Singapore’s handling of the Covid-19 situation is in the news again. The sudden spike in the number of cases and deaths were causes for concern. People around the globe are wondering what happened. I feel that as a Singaporean, maybe I should input my two cents worth of an insider’s point of view.
A disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor a virologist. The views expressed herein are my own, based on my understanding of the situation.
In the early stages of the pandemic, Singapore’s handling of the situation was touted to be exemplary. We didn’t have lockdowns. We had what we called a “circuit-breaker”. It differed from a lockdown in that essential services were carried on. And while everyone was advised to stay home, we are still allowed to go out for essential services. That worked out well. Infections were contained, and deaths were one of the lowest worldwide.
Just when we thought we had a grasp of what is going on, and beginning to ease restrictions, there came news that the Covid virus is able to mutate. New cases emerged and increased. So, it was back to restrictions. It was not a circuit-breaker this time.
We called it phase two heightened alert. An improvement over the circuit-breaker. Office workers worked from home, students studied from home. Non-essential services could open but the number of people in a group had to be strictly adhered to. People were advised not to go out unnecessarily. When you went out, masks were mandatory. And once again, we were able to contain the spread.
Earlier this year, vaccines came on the scene. The logical and sensible thing would be to get vaccinated. Initially, it was thought that once vaccinated we would not catch Covid. Unfortunately, the virus was also mutating and the new variant was even more deadly. But there was the consolation that those who were vaccinated and later infected with the new variant, would not suffer severe effects like those who were not vaccinated. Their symptoms were mild and many were asymptomatic.
During this time, other countries were talking of opening up. So, what was Singapore going to do? Lockdowns and circuit-breakers help to prevent the spread of the virus. But we can’t stay locked down forever. It is just not feasible. People have to earn a living. And even if they can still survive on their savings, they are getting tired of all the restrictions. At some point, we have to accept that the virus is going to be here to stay. And we have to live with the virus in our midst.
The Ministerial task force in charge of Covid-19 recommended that we could consider opening up if more than 80% of the citizens were vaccinated. Hence, vaccination was speeded up. First jab, second jab. And the target of 80% was reached. Next came the big move – opening up.
We are going out to be in the midst of the virus, or we are letting the virus come into our lives. The results could be quite unimaginable. Protocols had to be tweaked. People with mild symptoms or who are asymptomatic are allowed to rest and recover at home. There will be a task force keeping in contact with these people and monitoring their progress. This will free up hospital beds for those with serious symptoms and those who are seriously ill.
As forecast, the rise in numbers of infections was immediate. Every day, there were more and more people infected. This was expected, and the numbers are also within expectations. The next two months will be crucial. Will we win, or do we have to go back to the drawing board, and a circuit-breaker again? Fingers crossed.
Understandably, for a country with a low number of deaths and infections to suddenly have so many new infections a day, and also show a marked increase in the number of deaths, people were beginning to wonder what went wrong.
However, all that has been happening is that we are being shown just how good our protective measures were, but as we have to move away from such restrictive controls, this is the price that has to be paid to do so. The present levels are within expectations, and will fall back before long. At that point we will still have some of the lowest rates of Covid casualties in the world.
So, that in a nutshell is what is happening in Singapore at the moment.
The following is taken from the government site. https://www.gov.sg/features/covid-19
"Over the last 28 days, of the infected individuals, 98.5% have mild or no symptoms, 1.2% requires oxygen supplementation, 0.1% required ICU care and 0.2% has died."
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