't affect us.

Gym Closed
It did affect us. The condo gym was closed. The yoga mat or exercise mat I had rescued from the tip came out of the cupboard.

Orange Alert
The directive was to avoid large meetings.

Online Clubs
The Toastmasters International clubs started cancelling meetings. By Friday 14 of February the fun of Valentine's day was eclipsed by messages about meetings going online.

The Government Starts WhatsApp

Week Ending Unlucky 13
One by one the Toastmasters International meetings were cancelled. At the weekend I was returning to the UK.

Wed 12 Feb My friend Oon Sim Sim asked me, "Are you going back to the UK because of the virus?"

Not at all. I was going back to the UK for my Writers' Holiday and to plan a wedding.

Useful Websites
For UK news
Daily Mail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
For Singapore Coronavirus News
Straits Times
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/rally-through-total-defence-to-combat-coronavirus-like-during-sars-ng-eng
https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/graphics/2020/02/spore-virus-cases/index.html
WhatsApp updates on the Coronavirus
go.gov.sg/covid19

About the Author
Angela Lansbury is British but also a Singapore resident, yo-yoing between Britain and Singapore.