Remember a while back when we entered phase 2 and a select few ministers did national broadcasts on Covid-19? Amid all the politicking this season, we thought we’d bring you a refresher on what they spoke about pre-elections.
Singapore has successfully stabilised the situation in migrant worker dormitories and community cases have been down significantly. While the impact of COVID is cushioned with 4 budget packages, Singapore cannot be closed indefinitely. A phased approach is therefore opted to reopen Singapore safely. However, life will not return to what it was before the circuit breaker.
Travel
The government will be carefully easing travel restrictions by creating “green lanes” with selected countries. Currently, travel is only limited to essential travel for work reasons. It will take some time before international travel can recover significantly.
Contact Tracing
As more activities are resumed, there will be more human contact thus more opportunities for the virus to spread. Singapore should be prepared to see more cases. If the number of cases rises sharply, opening up will have to slow down and restrictions may be tightened.
In these 2 months of circuit breaker, Singapore has improved our ability to control infection by increasing capacity and speed of contact tracing.
- Contact tracing team now includes personnel from police and SAF.
- Technology is used to speed up contact tracing (Safe Entry and Trace Together). A wearable Bluetooth device to allow contact tracing without a phone is currently under development.
- Testing capacity has increased with more test kits, more laboratory capacity and more laboratory personnel to carry out swab tests and take blood samples.
- Other methods of detection are also explored such as testing for virus from wastewater and using serology tests (to identify those who were infected but have since recovered and had developed antibodies to fight the virus).
ECB is currently in discussion with pharmaceutical companies to produce vaccines in Singapore. When a vaccine is available, every Singaporean that needs it will get it at an affordable price. However, vaccine development is difficult, and it will take a long time before the vaccine is ready for mass distribution.
Everyone should do our part in our fight against COVID
Our mindset and behaviour are critical in our fight against COVID. Everyone should practice social distancing, uphold good personal hygiene, wash hands regularly, wear a mask wherever you go, avoid big crowds and see a doctor immediately when you are sick.
Businesses
Businesses have to shift towards flexible work arrangements such as working from home, staggered work hours and split team arrangements. Building designs have to change to improve ventilation and reduce risk of transmission in enclosed buildings. Furthermore, business will have to find new and safer ways to deliver products. It is therefore important to adopt digital technology.
Construction Industry
Construction industry has been a key vulnerability in this crisis. There will have to be new safeguards at worksites and a greater push for automation and productivity to reduce reliance on migrant workers.
Workers in the construction industry, both local and foreign, will have to be tested regularly. New dorms that are more resilient against infections have to be built. However, communal living spaces will always be at risk of infectious disease outbreak, be they dormitories, nursing homes or cruise ships.
Extra cost for the construction industry will be borne by the government in the Fortitude Budget.
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