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SIBU: A total of 443 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Sarawak on Sunday (April 11) and the total number of recorded cases stands at 20,001, says Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. Bintulu district tops the list with 89 cases followed by Sibu (83), Miri (61), Julau (43), Kapit (32), Mukah (31), Kuching (26), Sarikei (22), seven each for Matu, Samarahan and Meradong, six each for Subis and Serian, Kabong (five), three each for Beluru, Belaga, Betong and Bukit Mabong, Kanowit (two), and one each for Saratok, Tanjung Manis, Tatau and Sebauh. The state disaster management committee (SDMC) chairman also said that three new clusters have been detected; the Abak Bon Subis and Jalan Badarudin clusters in Kuching and the Nanga Kelangas cluster in Julau. "Of the 49 existing clusters, 10 clusters have new cases today while another 39 clusters reported no new cases," he added. Douglas said at a press conference on Sunday (April 11) that Sarawak has managed to control the spread of Covid-19 ... » Learn More about Covid-19: 443 new cases in Sarawak on Sunday (April 11), Bintulu highest with 89

This photo taken on April 6, 2021, shows a relative wearing personal protective equipment attending to a family member with COVID-19 at a makeshift ward in a hospital in Manila. – More contagious variants of the coronavirus have been blamed for a record surge in infections in Metro Manila that has overwhelmed hospitals and sent the national capital region into lockdown. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP) MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday logged a total of 55,204 recoveries from COVID-19, bringing the total to 703,404. The health department also recorded 11,681 new infections on Sunday, boosting the total number of cases to 864,868. Of the total, 146,519 are considered active. Meanwhile, 201 COVID-19 patients have succumbed to the deadly respiratory disease, raising the death toll to 14,945. DOH said it removed 22 duplicates from the total case count, of which seven are recoveries. Moreover, 13 cases that were previously tagged as recoveries were ... » Learn More about DOH logs over 55,000 COVID-19 recoveries, 201 deaths

Filipinos are known to be naturally talented especially in art. That’s what this brand decided to highlight when they started the company 15 years ago with only 2 bold ideas to capitalize on: Fair Trade and Social Entrepreneurship. With Filipinos having a multitude of cultures and traditions, Gifts & Graces does not look beyond local talent and instead, focuses their energy into partnering with the local communities around the country to showcase the best of what Filipino craftsmen, designers and artists have to offer. The company was the brainchild of Sandy Prieto Romualdez, with the main purpose of bridging the gap between livelihood projects and market access by acting as the venue of expression and celebration of all things Filipino. As retail stores adjust to new realities, Gifts and Graces bravely pivoted amidst the crisis. Their mission is to unleash the potential of Filipinos through authentic and thoughtful designs that connect Filipino artisans with consumers, ... » Learn More about Gifts & Graces: Expanding the World of Filipino Local Artisans

(NYTIMES) - No one in Ms Deena Al Mahbuba's family has met her daughter, Aara. She was born at the end of 2019, extremely premature. By the time Aara left the hospital for her home outside Boston in mid-June, the world was already months into Covid-19 lockdowns. Ms Mahbuba's close relatives, along with her husband's, all live in Bangladesh. The couple moved from there in 2013. Family members have done their best to stay connected, but Ms Mahbuba, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wishes her relatives were nearby. Her elder siblings could help her soothe Aara when she is sleepless. Or they could show her how they introduced foods to their babies. Aara, now 15 months old, struggles with new foods after having been tube-fed in her early life. Ms Mahbuba also hopes Aara will learn to speak Bengali, but worries she needs exposure to the language from people besides her parents. "Sometimes, I feel really sad," she said. "I feel like there is ... » Learn More about Bonding with a child born during pandemic times

SINGAPORE - Mujir Hayyan Mohammad Taufiq may be anxious about sitting the Primary School Leaving Examination this year, but his parents are even more stressed - it is their first experience with the PSLE as both were educated in madrasahs (religious schools). "As much as we reassure ourselves that it is just like any other year-end exam Hayyan will be sitting, the pressure and stresses do exist," says his mother, Ms Hurul-A'in Mohd Yusoff, 36, principal of a childcare centre. His father Mohammad Taufiq Mohamed Ismail, 40, manages a mosque. They also have a six-year-old daughter studying in a madrasah. "However, we always remind ourselves that this is not our examination, it is Hayyan's," says Ms Hurul-A'in, stressing that her 11 1/2-year-old son's mental health is more important than his grades. Her focus is not misplaced in a year that has seen educational systems across the world shattered by the pandemic, leaving families disoriented and dispirited. Compared with many ... » Learn More about Coronavirus: PSLE survival guide for parents and kids during the pandemic

