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With Chinese New Year just around the corner, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong have published a reminder for all in Singapore to continue being careful.

In a video posted on Saturday (Jan. 29), the co-chairs of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce laid out several tips on how to stay safe.

Four things people can do keep loved ones safe

Ong acknowledged that many people are looking forward to visiting their families, but reminded people of the continued presence of Covid-19 and the Omicron variant in particular:

"[...] we're in the middle of the Omicron wave, and we expect the cases to rise sharply. Although we know it is less severe than Delta, our vulnerable can still fall severely ill if they are infected."

He and Wong shared several things that people can do to keep their loved ones safe.

Firstly, people should follow the existing safe management measures and limit gatherings to groups of five.

Secondly, those who are unwell should not go out.

"You can always meet with your family and friends virtually online," Wong said.

"Don't even test negative and go out," Ong added, explaining that it might still be possible to infect loved ones in that case.

Thirdly, people should test themselves for Covid-19 before meeting vulnerable individuals, such as seniors, unvaccinated people, or those with severe illness like cancer or diabetes.

Ong added: "Or, you can always meet them through Zoom."

Finally, Ong reminded people of the content of Chinese New Year snacks:

"This is the season where we eat a lot of Chinese New Year goodies. [...] They contain a lot of salt, sugar, and fat. So, eat in moderation. Don't say don't eat. Eat in moderation."

Exercising social responsibility

"If we all do our part and exercise personal responsibility, we can have a meaningful and safe New Year celebration," Wong stated.

Ong encouraged everyone to work together to "ride through this Omicron wave".

You can watch the full message here:

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Top photo via Lawrence Wong/Ong Ye Kung's Facebook page