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SINGAPORE: While the multi-ministry COVID-19 task force is working on a roadmap to Phase 3, the country will remain in Orange Disease Outbreak Response System (DORSCON) status “for the time being,” Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Monday. (October 5th).
He was responding to parliamentary questions on whether Singapore would relax its safe management measures for COVID-19.
“Even as we move into Phase 3, the new normal will be different than what we were used to in the days before COVID,” he said. Gan added that the multi-ministerial working group will give more details on its Phase 3 roadmap in the coming weeks.
On whether the government will review the status of Singapore’s DORSCON, Mr. Gan said that DORSCON’s level “is not determined solely by the number of cases.”
“At this time, in particular, we have to be very aware that while the number of cases in Singapore is low, the cases around us, in other parts of the world, continue to increase. Therefore, we cannot lower our guard.
“Therefore, I would continue to hold DORSCON Orange for the time being, until we are fairly certain that the world situation is under control,” he said.
Singapore raised its DORSCON level from yellow to orange in early February, when several unrelated cases emerged with no travel history to mainland China. DORSCON Orange means that the disease is considered serious and is easily transmitted from person to person, but it has not spread widely and is being contained.
“CAREFULLY CALIBRATED APPROACH IN OPENING”
Gan said Singapore has learned “very important lessons” from other countries by easing COVID-19 precautionary measures and that doing so “prematurely or too hastily” could cause cases to spike again, resulting in a partial reimposition of The restrictions.
But it is also not “sustainable” to maintain strict restrictions for an “extended period of time”, as it would “seriously affect” the economy and lives, he said.
As such, the government has taken a “carefully calibrated approach to opening up our society and economy,” even as it works towards Phase 3, the minister said.
“This is complemented by close monitoring, extensive testing, and extensive contact tracing to keep the situation under control, while balancing the protection of lives and livelihoods.”
He added that the government has made “important moves” to restore economic and social activities, such as allowing more employees to return to their workplaces.
But to keep workplaces “safe” and “minimize overcrowding,” employees must continue to work from home for at least half of their work time, and no more than 50 percent of those employees should be in the workplace. working at the same time, he said. She said.
Work-related events, including conferences, seminars and meetings, can also be resumed, Gan added, but with a limit of 50 people.
In addition, the government has allowed up to 100 people to attend key life events, such as weddings and religious activities. However, they must be in multiple zones or time slots of a maximum of 50 people each.
Fitness classes have resumed, while movie theaters and entertainment attractions can now accommodate more people at once. Museums and libraries have also been reopened, and the Government is piloting small-scale live performances as proof of a progressive resumption on a larger scale.
LARGEST GROUP SIZES CONSIDERED
While the government is “particularly concerned” about the food, as people remove their masks to eat but also speak at the same time, it could consider allowing groups of more than five overall, Gan said.
“If we all continue to work together and keep our guard up even as more activities resume, we will be able to keep the pandemic under control and move towards greater openness of our economy and society on a consistent basis,” he said.
He added that the government had started pilot events and activities with a larger number of attendees, such as trade shows, conferences and religious services. If the pilots show they can “maintain effective precautions and safe distancing measures,” the government could allow more large-scale events to take place, he said.
Travel abroad will also be further opened, in a “safe and calibrated way.”
“As restrictions on traveling abroad are progressively eased and more activities resume, it has become even more critical that each of us do our part to exercise social responsibility and adhere to safe management measures, in order to keep our family and friends safe as we go. towards Phase 3, ”said Mr. Gan.
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