SG is now pandemic hub

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Regional port, regional air hub, financial centre (and money laundering hub), medical hub, education hub, biomedical hub, fintech hub. Now SG can be pandemic hub.

Changi Airport seeks to be hub for distribution of Covid-19 vaccine to the region

The first batch of Covid-19 vaccines could soon arrive in Singapore. As some vaccines require specifically low temperatures and need to be distributed in a series of transportation and storage links called a cold chain.

Toh Ting Wei

PUBLISHED 9 Dec 2020

SINGAPORE - The Republic is ready to be a hub for the movement of Covid-19 vaccines to the region, with shipments from Europe expected to go through Singapore to South-east Asia and South-west Pacific when broader regulatory approval is secured.

Mr Ho Yuen Sang, director of aviation industry at the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), said Singapore can play a distribution role for areas where infrastructure to handle large volumes of vaccines may be limited.

"In such areas, they may prefer to take more frequent delivery of their vaccines in smaller volumes so as not to overwhelm their local cold-chain handling capacity," explained Mr Ho.

Pfizer's vaccine needs to be kept at minus 70 deg C, and Moderna's needs to stored at minus 20 deg C.

Mr Ho said Singapore's air connectivity as well as its ability to store shipments at low temperatures puts it in a good position to temporarily store the vaccines.

He was speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday (Dec 8) by the Changi Ready Taskforce to explain Singapore's readiness to handle Covid-19 vaccine air cargo.

The task force, co-led by the CAAS and Changi Airport Group (CAG), comprises 18 members, including Singapore Airlines (SIA), ground handlers, logistics partners and the authorities.

On Singapore's ability to maintain the cold chain, CAG managing director for air hub development Lim Ching Kiat said: "We have placed a lot of emphasis on strengthening Changi's competitive advantage in terms of pharma cargo shipment.

"So Changi Airport has, especially in recent years, become the key preferred hub for pharmaceutical shipments."

A dozen firms in the Changi air hub have received international certification for pharmaceutical handling, and ground handlers Sats and dnata have also invested in capabilities to maintain an unbroken cold chain.

The task force said that SIA also operates multiple weekly flights to key European pharmaceutical hubs, such as Amsterdam, Brussels and Frankfurt, and has a wide network in South-east Asia and South-west Pacific, which includes Australia and New Zealand.

The first batch of Pfizer's vaccine is being manufactured in the Belgian town of Puurs and will be transported from Brussels.

Major logistics players such as DHL, FedEx and UPS also have regional hubs in Singapore with strong network connectivity from Changi Airport, noted the task force.

Mr Lim said: "Changi Airport, together with the authorities, will be trying to engage some of the key shippers to sell the strengths of the Changi Air Hub as a whole, how we have experience in handling pharmaceuticals, and for this exercise we will do it in a safe manner."

The move to position Singapore as a hub to distribute vaccine cargo to the region comes amid a growth in cargo handling.

CAG said cargo flights at Changi Airport have tripled from last year to 950 flights weekly as at Dec 1 with about 80 cities connected through these cargo flights.

On the significance of Changi working to be a hub for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, Mr Lim said it represents a humanitarian effort and helps bring cargo business to the airport.

He added: "The widespread vaccine distribution is a very key part to the recovery of passenger travel, so we also have a very vested interest to make sure that.... vaccine (distribution) is made as efficient and as quick as possible."

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Hosting WEF 'a feather in the cap' for Singapore: Experts

Singapore's Marina Bay area before sunset:in September 2020.ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

Justin Ong

PUBLISHED 9/12/2020


SINGAPORE - Hosting the World Economic Forum's (WEF) next annual gathering of global political and business leaders bodes well for Singapore's tourism and events sectors, said experts on Tuesday (Dec 8).

Public health experts also said that if handled properly, the WEF Special Annual Meeting 2021, slated for May 13 to 16, would be a testament to Singapore's ability to manage Covid-19 measures for such a signature event. The WEF meeting typically attracts about 3,000 delegates to its usual location in Davos, Switzerland.

