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Singapore will be able to move into Phase 2 of Covid-19 measures before the end of the month if conditions remain stable, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on Tuesday, June 9.
However, he re-emphasised that even as Singapore begins to reopen its economy, Singaporeans cannot simply go back to life before circuit breaker, as the vast majority of the population has still not been exposed to the virus, and continue to be vulnerable to the disease.
Wong spoke in the second of a series of scheduled national televised broadcast addresses made by Singapore's key leaders — the first being made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday.
Phase 2 is widely-anticipated by many Singaporeans, who are looking forward to a broader range of activities resuming, including social interactions and family visits in small groups of not more than five people.
The theme of Wong's broadcast is "Living with Covid-19", and his will be followed by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
In his address on Sunday (June 7), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned Singaporeans that Covid-19 is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, and that Singaporeans will have to learn to live with it for the long term.
Must be mentally prepared for more cases as activities are resumed
In his speech, Wong said the strict measures and restrictions imposed in Singapore over the past few months to combat the Covid-19 pandemic have been effective, but came at a high price, citing the four Budget packages that were introduced in recent months.
The Singapore government committed a total of S$92.9 billion to its Covid-19 response, out of the total S$193 billion spent across the four budgets.
He said that in order to prioritise both lives and livelihoods, Singapore cannot remain closed indefinitely, and must take a phased approach to re-open safely.
However, he emphasised that even as Singapore begins to re-open its economy, Singaporeans cannot simply go back to life before circuit breaker, as the vast majority of the population have not been exposed to the virus, and are still vulnerable to the disease.
"As we resume more activities, there will be more human contact and more opportunities for the virus to spread. So we must be mentally prepared to see more cases," said Wong.
He warned that the same has happened in many other places that exited from their respective lockdowns, and therefore, we "must expect it to happen here too".
Singapore on track to reach 40,000 Covid-19 tests a day in the coming months
Therefore, Wong said, Singapore's ability to keep the infection across the island under control as we reopen our country's activities and economy is "critical".
Expanding testing capacity
He noted that Singapore has expanded its testing capacity "hugely" by procuring more test-kits, building more laboratory capacity, recruiting and training more laboratory technicians, as well as more personnel to carry out swab tests and take blood samples.
We've scaled up from about 2,000 tests a day in early April to about 13,000 tests daily currently, and are on track to reaching 40,000 tests a day in coming months, he added.
"This expanded testing capacity is critical. It means that we can test higher-risk groups more extensively. We can also do more surveillance testing in the community, including those with respiratory symptoms. This will give us a faster and more accurate sense of the number of cases circulating undetected."
Studying waste water samples for viral fragments
In addition, Singapore is also deploying other means of Covid-19 detection, such as extracting waste water from manholes to test for viral fragments.
This, Wong said, provides an additional indicator to tell whether a specific group, such as those living in a dormitory, has infected individuals amongst them.
The government is also conducting serology tests, which help to identify those who were previously infected and have since recovered, in order to detect antibodies that may help fight the virus.
The world is working towards a vaccine, but it is unlikely to be ready soon
While aggressive testing and contact tracing helps to control the spread of the virus in the long run, a vaccine remains an important part of the solution.
According to Wong, there is a massive global effort to develop a vaccine, which Singapore is part of.
"We have a pharmaceutical industry, and research capabilities in biomedical science. EDB is also discussing with pharmaceutical companies to manufacture vaccines in Singapore. If and when a vaccine becomes available, we will make sure that every Singaporean who needs it gets it, at an affordable price."
However, he also said that drug and vaccine development is very challenging work, with no guarantee that the drugs currently undergoing clinical trials will be effective.
And despite the intensive international efforts, it will take a long time for any vaccine to be ready and available for mass distribution.
Hence, Singapore needs to be realistic and prepare for more challenging times, said Wong.
He said that the virus is unlikely to go away, and that the Singapore population will continue to be vulnerable for a long time.
"We must therefore adapt to Covid-19, and learn to live with it over the long-term. This does not depend upon government actions alone. Every one of us — government, businesses and individuals — must do our part."
Singapore may have to face another circuit breaker if Singaporeans are lax in personal precautions
Wong said that to combat the spread of Covid-19, people's behaviour and mindsets are critical.
He advised Singaporeans to remain disciplined and vigilant, and to practice social responsibility in upholding good personal hygiene and safe distancing measures.
This includes washing hands regularly, wearing masks when outside, avoiding big gatherings and crowded places, and seeing a doctor immediately when one is sick.
These are steps that everyone can take to protect themselves and their loved ones, said Wong, citing Denmark and New Zealand as successful examples of a safe and sustainable re-opening.
On the other hand, if Singaporeans are lax in their personal precautions, Wong warned that new cases and clusters will multiply quickly, and Singapore may have to face "another circuit breaker down the road".
Construction sector is a "key vulnerability"
In his speech, Wong highlighted the construction sector as a "key vulnerability" during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The industry will need to institute new safeguards at worksites, and make extra effort to reduce its reliance on migrant workers by pushing for more automation and productivity.
Both foreign and local workers in the construction industry will have to be tested for Covid-19 regularly, and the government will need to "review and improve" living arrangements for migrant workers.
He said the government will tighten the safeguards and build new dormitories designed to be more resilient against infection risks, but warned that the risks will always remain even with the new improvements, as large numbers of workers continue to live together and share communal facilities.
Wong said all communal living spaces, including dormitories, nursing homes and cruise ships will always be at risk in an event of an infectious diseases outbreak such as Covid-19.
He warned that these changes will mean extra costs for the construction industry, which are currently borne through the Fortitude Budget.
According to Wong, the government will introduce new measures to cushion the impact, in order to allow the industry to move to new productivity levels.
"I have no doubt that this will be a very difficult transition. But I assure everyone in the industry that we will work closely with you to get through this difficult patch, and to emerge stronger from this experience."
"This is not the time for big celebrations or parties"
Wong acknowledged that many Singaporeans are likely looking forward to resuming their favourite activities, or going back to their usual routines, but warned that reopening the economy and society "does not mean going back to the status quo ante".
"Ultimately, reopening our economy and society does not mean going back to the status quo ante. I know many are looking forward to resume your favourite activities or to get back to your usual routines. But this is not the time for big celebrations or parties. We will all need to adjust our expectations, lifestyles and norms."
Far from despairing in these difficult times, Wong said that adversity has brought out the best in Singaporeans, both individually and collectively.
He said that Singaporeans from all walks of life have been going out of their comfort zones to help those in need, and that businesses have also been learning forward to help, by donating masks and supplies to those in need.
While he acknowledged that there is "no guaranteed formula for success", he said that he is confident that Singaporeans will be able to prevail over Covid-19 by facing the challenges together.
"This is the Singapore spirit that gives us the confidence to press ahead, no matter how tough the odds," said Wong.
Top image courtesy of MCI.