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SINGAPORE (The Straits Times / ANN): Singapore must deepen a long battle against the coronavirus outbreak, but will consider making the switch measures even easier in a month, if the situation improves, Parliament was informed Monday (4 of May).
“The fight is far from over. This battle against the virus is not a sprint; it’s a marathon, and we’re not even halfway there, “said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.
He was one of three ministers to issue statements on Singapore’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak on Monday in Parliament, where all MPs put on masks for the first time.
The ministers stressed that Singapore was not yet out of the woods, although some progress had been made.
Wong said: “If you’ve done a marathon, you know that the second half is usually more difficult than the first half, so we should expect more challenges ahead.”
He added that the government has taken a calibrated approach instead of imposing a “total closure”, since there are substantial social and economic costs to keep everyone at home.
“That is why we consider very carefully before deciding to implement the circuit breaker and then extend it for a month,” he said.
“In the end, we decided that we had to proceed with this move, to break the chain of transmission and slow the spread of the virus.”
He stressed that when some breaker measures are eased in the coming weeks, it should not be taken as a signal to go out further.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said circuit breaker measures could be further reduced in a month if the number of cases in the broader community remains low and those in migrant workers’ dormitories are clearly low. control.
The country also needs to dramatically increase its ability to detect the virus, Gan said, adding that there are plans to increase testing capacity to 40,000 per day from 8,000 now.
The government will analyze three factors before deciding what to do next, Gan said, adding: “The numbers are important but they are not the only thing.”
First, community transmission of the virus must be very low or stop completely. Cases of migrant dormitory workers should also be reduced, or the country risks this group spreading to the general population.
The authorities will then review transmission rates in other countries and the measures being taken there to contain the spread of the virus.
“For any reopening of our borders, we are likely to start small and selectively, and continue to impose a combination of isolation and testing requirements, to protect ourselves from new imported cases that lead to the spread of the community,” Gan said.
Finally, Singapore needs to establish a system to help it reopen safely. This implies increasing the testing capacity and localization of contacts in the country.
It will be “very difficult” to expand contact tracking quickly for large groups, and technology could be the key to this.
Gan warned that cases of infection are likely to continue to emerge in the community, even when the country is opened up in stages, as the virus is very difficult to eradicate.
“What is key is keeping the number of cases small and reducing the risk of large groups, through various safeguards and enablers,” added Gan.
“It will be a while before the Covid-19 outbreak subsides globally, or before a vaccine is available. Therefore, we will have to adapt to a new way of life and social interactions. “
On the economic front, Singapore holds the line given the $ 60 billion intended to save jobs and keep businesses afloat, said Human Resources Minister Josephine Teo.
He stressed that the standards for foreign worker dormitory housing have been raised over the years. But the government will have to review how people interact at home and in their workplaces, and this will include the dormitories of migrant workers.
“We are still in the thick of the battle. We must focus on controlling the outbreak and determining how we can get out of the circuit breaker and resume normal activities safely, “added Teo.
“When this is over, we will reflect and carefully analyze the areas where we could have done better, to be better prepared next time.” – The Straits Times / Asia News Network
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