Politics

Covid-19: Effectiveness of 'circuit breaker' will show over time like in other countries, says PM Lee


Fri, Apr 10, 2020 – 6:32 PM

SINGAPORE’S “circuit breaker” measures can be effective in slowing down Covid-19 infections over time if taken seriously, as they did in other countries which adopted similarly stringent moves after a surge in new cases, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday. 

Appearing in a Facebook video on Friday, the prime minister cited his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, who had told him that New Zealand also implemented a stringent lockdown and only saw new cases coming down on Day 11. 

Countries like China and South Korea have also taken similarly tough measures and managed to slow down a surge in infections after some time, Mr Lee said.

He therefore urged the public to be patient, yet resolute in terms of taking the “circuit breaker” measures seriously. 

“I know the measures are very inconvenient. They also come at high cost to our economy. But the more strictly we observe the restrictions, the faster they will work, and the sooner we can ease up on them,” the prime minister said.

“If some of us fail to comply strictly with the measures, the ‘circuit breaker’ will fail, then all our inconvenience, pain and sacrifice will have been in vain. Covid-19 is very contagious. It only takes a few people to let down their guard, and the virus will slip through. We need everyone to play their part.”

This is especially important given the recent spike in local Covid-19 cases, where many are unlinked cases that the government is unable to trace. It means that the persons who infected them are probably still out there, and still infecting more people, Mr Lee said. 

The prime minister also appealed to older Singaporeans like himself to stay at home, as older people are more vulnerable to the virus: “Our chances of dying are much higher, and if we get infected and spread the virus to our friends around our age, or bring the virus back home to our families, then, we put them in grave danger.”

If possible, Singaporeans should also try not to visit between households, close kin or even elderly parents who live alone, although there is some flexibility in the law to accommodate such situations, Mr Lee stressed. It is to protect the seniors, as well as other people in Singapore. 

On Thursday, 287 new coronavirus cases were recorded locally, with seven in 10 linked to clusters at foreign worker dormitories. A new cluster at another dormitory, Shaw Lodge in Tai Seng, was also found.

A fifth foreign worker dormitory – Tampines Dormitory – was declared an isolation area under the Infectious Diseases Act by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday night. 

Mr Lee said the government is paying “close attention” to the welfare of the foreign workers, who have played an important part in building the country’s infrastructure. The government has worked with their employers to make sure they will be paid their salaries, and can remit money home. 

Aside from Singapore, the Covid-19 pandemic has also wrought havoc across the world. Globally, the latest figures show almost 100,000 deaths out of 1.6 million infections, led by US (468,000 cases), Spain (153,000), Italy (140,000), Germany (118,000) and France (120,000). China’s infection numbers have stabilised at about 82,000.





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