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A recent household of five Covid-19 cases from two households is a sign that it is still critical for Singaporeans to continue safe practices, at least until there is a viable vaccine, experts warned.
The Health Ministry said on Sunday (August 30) that it is investigating whether there was any violation of the safe distancing rules that led to the family group.
Increasingly, Singaporeans have let their guard down, and gatherings, such as celebrating a 20-person birthday at four tables in a restaurant, are not uncommon.
But the sad reality is that things can get better slowly and they can also get worse very quickly, Professor Dale Fisher, an infectious disease expert at National University Hospital, told The Straits Times.
“The public must have a long-term vision, and if individuals or groups decide to have their own set of rules, they can put the entire community at risk.”
The current practices of having no more than five in a group, wearing masks, and maintaining a safe distance have served Singapore well and kept the country safe, and if people believed in these practices previously, they should continue to do so and not allow the established fatigue, Professor Fisher added.
He said the country must remain united against infractions.
“If the number of cases increases, the government may have to increase the restrictions and everyone will lose some freedom because of a few.”
Professor Teo Yik Ying, Dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore, said: “Until we have confidence that Singapore will no longer see chains of infections from the community, individuals, employers and businesses. they should continue to maintain security management measures. “
He said the recent cluster was particularly concerning, as at least one of the confirmed cases was still active in the community while showing symptoms.
All it would take is one unfortunate incident to seed a large group and ignite chains of infection that quickly lead to widespread community transmission. This would take much more effort and time to contain, he warned.
As the country experiments with the relaxation of some border restrictions, there is an even greater need for each individual to keep their guard up and maintain discipline on wearing masks, safe distancing and limiting large gatherings, he stressed.
An increase in community cases at the local level could also make travel by other countries difficult for Singaporeans, Professor Fisher noted.
There are signs that everything may not be easy if people don’t stay alert, he said, pointing to the sight of crowded malls.
“It is important not to create crowds, as that environment could see a blockbuster event. There are so many people and safe distancing is not possible. Of course, our numbers are still good, but what makes the numbers go up is bad behavior. such as overcrowding and lack of safe distancing. “
With phase two, which began on June 19, extending beyond two months, it is also important that Singaporeans do not get too greedy in wanting a faster pace of easing of restrictions, said Professor Fisher. “Nothing has changed, the virus is still there and we are still vulnerable. People should be happy that our numbers are low and we have good freedoms.”
Relaxation of the rules also depends on factors beyond the large number of people in a group, said associate professor Alex Cook, vice dean for research at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
Things like the size of a space, the proximity of people in it, the level of ventilation and whether there will be food, loud conversation, or singing all play a role in determining the level of risk, he noted.
It’s difficult to capture all the nuances in one general rule, he reflected.
“So the tension in increasing the size of the social group to more than five is the need to guess how people will behave once the change occurs. People are complicated, much more than viruses,” he noted.
However, despite the persistence of community cases, Singapore remains in a good position, said Professor Cook.
“The two most important things to avoid exceeding are the capacity of our intensive care unit and the capacity of our contact tracing teams. At the current level of transmission, neither is an immediate threat.”
Since Covid-19 is a new normal that everyone must adapt to, being able to deal with a certain level of fatigue would be critical, the experts noted.
“The reality is, until we are able to go about our daily lives without having to wear a mask or worry about safe distancing and SafeEntry, there will always be a degree of fatigue that one will feel, and it is something that we must collectively address to. avoid a resurgence in the community, “said Professor Teo.
A positive side of the family group would be to view it as a test of the overall system, from tracing and testing to contact isolation.
“If the system is activated efficiently, we should see that perhaps a few more linked cases emerge during the quarantine period and then the chain ends,” said Professor Teo.
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