Singapore’s response to COVID-19
I was recently speaking to my friend who is currently doing her full-time master’s program at an overseas university. She started her program in July last year and due to the COVID-19 situation has not been able to attend any physical classes so far due to the high number of cases in her country. She was surprised to hear that I currently have 100% physical classes at SMU for my MBA. Reflecting on this, I realized how grateful I am to live in Singapore during this global pandemic.
Singapore has been one of the leaders in handling the COVID-19 situation. So far, there have been 61,179 cases out of which 60,765 have been recovered and the daily active cases are low. Thank you to the Singapore government and healthcare staff for keeping us safe. Singapore implemented a phased approach and took a proactive approach in handling the COVID-19 situation using the measures below:
1) Early detection and phased approach- Singapore detected the first case in early Feb 2020 and the government set a three-phased plan to ensure the cases can be controlled.
· Phrase 1- 7th April-1st June 2020: This initial strict 1 month 3 weeks lockdown helped to reduce the spread of COVID-19 cases. All non-essential workplace moved to work from home, schools changed to remote learning, it was compulsory to wear masks from 14th April with $300 fine for breaking rules and it’s only possible to takeaway food from restaurants
· Phrase 2- 15th June- 27th Dec 2020- After almost a 2 months circuit breaker, Singapore eased the restrictions slightly to allow gatherings of up to 5 people, and retail businesses can operate. Anyone who breaks this rule can have their Singapore pass revoked, huge fines, or jail.
· Phrase 3- 28th Dec 2020- present- As the number of cases was controlled, Singapore moved to phase 3 where gatherings increased from 5 to 8 people, physical university classes, and an increase in the number of worship services. It is still compulsory to wear masks wherever we go and follow rules and we should continue to do that. Those who break the 8 person-gathering rule face hard consequences.
2) Contact tracing: Singapore created a trace-together app where all residents need to check-in when entering any place. This helps identify contacts that were near those affected by COVID-19 and control the spread earlier on.
3) Communications: Public health communications were transparent and frequent with WhatsApp daily broadcast on the number of cases and recommendations as well as the Prime minister addressing the nation multiple times.
4) Distribution of reusable masks: Around April 2020, Singapore had distributed around 3 million reusable masks to the public. After that, there have been 3 other masks distributions from more than 1100 vending machines at over 800 locations
5) Vaccinations: Residents who are aged 45 and older can register to get the vaccinations. More than 1.3M people in Singapore have received the first dose and 800K received the second dose. It is estimated that by June if things go according to plan, residents aged below 45 can also register and choose the vaccination that suits them more based on location and other factors (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna)
Singapore has created a strong template that other countries can follow to reduce the COVID-19 spread. This would not be possible without the tight reinforcement and residents following rules.
I would also like to thank my employer PayPal for taking care of the well-being and safety of employees globally and declaring work from home since March 2020, much before the government announcement. Even though 75% of the workforce in Singapore can return to work, PayPal is still ensuring safety, and the majority of employees are still working from home.
Please take care and stay safe! Together, we shall overcome this.
