A marathon not a sprint: PM Lee reminds S'poreans to keep guard up even after CB ends

Constant vigilance.

Ashley Tan | June 01, 2020, 08:22 PM

Phase 1 of Singapore's safe reopening—as well as the end of a nearly two month circuit breaker—will be starting tomorrow, June 2.

If you're unsure of what the coming phases entail, here's a brief summary of what will be reopening, and what you can and cannot do in Singapore.

End of CB is a "big relief" but there are risks

In preparation for what will likely be more people out and about, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook to issue some reminders.

PM Lee said that the end of circuit breaker is likely a "big relief to all", but still entails risks.

"Covid-19 is far from defeated", he said, and although many are looking forward to regaining some sense of normalcy and seeing schoolmates and parents, all in Singapore should remain cautious and vigilant.

Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong previously warned that the number of Covid-19 cases in the community will probably rise once circuit breaker measures are rolled back.

However, if the country's reopening is done in a careful manner, even if cases in the community go up, it will rise "slowly" and remain under control, Wong said.

The government will also step up its contact tracing and quarantine efforts to minimise the risk of transmission in the community and minimise the risk of large clusters being formed.

A marathon

As such, PM Lee urged Singaporeans to keep their guard up, and continue to safe distance, maintain good hygiene and avoid crowds and gatherings.

This is to avoid the possibility of a second wave of infections and circuit breaker measures being enforced again, the latter of which is something Health Minister Gan Kim Yong posited should Singapore become "complacent".

"We don’t want COVID-19 cases to spike up again, and be forced to tighten up once more," PM Lee said.

PM Lee also compared the pandemic to a "marathon, not a sprint", referencing the slow and progressive easing of measures instead of lifting them all at once.

He said that life would not return back to pre-circuit breaker even after a Covid-19 vaccine is found.

"Even after a vaccine is found, everything will not simply go back to the way it was before. COVID-19 has exposed how vulnerable our way of life is. But it has also given us the opportunity to prove our mettle, and come back stronger."

PM Lee ended off by thanking everyone for their part in ensuring Singapore is able to safely reopen, and urged the people to continue to be conscientious to not let the sacrifices of frontline workers go to waste.

You can read his full post here.

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Top photo from NEA / FB