Singapore tests re-opening of key sector

A pair of smooth-coated otters dry themselves in the sun on a field by the Marina Bay Sands (venue of the conference) in Singapore on September 24, 2020.

SINGAPORE: Singapore will hold its first business conference of scale this week since the coronavirus pandemic put ice to such activities in the city-state, amid ongoing efforts to restart its economy.

The Singapore International Energy Week starts today with 250 participants and on-site staff, and hundreds more are slated to join virtually. Singapore has become a hub for oil and natural gas traders and – in a normal year – hosts dozens of conferences, roundtable discussions and happy hours for company officials to mingle and broker deals.

While China and Taiwan have restarted business events from automotive shows to tech conferences with hundreds of participants, the Singapore event will be the city-state’s first step to reopening a key sector.

Those who are attending the conference at the Marina Bay Sands are required to take a Covid-19 test, with results within 30 minutes. — Bloomberg