SINGAPORE - Tearing your hair out over home-based learning (HBL), which started on Wednesday and is set to continue till May 4? Fret not. Here are some suggestions from academic and parenting experts, who advise thinking out of the box and letting the teachers get on with their job, albeit remotely, while schools are closed. Here is how parents can keep sane while optimising this time to help their children make true learning gains. More HBL resources for parents can also be found on MOE's website . 1. HONE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING It is a good time to help the children develop self-directed learning abilities, says Dr Tan Seng Chee, an associate professor at National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU). There are many reasons why it is not feasible for parents to take the place of teachers. Subject teachers may have specialised approaches, especially at higher grade levels, while parents working from home have other demands on their time ... » Learn More about Coronavirus: 7 ways to thrive under home-based learning

When schools across Singapore put their students on full home-based learning (HBL) on April 8 as part of the circuit breaker measures, Ms Adele Leong remembers the wide-eyed look of hope in her daughter Carolyn's eyes. "Are they going to be postponing the PSLE or cancelling it? How are we going to sit the exams now schools are closed?" she recalls her 11-year-old asking. Ms Leong, 44, is one of many parents grappling with the unprecedented academic changes the coronavirus pandemic has brought. The Ministry of Education (MOE) cancelled all mid-year examinations, but is still proceeding with national ones such as the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), as well as the N, O and A levels, as it says these are "major milestones" and it does not want to disadvantage graduating students. "Technically, it's not my first time doing the PSLE, but since the circumstances are so different, I might as well say it's my first time because it's hard to expect what's to come," says Ms ... » Learn More about Fretting over big exams in a time of Covid-19

For the past two weeks, Mr Vincent Koh has spent his nights on an old, thin mattress laid on the floor inside a cubicle with barely any space left for walking. "It's like popiah skin," he quipped, drawing a parallel between his mattress and the paper-thin skin of the traditional spring roll snack. But Mr Koh, 60, is more than thankful to the shelter for providing him a roof over his head. Inside a room shared by half a dozen others - each in a separate cubicle - he told The Straits Times that prior to the shelter, he had been sleeping on benches at parks and playgrounds after he lost his job as a worker at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre in February and could no longer afford to stay at hostels. He said he entertained thoughts of ending his life when he was sleeping rough. "I was hungry and had no place to sleep. When you're hungry, you have strange thoughts," said Mr Koh, who was referred to a shelter by a social worker at the Family Service Centre he had ... » Learn More about Call for more help as shelters for the homeless hit full capacity during Covid-19 circuit breaker period

SINGAPORE - Many hawkers find themselves struggling to stay afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic. With the ban on dining out during the circuit breaker period, local food vendors have been relying on takeaways and deliveries to survive. Those who work with food delivery platforms such as GrabFood, Deliveroo and Foodpanda say they pay an average of 30 to 35 per cent commission for each order. The high fees have led some to search for alternative options. Mr Melvin Chew, 42, owner of Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck and Kway Chap at Chinatown Food Complex, started a Facebook group in April to help fellow hawkers during the circuit breaker. Hawkers United-Dabao 2020 now has over 260,000 members. "Many of the hawkers suffered income losses from about 70 to 90 per cent. I started this group to gather all the hawkers (and) bring in some customers from my Facebook friend list so that hawkers can look for business in this group," said Mr Chew. Mr Quentin Quek, 22, whose ... » Learn More about Hawkers go digital during Covid-19 circuit breaker

SINGAPORE - Singapore's tightened circuit breaker measures will remain in place for another week, with businesses like barbers, home-based bakers and laundry services allowed to resume operating on May 12. Some measures will also be adjusted next week. But the multi-ministry task force handling the outbreak took pains to stress that this did not mean the battle with the disease was won. "We are making good progress but we are not yet at single digits when it comes to local transmission, so it is not time to lift the tighter measures we have in place," said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Saturday (May 2). "We still need to continue for another week. But we can start making some adjustments." Mr Wong stressed, however, that the situation remains fluid and plans may need to be adjusted further, depending on how the situation unfolds in the coming weeks. "The bottom line is, this is not the time to slacken and let our guard down. We may be easing some measures ... » Learn More about Tightened circuit breaker measures extended for another week; some activities allowed to resume from May 5