The switch to Singapore next year because of its handling of the virus puts the city-state firmly on the map, said Maybank Kim Eng analyst Chua Hak Bin.

He added that having all the world's attention on the South-east Asian country presents an opportunity for Singapore to prove it has emerged from the pandemic unscathed, and is ready to resume business as usual as a connectivity hub for the rest of the world.

This is only the second time the WEF meeting will take place outside of Davos since it began in 1971. The 2002 edition was held in New York, as a show of solidarity with the US after the Sept 11 attacks.

Mr Benjamin Chiang, Asean government and public sector leader at EY, noted that the choice made by WEF was an "intangible vote of confidence" in Singapore as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) destination capable of managing the pandemic.

CIMB Private Bank economist Song Seng Wun said that while the "exciting, headline-grabbing" news was worth celebrating, another measure of success would be if it can coax the tourism and Mice industries back on their feet by getting people confident enough to travel to Singapore without hesitation.

"It's the bread-and-butter, regular, routine events in Singapore - whether food festivals or anime conventions - that contribute to monthly tourism receipts," he noted.
"So while hosting WEF is a feather in the cap for Singapore, more importantly, it's the reassurance it gives others that all events can be held here - safely."

Industry stakeholders agreed that the decision was a major endorsement of Singapore's capabilities as a leading global Mice hub.

This, said Mr Aloysius Arlando, president of the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), would hopefully lead to more job and business opportunities - and in turn, help Singapore's economic growth along.

On the geopolitical front, Dr Chong Ja Ian, associate professor at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) political science department, said: "There may be some agreements named after Singapore, but I do not expect larger, long-lasting effects... That said, the sitting administration in Singapore may wish to use the event to showcase Singapore as a location for similar events in future."

This year's gathering in Davos, in January, was attended by the likes of outgoing US President Donald Trump and teen climate activist Greta Thunberg. Previous attendees include other world and major corporate leaders such as Prince William, Mark Zuckerberg as well as celebrities from David Attenborough to U2's Bono.

"As to who will attend physically next year, that will depend on how the Covid-19 situation and vaccination programmes play out. To the extent that the pandemic is controlled, there is more likely to be physical appearances," said Dr Chong.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Trade and Industry reiterated that the health and safety of the local community and meeting attendees was "of utmost importance".
"Attendees will be required to adhere to the prevailing stringent public health requirements, and safe management and distancing measures in Singapore," the spokesman added.

Dr Jeremy Lim, from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS, said there was no "magic number" of attendees that Singapore could safely host. It would depend on Singapore's testing and contact tracing abilities, along with strategies for managing and hosting the guests, he added.

"Everyone who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. And we probably need to have a tiered testing regime based on countries - similar to what Singapore has been doing," he noted. "Hosting the WEF is a higher risk than not hosting the WEF. So it's really about managing the risk, and at essentially three points.

"One - making sure, to the best of our abilities, no one with Covid-19 comes into Singapore. Second - anyone who has Covid and somehow slips through is detected early enough to minimise transmission. And third - if there is transmission, we detect it early enough that we can lock down all the persons who have been in contact, so that we can contain any secondary, tertiary spread."

Said Professor Dale Fisher from the NUS' Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine: "We've got all these tools to prevent spread, and it'll be a combination of tests or interventions to make this particular conference safe. I'm quite sure that Singapore will not let this become a 'superspreader' event."

 

[zhihau]

We could sell ourselves as the Mother of all Hubs, aka MOAH!

 

[tobelightlight]

 

[whoami]

Ayoh. So many jabs nowadays. Prevention? Flu jab. Camel jab. Wuhan jab...lists goes on....

