MINISTERIAL STATEMENT BY MR LAWRENCE WONG, CO-CHAIR OF THE MULTI-MINISTRY TASKFORCE ON COVID-19, ON ‘SECOND UPDATE ON WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO COVID-19’, 4 MAY 2020 Mr Speaker Sir 1 During our last update to Parliament, I said that the situation was uncertain and fluid, and that we would have to expect daily changes. Indeed, over the past month, our battle against COVID-19 has escalated sharply. We’ve ramped up our resources significantly in response to the challenges. Today, we are continuing to fight the virus on two main fronts. Update on Current Situation 2 First, we are doing all we can to control the serious outbreak amongst migrant workers in the dormitories, and to take care of these workers. We have had a huge spike in cases at the dormitories. The infection is mostly concentrated amongst workers in the construction sector. We now know that the transmission amongst this group has been happening for some time, and occurred not just in the dormitories, but also in common worksites and in places that they went to with their friends after work and on their rest days. That is why we have had clusters outside of the dormitories too – amongst construction workers living in shop-houses and private apartments. 3 To determine the extent of the spread, we have undertaken extensive testing amongst these workers. Many of the workers have very mild symptoms, and they sometimes brush this aside as a very mild cold. So we are testing not just the workers who report sick, but also those that are asymptomatic and well. This intensive testing explains the large numbers that we are still picking up amongst migrant workers in the dormitories, and we expect this to continue for a few more weeks. 4 To minimise the risks of spread to the wider community, we have stopped the movement of workers in and out of all dormitories, and put the construction workers living outside the dormitories on a stay-home requirement. At the same time, we have implemented a comprehensive set of support measures to look after the health, well-being and welfare of these workers, which Minister Josephine Teo will elaborate on later. 5 We are very mindful of our responsibility to these migrant workers who have contributed so much to Singapore We will continue to ensure that they get the care and support they need. 6 The second major front is in suppressing the spread of the virus in the community, through the circuit breaker. We implemented the circuit breaker on 7 April; two weeks later, on 21 April, we tightened the circuit breaker measures, and also extended it to 1 June. Page 1 of 8 7 We know the restrictions have not been easy and have created considerable inconveniences. But Singaporeans have been resilient and have taken all these in your stride. For this, we want to thank everyone for doing their part. 8 Through our collective efforts, we are now seeing some results – daily infection numbers have started to come down, although they are not yet at single digits. That is why we extended the tightened measures for another week till 11 May. Thereafter, we will allow some gradual easing, as we had announced over the weekend; but the key circuit breaker measures will largely remain till 1 June. 9 I must strongly caution that the easing of some measures in the coming weeks cannot be taken as a signal that we can now take it easy and start to go out more. Remember, the fight is far from over. This battle against the virus is not a sprint; it is a marathon, and we are not even at the half-way mark. If you have done a marathon, you will know that the second half is typically harder than the first, so we must expect more challenges ahead. The virus can flare up again anytime. We cannot afford to slacken. But we must stay vigilant, maintain our discipline, continue to stay home and minimise our contacts with others. Continual Adaptation to Changing Environment 10 As we continue this fight against the virus, we also learn more about how the virus is transmitted. We update our risk assessments and adjust our measures accordingly. As I said just now, we must expect more challenges along this journey, which may require us to take further adjustments in our measures or to take additional precautions. 11 For members of the public, I can appreciate that it is sometimes difficult to keep up with all the changes. But I hope everyone appreciates and understands that we are responding to a dynamic and fast changing situation. In every case, we will carefully consider the latest scientific evidence and medical advice, and the impact on our people before making a change. Our overriding objective has always been, and will continue to be, the health and well-being of Singaporeans. 12 For example, at the start of the outbreak, we had to implement many new travel restrictions and adjust them quickly as we tracked how the virus was spreading from country to country. Later, in coming up with specific measures for our community, we too had to adapt and adjust as we learnt more about the virus. This has happened not just in Singapore, but everywhere around the world. We are dealing with a new virus, and scientists everywhere are discovering more about the virus – even today – and the disease it causes. As Prof Leo Yee Sin, Executive Director of NCID had said, “for us to be ahead of the virus…we [need to] know the enemy very well”, and right now, “we’re still on the learning curve”. It is not just Singapore on the learning curve; the whole world is still on the learning curve. 13 That is why we updated our guidance on masks as we learnt more about the virus, and then we made it a requirement for everyone to wear masks when they go out. Page 2 of 8 14 We also explained then that the wearing of mask is not the only nor the most important protective measure. Remember, the virus can spread through surfaces as well. The wearing of mask must be complemented with other precautions we have emphasised from the outset, including safe distancing and good personal hygiene. 15 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked if we should make it compulsory to wear masks even when you are out in all circumstances, even when you engage in exercise. Actually, the issue here is not just about the wearing of masks. Requiring people to wear a mask when engaging in strenuous exercise is not advisable because it can pose a health risk. The more fundamental issue is whether we want to allow people to go outside to exercise in the first place. 16 We looked at this very carefully. Going out for exercise is beneficial for your immunity and health. There is a risk of transmission only if you are in close contact with another person for some time. But if you exercise alone in the open with safe distancing, as you are required to, this should not pose a problem. There is also no local evidence of transmission occurring among people exercising in the open; on the other hand, prohibiting outdoor exercise altogether and keeping people cooped up at home for a long time can be harmful. 17 So on balance, we decided to allow outdoor exercise by yourself, in your own neighbourhood, so long as safe distancing is in place. It is a balance which other countries have struck too – take for example in the Czech Republic, I mentioned this because there was a video going around earlier on how they were amongst the first European countries to impose a requirement on people to wear masks; so in the Czech Republic today, you can go out to exercise and you do not need to wear a mask so long as you maintain a safe distance from others. 18 Some people think we do not need to bother with this very careful calibration and should just go for a “full lockdown”. But if you look at the countries on lockdowns, the measures they implement are not the same, even if they use the same term. So what is more important is to understand the specific measures that are needed in our own context and circumstance. 19 Of course, one of the most effective ways to slow down the spread of the virus is to restrict movement control altogether, i.e. get everyone to stay home. As Minister Ong Ye Kung puts it (he coined a very catchy phrase to explain this to the seniors in Mandarin), “如果你不出门, 你就不会见人; 如果你不见人, 病毒就不会进门” [Translation: if you don’t go out, you won’t meet people, if you don’t meet people, you won’t bring the virus home] 20 Staying home can be an effective measure, but keeping everyone at home also has substantial social and economic costs. The impact is likely to be felt disproportionately by the lower-income and vulnerable groups. They are also less likely to be able to tele-commute for work. So staying home will clearly affect their incomes and livelihoods. Being isolated at home for long periods is also not good for their health and overall well-being. That is why we considered very carefully before we decided to implement the circuit breaker and later to extend it for a month. Page 3 of 8 21 It was a difficult decision to make because we knew businesses and workers are already hurting.