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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the nation on May 31, 2021 to talk about the resurging Covid-19 situation in the country.

In his speech, PM Lee stressed that testing for Covid-19 needs to be done "faster, and more liberally and extensively".

This will enable Singapore to detect Covid-19 cases more quickly, explained PM Lee.

Various Covid-19 tests available

He spoked about the different Covid-19 tests that have become available, such as the antigen rapid tests (ART), saliva tests, breathalysers, wastewater surveillance, and sniffer dogs.

Singapore has been using some of these tests, said PM Lee, and are evaluating others.

These tests produce results faster than the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests that Singapore has mostly relied on.

They are also cheaper and easier to administer.

However, PM Lee highlighted that they are less sensitive than PCR tests and may miss some cases that are actually Covid-19 positive.

DIY test coming "soon"

PM Lee also said over-the-counter DIY tests at pharmacies can be purchased "soon".

He added that these DIY tests are simple to use, and are not uncomfortable.

PM Lee said:

"You can administer these on your own if you are worried that you may have Covid-19 and want to put your mind at ease, or if you are a frontline worker, and want to test yourself frequently or even daily."

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Top image from Unsplash for illustrative purposes only.