 

[tobelightlight]

https://aleteia.org/2020/12/01/priest-who-volunteered-for-covid-19-vaccine-trial-passes-away/

Fr. John Fields was communications director of Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
Fr. John M. Fields, a Pennsylvania priest who had participated in the third and final phase of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine trial, died November 27. Fr. Fields, a priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, was 70 and died at his home in Philadelphia.

The cause of death was an apparent heart attack, according to Fr. Michael Hutsko, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania. Fr. Fields did not have COVID-19, Auxiliary Bishop Andriy Rabiy, vicar general of the archeparchy, confirmed Monday.


Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia said in a statement that he and Fr. Fields, who served as communications director of the archeparchy, had just spoken before Thanksgiving and that Fr. Fields “was in good spirits and seemingly improving in his health.”

“Fr. John was an ardent American patriot and a proud carrier of the legacy of his Pennsylvania coal mining homeland,” Archbishop Gudziak said. “There is nothing that he loved more than sharing stories of the people, parishes, and past of our Anthracite region.

“He remained hopeful about the future, that of the Church, the country, and his own ability to make a contribution,” the archbishop continued. “As Father John professed and preached, our hope is in the Lord and His Resurrection.”


A November 23 Catholic News Service article reported that when Fr. Fields received an email this summer from the University of Pennsylvania asking if he would like to participate in the vaccine trials, he answered “yes” immediately.

“I did not hesitate,” he told the wire service. “It would be a great opportunity to fight this pesky virus that suddenly appeared and wreaked havoc throughout the world, bringing death and disrupting every aspect of our lives.”


Fr. Fields was the first volunteer in the study at the University of Pennsylvania, and received his first injection August 31, said CNS.

He said that for the first week after the injection, he had to make a daily report of his temperature and any symptoms — fatigue, nausea, injection site pain, arm swelling, chills or fever, or headaches, according to CNS. He said he didn’t have any. He received a second injection on October 1, after which he again felt no symptoms.

On October 26, he returned for a follow-up evaluation. He was to continue to be evaluated for 25 months. He was gratified hearing news that the Moderna vaccine was showing a very high effectiveness rate.

Fr. Fields said he never had any concern about the risks of participating in the trials.

“I thought it was a win-win situation,” he told CNS. By being in the study, he said he “may be able to contribute in some small way to the development of an effective vaccine that would help stop this worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the fear, suffering and death that it has already caused to millions and end the shutdowns and help restore society once again to a normal lifestyle. And hopefully, if I did not get a placebo and actually received the vaccine that subsequently receives approval, I would be among the first to benefit from the medical breakthrough of the Moderna vaccine.”

The priest expressed the hope that along with the almost 30,000 other volunteers throughout the United States in the Moderna study, “collectively we may have helped to defeat this deadly virus and prevent millions of deaths throughout the world. For this, I am grateful to God, for this opportunity.”

Trained as a lawyer
John Michael Fields was born on February 19, 1950, in Butler Township, Pennsylvania. He received a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1972, with a dual major in Russian studies and political science. In 1975, he earned a J.D. in law at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law. He was a partner at the Thomas and Fields Law Office.

He entered St. Josaphat’s Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington, D.C., and studied at the School of Theology at the Catholic University of America. After receiving an M.A. in theology in 1986, he completed coursework in canon law at Catholic University.

Philadelphia Metropolitan Archbishop Stephen Sulyk ordained him to the diaconate on April 4, 1985, and to the priesthood on May 11, 1986. Both ordinations were at the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philadelphia. On May 17, 1998, Archbishop Sulyk conferred upon Fr. Fields the title “Protopresbyter (Archpriest)” for his dedicated work in the priesthood.

Fr. Fields was a pastor at several parishes in Pennsylvania. Between 1988 and 2004, he oversaw the construction and rededication of two new churches and took pride in helping design both to emulate the traditional wooden church structures found in Ukraine.

Among many other positions, Fr. Fields served as editor of “The Way,” the official newspaper of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia, and as a member of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference.

