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SINGAPORE – Phase 3 of the country’s reopening in the wake of Covid-19 could last a year or more, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliament on Wednesday (November 4).
Ms Cheng Li Hui (Tampines GRC) had asked about phase 3, including the factors that are taken into account when deciding the maximum number of people allowed for various events, what safeguards will be put in place when activities resume on a larger scale, and what could happen if the cases were to increase again.
In response, Gan reiterated that phase 3, which Singapore could move to at the end of the year if the virus remains under control here, would not be a return to the days before Covid.
It would last until the rest of the world has the virus under tight control or effective treatments or vaccines are widely available, he added.
This means that measures must be put in place to allow everyone to be safe as they continue to live, work, and mark major life events.
Gan said group size limits depend on factors such as how often an activity takes place, the potential risks it has, and whether additional security measures can be implemented to mitigate those risks.
Pointing to the large clusters of Covid-19 cases that had formed during events like the Safra Jurong dinner and the Mei Hwan Drive Chinese New Year gathering, Gan said: “The probability of transmission tends to be high in social settings. .. (as) it is natural to lower our guard when we are among family and friends. “
He noted that eating in a group increases the risk of transmission, as masks are removed while eating and drinking.
“Many of us go out to eat almost every day, and with different groups, the risk is multiplied many times over. So we have taken a cautious approach in expanding group sizes,” he said.
Authorities are considering increasing the group size limits from five to eight in phase 3.
Gan said that before the pandemic, banquet tables used to seat about 10 people, so the new limit of eight is the maximum such tables can take while at the same time allowing for additional safe distancing.
He noted that gatherings of any size pose a risk of Covid-19 transmission, but at the same time, it is “not sustainable or desirable” to ban social gatherings for a long period of time.
Allowing gatherings of up to eight people in phase 3 will strike a balance between maintaining a safe distance and allowing larger groups to meet, he said.
He added that larger groups can be allowed in settings where safe handling measures can be implemented.
These include weddings, which are still considered high risk and have spawned groupings around the world.
Gan noted that there have been requests to increase the limit on the number of participants in the wedding. Therefore, additional measures have already been implemented, including preventing guests from mixing beyond groups of five at their tables and ensuring that they use SafeEntry and TraceTogether.
“This allows more family and friends to participate, while still minimizing the total number of interactions,” he said.
Testing and contact tracing are the two keys to allowing more activities to resume, the minister said.
On testing, he said pre-event testing is being tested to allow higher-risk activities, such as weddings, to be safely scaled up, by reducing the chance of a Covid-19 case being present at the event.
But because the rapid antigen test kits used for pre-event testing are not as accurate as polymerase chain reaction tests, they cannot completely eliminate the possibility that a Covid-19 case is in. an event. Therefore, safe management measures should still be observed.
On contact tracing, Gan said authorities are progressively implementing TraceTogether-only SafeEntry to ensure that all those who visit places where they are likely to be in contact with many others for extended periods, or where human trafficking is high, have the App or TraceTogether token.
This will help speed up contact tracing efforts and provide early medical attention to anyone who becomes infected.
He added that safe distance ambassadors and law enforcement officers will continue to be deployed.
“Our goal in phase 3 is to achieve a stable state of permitted economic and social activities until an effective vaccine or treatment is widely available. If we can put in place more facilitators and risk mitigation measures that allow for further reopening and expansion of activities, we will. On the other hand, when conditions get worse, we will also take specific measures, “Gan said.
He added: “If there is an increase in cases, we must respond quickly and decisively. We cannot rule out the need to re-impose measures or introduce new measures to keep the virus under control.”
Calling for continued vigilance, he said: “To continue on our consistent path to phase 3, each of us must do our part to adhere to safe handling measures, maintain good personal hygiene, and actively participate in the TraceTogether program. Together , we will make it reach phase 3 and finally emerge stronger. “
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