Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that Singaporeans need to plan for a possible spike in Covid-19 cases, but assures Singaporeans that the situation in Singapore remains under control.

"We are not going to DORSCON Red. We are not locking down our city like the Chinese, South Koreans or Italians have done.

What we are doing now is to plan ahead for some of these more stringent measures, try them out, and prepare Singaporeans for when we actually need to implement them."

This is the second time PM Lee is addressing the Singaporean public on the Covid-19 outbreak.

He first spoke about the Covid-19 situation about five weeks ago.

WHO has declared Covid-19 to be a pandemic

According to PM Lee, most new cases in Singapore have either travelled overseas, or can be traced to imported cases.

He said that Singapore has been able to isolate, conduct contact tracing and quarantine the close contacts of these cases, ensuring that local numbers do not blow up.

However, he also acknowledged that Singapore has not been able to eradicate the virus yet.

At the same time, PM Lee also said that the number of cases is rising rapidly worldwide, in regions such as Europe, America and the Middle East.

Although China's situation is stabilising, the global number of cases is doubling every five to seven days.

"Hence today, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Covid-19 to be a pandemic," said PM Lee.

Covid-19 outbreak will continue for a year, maybe longer

PM Lee said that countries such as South Korea and Italy are facing full blown outbreaks of Covid-19, with sustained community transmission.

"The WHO named one key reason for the rapid spread: many countries had not taken the situation seriously enough - what the WHO called 'alarming levels of inaction'", said PM Lee.

He also said that unlike SARS, the Covid-19 outbreak will continue for a year, or possibly longer.

Singaporeans cannot completely shut themselves from the world

Although the WHO praised Singapore's efforts in tackling Covid-19, and held Singapore up as an example, he said that Singapore faces a serious situation.

PM Lee said that Singapore should expect more imported cases, and therefore new clusters and new waves of infection.

He also said that these are likely to come from many countries, rather than one or two.

PM Lee said that despite existing travel restrictions on countries such as China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, Singapore cannot adopt an isolationist stance.

"We will have to tighten up further temporarily, although we cannot completely shut ourselves off from the world," he said.

PM Lee said that to prepare for the longevity of the Covid-19 crisis, Singaporeans need to adopt good habits, such as practicing good personal hygiene, adopting new social norms and discouraging large gatherings.

"This is the reason why the government has scaled down community activities, especially for the seniors", he said.

Religion is not the issue, but Covid-19 can spread quickly in crowded settings

PM Lee also sought Singaporeans' understanding, as religious services may need to be shortened, or attendance may need to be reduced at such gatherings.

This is because of the widespread cases of Covid-19 found within two church groups in Singapore, which formed two of Singapore's big clusters.

He also cited the cases spread through the Shincheonji church group in South Korea, and several Singaporeans who attended a big religious gathering in Kuala Lumpur recently, who caught the virus.

"The issue is of course not religion itself, but that the virus can spread quickly to many people in crowded settings, like religious gatherings and services," said PM Lee.

With large numbers, Singapore may not be able to hospitalise every case

PM Lee also warned Singaporeans to prepare for a possible spike in Covid-19 cases, and that if numbers reach a critical mass, Singapore will not be able to hospitalise and isolate every case, as is done now.

However, he also said that 80 per cent of Covid-19 patients only experience mild symptoms, and that those who are most at risk are the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions, such as high blood pressure or lung problems.

PM Lee said that with larger numbers, the sensible thing to do is to hospitalise only the more serious cases, in order to focus resources on the seriously ill.

This will speed up Singapore's response time, and hopefully minimise the number of fatalities, he said.

PM Lee reassured Singaporeans that the government is freeing up ICU and hospital beds and facilities, in order to create additional capacity, and that those who need treatment will get it.

"But rest assured, any Singaporean who needs urgent medical care, whether for Covid-19 or other illnesses, will be taken care of," he said.

Economy will take a big hit

PM Lee said that Singapore's economy is "taking a big hit".

Hence, the Government is working on a second package of measures.

PM Lee assured Singaporeans that the government will help Singapore companies with their costs and cash-flow, help our workers keep their jobs, and retrain during their downtime.

The government will also give those who are retrenched and unemployed, as well as their families, an extra helping hand to see through this difficult period.

Every S'porean has a part to play

PM Lee said that while the government has anticipated the medical and economic consequences, what is also critical is the psychological aspect of this fight against Covid-19.

PM Lee noted that the frontline staff are working extremely hard to keep Singapore going and Singaporeans are cheering them on.

PM Lee also noted that the Government, for its part, has been open and transparent with our plans.

PM Lee expressed his gratitude that most Singaporeans are responding calmly and responsibly to the situation, and he thanked Singaporeans for their trust and support.

PM concluded with encouraging words for all Singaporeans,

"Singapore’s response has received international accolades. Underlying this is the social and psychological resilience of our people. What makes Singapore different from other countries is that we have confidence in each other, we feel that we are all in this together, and we do not leave anyone behind...In such a crisis, everyone has a part to play. I hope you will work with me and colleagues to keep our families safe, keep Singapore secure, and move forward together."

Top photo from Ministry of Communications and Information.