He is survived by two sisters, Diane M. (Dennis) Berkheiser and MaryAnn Fields-Whyne, as well as nephews and nieces.

A funeral will be offered at St. Michael Church in Frackville, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, December 3, at 11 a.m. Fr. Field’s family requests that in lieu of flowers or other offerings that donations be made in his name to the St. Josaphat Seminary Endowment Fund, c/o Archbishop’s Chancery, 810 North Franklin Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123.

 

[Leongsam]

If this does not prove that the PAP is the best I don't know what does.

 

[laksaboy]

Ong Ye Kung must be quite desperate now.

I don't think any previous Transport Minister was so obsessed about 'air travel hub' this or 'air travel bubble' that.

 

[laksaboy]

Hosting WEF 'a feather in the cap' for Singapore: Experts

Singapore's Marina Bay area before sunset:in September 2020.ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

Justin Ong

PUBLISHED 9/12/2020


SINGAPORE - Hosting the World Economic Forum's (WEF) next annual gathering of global political and business leaders bodes well for Singapore's tourism and events sectors, said experts on Tuesday (Dec 8).

Public health experts also said that if handled properly, the WEF Special Annual Meeting 2021, slated for May 13 to 16, would be a testament to Singapore's ability to manage Covid-19 measures for such a signature event. The WEF meeting typically attracts about 3,000 delegates to its usual location in Davos, Switzerland.

The switch to Singapore next year because of its handling of the virus puts the city-state firmly on the map, said Maybank Kim Eng analyst Chua Hak Bin.

He added that having all the world's attention on the South-east Asian country presents an opportunity for Singapore to prove it has emerged from the pandemic unscathed, and is ready to resume business as usual as a connectivity hub for the rest of the world.

This is only the second time the WEF meeting will take place outside of Davos since it began in 1971. The 2002 edition was held in New York, as a show of solidarity with the US after the Sept 11 attacks.

Mr Benjamin Chiang, Asean government and public sector leader at EY, noted that the choice made by WEF was an "intangible vote of confidence" in Singapore as a meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) destination capable of managing the pandemic.

CIMB Private Bank economist Song Seng Wun said that while the "exciting, headline-grabbing" news was worth celebrating, another measure of success would be if it can coax the tourism and Mice industries back on their feet by getting people confident enough to travel to Singapore without hesitation.

"It's the bread-and-butter, regular, routine events in Singapore - whether food festivals or anime conventions - that contribute to monthly tourism receipts," he noted.
"So while hosting WEF is a feather in the cap for Singapore, more importantly, it's the reassurance it gives others that all events can be held here - safely."

Industry stakeholders agreed that the decision was a major endorsement of Singapore's capabilities as a leading global Mice hub.

This, said Mr Aloysius Arlando, president of the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), would hopefully lead to more job and business opportunities - and in turn, help Singapore's economic growth along.

On the geopolitical front, Dr Chong Ja Ian, associate professor at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) political science department, said: "There may be some agreements named after Singapore, but I do not expect larger, long-lasting effects... That said, the sitting administration in Singapore may wish to use the event to showcase Singapore as a location for similar events in future."

This year's gathering in Davos, in January, was attended by the likes of outgoing US President Donald Trump and teen climate activist Greta Thunberg. Previous attendees include other world and major corporate leaders such as Prince William, Mark Zuckerberg as well as celebrities from David Attenborough to U2's Bono.

"As to who will attend physically next year, that will depend on how the Covid-19 situation and vaccination programmes play out. To the extent that the pandemic is controlled, there is more likely to be physical appearances," said Dr Chong.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Trade and Industry reiterated that the health and safety of the local community and meeting attendees was "of utmost importance".
"Attendees will be required to adhere to the prevailing stringent public health requirements, and safe management and distancing measures in Singapore," the spokesman added.

Dr Jeremy Lim, from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS, said there was no "magic number" of attendees that Singapore could safely host. It would depend on Singapore's testing and contact tracing abilities, along with strategies for managing and hosting the guests, he added.

