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More than 100,000 people will be receiving national recognition for their contributions and sacrifices towards Singapore’s fight against Covid-19, announced the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Dec. 29.

Special Covid-19 awards

"These State Awards honour all those who have done their duty and more to fight Covid-19," said PMO.

The National Awards (Covid-19) will be awarded to around 9,500 individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the national fight against Covid-19.

These include about 4,000 individuals from the public healthcare sector, 4,500 from the public sector, and about 900 from the private and people sectors.

Over 480 teams will also receive the President’s Certificate of Commendation.

"The number and spread of individuals receiving awards reflect how the fight against Covid-19 has been a whole-of-nation effort – including those who provided medical care, surveillance and testing, organised the vaccination drive, oversaw safe distancing, ran dormitory operations and ensured our economic, supply chain and social resilience," said PMO.

The awards was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the National Day Rally this year.

PM Lee mentioned that PMO will announce the awards list at the end of the year, and will hold the award ceremonies next year to thank everyone properly in person.

The full list of recipients for the National Awards (Covid-19) is available on the PMO website.

Kenneth Mak among three recipients for top award

There are nine categories for the award, the apex of which is the Meritorious Service Medal (Covid-19).

Kenneth Mak Seck Wai, associate professor and director of medical services at the Ministry of Health (MOH), is one of the three recipients for the top award.

As chief medical advisor, Mak advised the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) and other government agencies in crafting the overall strategy for managing the outbreak.

He also oversaw the public health response to combat the spread of Covid-19 in the community.

"He was a familiar face at MTF press conferences, as well as in many engagement sessions with healthcare professionals and community partners. His steady and calm presence reassured the public and reinforced the public’s trust in the Government’s handling of the pandemic," said PMO.

Mak said that it was "truly a great honour" to receive the award, adding that Singapore's greater Covid-19 resilience is in no small way due to the healthcare professionals' efforts.

The other two recipients are Pang Kin Keong, chairman of the Homefront Crisis Executive Group (HCEG) and permanent secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Tan Chong Meng, lead for Temasek's Community Care Facilities Taskforce and group CEO of PSA International.

Pang's "leadership was an example of grace under pressure. He coordinated a whole-of-Government response to Covid-19, to keep Singaporeans safe, and the economy and society resilient," a press release from the Public Service Division (PSD) said.

On Tan, PMO noted that he "helped to ensure that Singapore's supply chains withstood the numerous global and local disruptions" caused by Covid-19.

Thousands recognised for their contributions

A new national award, the Covid-19 Resilience Medal (CRM), will be awarded to those who participated directly in the national fight against Covid-19.

About 99,000 individuals and 800 teams will receive the CRM and Covid-19 Resilience Certificate (CRC).

The recipients are those whose contributions and sacrifices saw Singapore through the pandemic, and their names will be announced at a later date.

Top images via MCI and TTSH on Facebook.