SINGAPORE: Singapore reported seven new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Sunday (Oct 18), bringing the national total to 57,911.
Of the new infections, one is in the community and another case is a dormitory resident, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its daily preliminary update.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThere were also five imported cases, all of whom were placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore.
Further details will be announced later on Sunday night, said MOH.
[h=3]READ: 'No longer groping in the dark': NCID doctors share how COVID-19 is being treated in Singapore[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Saturday, the tripartite advisory on managing excess manpower and responsible retrenchment was updated to provide more guidance on how employers should lay off workers, as further job cuts are expected amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The latest advisory calls for companies to retain Singaporean workers, guidelines on how employers can break the news to their workers more sensitively, as well as to make training programmes part of the post-retrenchment package.
A checklist on how to conduct retrenchments properly was added as well.
[h=3]READ: Rules on retrenchments updated as Singapore labour union expects more layoffs amid COVID-19[/h] AdvertisementLike many countries, Singapore's economy has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country entered a recession in the second quarter after non-essential businesses were shuttered as part of measures to contain infections during an almost two-month-long "circuit breaker" period.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said given the scale of the COVID-19 crisis, the government may not be able to save every business and job.
The Government would however continue to support every worker, Mr Heng said, adding that both employers and job seekers have to keep an open mind and be willing to adapt and adjust.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]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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