"Everyone who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. And we probably need to have a tiered testing regime based on countries - similar to what Singapore has been doing," he noted. "Hosting the WEF is a higher risk than not hosting the WEF. So it's really about managing the risk, and at essentially three points.

"One - making sure, to the best of our abilities, no one with Covid-19 comes into Singapore. Second - anyone who has Covid and somehow slips through is detected early enough to minimise transmission. And third - if there is transmission, we detect it early enough that we can lock down all the persons who have been in contact, so that we can contain any secondary, tertiary spread."

Said Professor Dale Fisher from the NUS' Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine: "We've got all these tools to prevent spread, and it'll be a combination of tests or interventions to make this particular conference safe. I'm quite sure that Singapore will not let this become a 'superspreader' event."

Yeah, nothing like hosting the globalist buddies of Loong.

Remember when the IMF/World Bank were in town and the entire Suntec area was under lockdown?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_2006#Security

 

[sweetiepie]

If this does not prove that the PAP is the best I don't know what does.

KNN pap managed to achieve their target and goals by aiming for the highest lumber of cases with lowest fatality KNN without the dormitories cases and daily imported cases they wouldn't got the best leesult KNN this is called play cheat KNN

 

[congo9]

Ong Ye Kung must be quite desperate now.

I don't think any previous Transport Minister was so obsessed about 'air travel hub' this or 'air travel bubble' that.

OYK is being asked to do the job base of merit. Big boss LHL feel that he is good enough.

 

[sweetiepie]

KNN pap managed to achieve their target and goals by aiming for the highest lumber of cases with lowest fatality KNN without the dormitories cases and daily imported cases they wouldn't got the best leesult KNN this is called play cheat KNN

KNN if the 60k cases were all from the community pap would have run road by now KNN my uncle guess maybe at least 10% of fatality based on the general health of sinkies KNN

 

[Chase]

I work in the healthcare supplies sector. Here's my 2 cents

Actually what mode of transport or airlines is not important or bullshit. Most important is the container that they shipped in.

The cheap ones is below 10 degree celsius
Normal ones maintain -5 degree celsius
The good ones are -30

 

[zhihau]

I work in the healthcare supplies sector. Here's my 2 cents

Actually what mode of transport or airlines is not important or bullshit. Most important is the container that they shipped in.

The cheap ones is below 10 degree celsius
Normal ones maintain -5 degree celsius
The good ones are -30

dry ice shipping?

 

[Chase]

dry ice shipping?

Dry ice shipping is like Sonoco Thermosafe boxes

was refering to special containers, eg. Csafe, envirotainers
then what vehicle or train or plane is not important

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Changi Business Park became Chennai Business Park
Changi Airport will turn into Changi Covid-19 hub

Singapore to launch segregated lane for business travellers who will not need to be quarantined

Those using the lane will be transported from the airport to dedicated facilities where they will stay and work.PHOTO: ST FILE

Clement Yong

DEC 15, 2020

SINGAPORE - From the second half of January 2021, short-term business travellers from all countries arriving in Singapore will no longer need to be quarantined, under new segregated travel lane arrangements.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Tuesday (Dec 15) that those who opt to use the lane will be transported from the airport to dedicated facilities where they will stay and work.

There, they can have meetings through floor-to-ceiling air-tight glass panels with local businessmen, as well as with other foreign businessmen with safe distancing measures in place.

Regular testing will be conducted throughout the duration of their stay - for instance on alternate days - in addition to tests before departure from their home countries and upon arrival here.

They will also have to move within their pre-declared travel group of up to five people to reduce the risk of mass transmission.

The segregated travel lane is distinct from existing reciprocal green lane arrangements, which apply only to selected countries but allow those on essential business here to move about around Singapore more freely.

The segregated travel lane restricts movement, but lets in business, official and high economic value travellers from all countries, as long as their stay is 14 days or shorter.

