Last Monday Singapore was shocked with the news of a 16-year-old boy who hurt and killed a 13-year-old boy for apparently no reason inside the toilet of their school. This incident really cut me to the core and I have spent the last week just thinking about it. My heart just goes out to the parents of the 13-year-old who thought their child was safe in school only to receive this devastating news. And this is Singapore which is supposed to be safe and to top it up a school where children are supposed to be in a safe environment. When I heard the news, I immediately went to hug Gg & Bb who were at home at that point and sent a small prayer of gratitude that they were all right. Also, I wonder what made the 16-year-old so stressed that he snapped at this point? Only time will tell us this, but for the moment, please send a small prayer to the families of both children who will be in equal parts both devastated and shattered. I doubt they can ever recover from this and will be search for answers all their life. RIP

Singapore did not have a good week, because there has been a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, a sort of a second wave. So, this means we have gone back to Phase 2, Heightened Alert, which means no dining in restaurants and hawker centres and not more than 2 people together. And the national day parade has been postponed from 9 August which is the actual National Day to August 21 which is when the review of whether the Heightened Alert will be rolled back will happen with just a ceremonial one to mark 56 years of independence from Britain. And our nearest neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia are also having a bad time with a resurgence of cases with Indonesia recording about 50,000 new cases and Malaysia, about 15,000 new cases on a daily basis. And I hear that the United States is also seeing new cases which are proving fatal to those not vaccinated.

About 13.5% of the world’s population has now been vaccinated with Singapore and the United States at about 50%. Mainland China leads in total number of doses given with India at number 2, but this only translates to 15.9% and 6.4% of their population fully vaccinated.

In France, a health pass is now needed to access any of the country’s leisure and cultural venues serving more than 50 people, including cinemas and museums. From the beginning of August, the pass will be required on any long-distance public transport, in shopping centres or at cafés and restaurants, including on France’s famed outdoor terraces. The pass must either include the QR code that proves someone has been fully vaccinated in France or results from a negative PCR or antigen test taken in the previous 48 hours. I am not sure this is taking things too far or not, but maybe this is the need of the hour. We need to take strict actions so that we are all safe and life can get back to a semblance of normalcy.

The quote this week is about having an attitude of positivity so that our personalities get enhanced. Of course, when one has an attitude of positive thinking, one finds the good and the positive in every situation and this will have a positive impact their personality and this will lead to a better quality of life.

This was all from me this week. Stay safe people and hopefully there is better news worldwide next week.