The lane is expected to increase traffic at Changi Airport, where about 15 per cent of travellers pre-Covid-19 entered the country for business-related reasons.

It should also have knock-on effects on the hospitality sector, which could cater food and provide accommodation for the travellers once they are given approval.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, on a tour of Connect @ Changi, one of the facilities that will be used to house travellers in the segregated travel lane, said the new measures will make Singapore more relevant as a business hub amid the unpredictability of Covid-19.

"Global business travel has been severely affected by the need for quarantine measures... Different countries will continue to have different risk profiles and we should not let this hinder business meetings," he said.

"Dedicated facilities can allow Singaporeans to meet (business) travellers from elsewhere. They can also allow (business) travellers from elsewhere to meet each other."

An artist's impression of Connect@ Changi's courtyard. PHOTO: CONNECT@ CHANGI

Based on patterns established last year, roughly nine in 10 of business travellers to Singapore stayed in the country for five days or fewer, hinting at the demand for such expedited, business-specific travel arrangements.

A huge chunk of these travellers are currently not covered by reciprocal green lane arrangements, and have to undergo quarantine before being able to meet their local partners face to face.

Temasek senior managing director Alan Thompson, who was among those helming the Connect @ Changi project, said local employees of multinational companies might not have had a chance to meet their regional heads in person for more than year.

Facilities like Connect @ Changi, which will take in its first guests in February next year, provide businessmen with that opportunity while minimising physical contact.

Connect @ Changi is a four-star facility currently being built at Singapore Expo and Max Atria, about a five-minute drive from Changi Airport.

When fully constructed in mid-2021, more than 1,300 guest rooms and about 340 meeting rooms will be available for booking, with each night costing travellers between $390 and $430 if they are staying for a duration shorter than three days.

Meeting rooms can fit between four and 22 people, and are meant for meetings rather than larger-scale conferences or events. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Meeting rooms can fit between four and 22 people, and are meant for meetings rather than larger-scale conferences or events.

Mr Wong Heang Fine, group chief executive officer of Surbana Jurong, which built Connect @ Changi, said the facility can be quickly repurposed within weeks for other uses post-Covid-19, as it is constructed from pre-fabricated modules.

Connect @ Changi said the facility will create 800 jobs in Singapore in construction and the maintenance and provision of services within the facility.

Mr Chan said MTI will study the demand for the segregated travel lane to assess the number of dedicated facilities needed, and could broaden the use of the lane for medical or family-visiting uses.

Facility operators interested in serving as a segregated facility can submit their proposals through the Singapore Tourism Board by the end of the year.

 

[amransan]

businessmen can use ZOOM to talk to their clients and workers from home and why must fly all the way to sg and still have to quarntine and end up still have to use ZOOM lol.
wasting money and wasting time and end up get covid from the fight

 

[tanwahtiu]

Hub hub hub hub hub....

Can someone come up with a music of hub hub.

Listen to Hub..

Regional port, regional air hub, financial centre (and money laundering hub), medical hub, education hub, biomedical hub, fintech hub. Now SG can be pandemic hub.

Changi Airport seeks to be hub for distribution of Covid-19 vaccine to the region

The first batch of Covid-19 vaccines could soon arrive in Singapore. As some vaccines require specifically low temperatures and need to be distributed in a series of transportation and storage links called a cold chain.

Toh Ting Wei

PUBLISHED 9 Dec 2020

SINGAPORE - The Republic is ready to be a hub for the movement of Covid-19 vaccines to the region, with shipments from Europe expected to go through Singapore to South-east Asia and South-west Pacific when broader regulatory approval is secured.

Mr Ho Yuen Sang, director of aviation industry at the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), said Singapore can play a distribution role for areas where infrastructure to handle large volumes of vaccines may be limited.

"In such areas, they may prefer to take more frequent delivery of their vaccines in smaller volumes so as not to overwhelm their local cold-chain handling capacity," explained Mr Ho.

Pfizer's vaccine needs to be kept at minus 70 deg C, and Moderna's needs to stored at minus 20 deg C.

Mr Ho said Singapore's air connectivity as well as its ability to store shipments at low temperatures puts it in a good position to temporarily store the vaccines.

He was speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday (Dec 8) by the Changi Ready Taskforce to explain Singapore's readiness to handle Covid-19 vaccine air cargo.

The task force, co-led by the CAAS and Changi Airport Group (CAG), comprises 18 members, including Singapore Airlines (SIA), ground handlers, logistics partners and the authorities.

On Singapore's ability to maintain the cold chain, CAG managing director for air hub development Lim Ching Kiat said: "We have placed a lot of emphasis on strengthening Changi's competitive advantage in terms of pharma cargo shipment.

"So Changi Airport has, especially in recent years, become the key preferred hub for pharmaceutical shipments."

A dozen firms in the Changi air hub have received international certification for pharmaceutical handling, and ground handlers Sats and dnata have also invested in capabilities to maintain an unbroken cold chain.

The task force said that SIA also operates multiple weekly flights to key European pharmaceutical hubs, such as Amsterdam, Brussels and Frankfurt, and has a wide network in South-east Asia and South-west Pacific, which includes Australia and New Zealand.

The first batch of Pfizer's vaccine is being manufactured in the Belgian town of Puurs and will be transported from Brussels.

Major logistics players such as DHL, FedEx and UPS also have regional hubs in Singapore with strong network connectivity from Changi Airport, noted the task force.

Mr Lim said: "Changi Airport, together with the authorities, will be trying to engage some of the key shippers to sell the strengths of the Changi Air Hub as a whole, how we have experience in handling pharmaceuticals, and for this exercise we will do it in a safe manner."

The move to position Singapore as a hub to distribute vaccine cargo to the region comes amid a growth in cargo handling.

CAG said cargo flights at Changi Airport have tripled from last year to 950 flights weekly as at Dec 1 with about 80 cities connected through these cargo flights.

On the significance of Changi working to be a hub for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, Mr Lim said it represents a humanitarian effort and helps bring cargo business to the airport.

He added: "The widespread vaccine distribution is a very key part to the recovery of passenger travel, so we also have a very vested interest to make sure that.... vaccine (distribution) is made as efficient and as quick as possible."

 

[tanwahtiu]

Singapore was a prostitution hub during the BE time...

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#4

S'pore could help in fill-and-finish production, regional distribution of Covid-19 vaccines: Chan Chun Sing

Singapore could help distribute the vaccines to the region.PHOTO: AFP

Choo Yun Ting

PUBLISHED 21DEC 2020

SINGAPORE - Singapore is in discussions with the major suppliers of coronavirus vaccines and could possibly play a role in distributing them, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Monday (Dec 21).

Singapore's role would not be in the production itself, added Mr Chan, as he addressed a question on the Republic's possible role in vaccine production and distribution given the surge in Covid-19 infections in the United States and Europe.

While vaccine production is done in the US and Europe, "it is a possibility" for Singapore to help in "fill-and-finish" manufacturing, which refers to the packing part of production, said Mr Chan.

"We will be able to do that from Singapore to help distribute the vaccines to the region," he said.

Mr Chan was speaking at a press conference during a visit to the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) where he announced a new research and development lab set up by A*Star and alternative protein firm Perfect Day.

On vaccine distribution, Mr Chan said he had visited logistics giant FedEx last week, where he found out about the scale of the operations and capabilities required to distribute vaccines.

"We are quietly confident that we do have the capabilities in Singapore, not just to bring the vaccines into Singapore, but also if need be, help distribute the vaccines to the region, using the capabilities that we have built up over the years,'' he said.

Singapore has announced that the first shipment of vaccines from US pharma giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech will arrive in the Republic by the end of the year.