Singapore cannot stay locked down, closed off indefinitely: PM Lee

WITH Covid-19 now regarded as a "manageable disease", it is time for Singapore to "drastically simplify" the existing healthcare protocols, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a televised national address on Saturday (Oct 9).

This means doing away with complicated flow charts, and making sure people are clear on what to do if they test positive, or come into contact with an infected person.

The government will build up the healthcare facilities to provide the seriously ill with the medical care they need, especially oxygen support and intensive care unit (ICU) care.

"However, there is a limit to how much we can expand. We can build new care facilities and purchase new equipment, and we are doing so. But we cannot easily find more and more doctors and nurses to staff them. That is why we have to moderate the surge in Covid-19 cases," said PM Lee.

He noted, however, that despite the vast majority of the population having been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, there is still some risk of getting infected and people must be prepared to see "quite many Covid-19 cases for some time to come".

Even so, Singapore cannot stay locked down and closed off indefinitely, as this would not work and would be very costly, he said.

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"We would be unable to resume our lives, participate in social activities, open our borders and revive our economy.

"Each time we tighten up, businesses are further disrupted. Workers lose jobs, children are deprived of a proper childhood and school life, (and) families are separated for even longer."

All these end up causing psychological and emotional strain, as well as mental fatigue, both for Singaporeans and other residents such as migrant workers," said the prime minister.

This is why the government concluded a few months ago that a "zero-Covid" strategy was no longer feasible, with the strategy changed to "Living with Covid-19" instead.

PM Lee made the point that Singaporeans should respect Covid-19, but not be paralysed by fear. This means going about daily activities as normally as possible, taking the necessary precautions and complying with safe management measures.

The vaccines have enabled Covid-19 to be a treatable and mild disease for most people, with 98 per cent of those infected able to recover by themselves at home, just as they would if they caught the flu, he said.

He noted the anxieties faced by many about the government's Home Recovery scheme, and promised that everyone on it would get the necessary care and support throughout their recovery journey.

Earlier, our service delivery fell short, but we have worked hard to fix this, and put things right. If at any point you need to be admitted to hospital or a Covid-19 treatment facility, we will get you there," said PM Lee.

Living with the virus also means connecting Singapore back to the rest of the world, with the effort to re-open the country's borders safely a key plank of this approach.

"Companies and investors need to carry out regional and global business from Singapore. People working for them need to travel to earn a living. Students need to go on overseas attachments and internships without having to SHN (stay-home notice) each time. Families and friends will once in a while want to spend time together, overseas," he said.

Singapore has started vaccinated travel lanes (VTL) with Germany and Brunei in September, and a new two-way VTL with South Korea will begin on Nov 15. These pilot projects, said the prime minister, have shown it is possible for vaccinated travellers to move around safely, with Singapore letting in very few Covid-19 positive cases.

"We are implementing more such arrangements, especially with countries whose Covid-19 situations are stable. This will keep us connected to global supply chains and help to preserve Singapore's hub status," said PM Lee.

READ MORE: 

• Singapore tightens rules for unvaccinated; simplifies testing protocols

• Singapore expands Vaccinated Travel Lanes to 11 countries including US, UK

• Quick takes: Tourism industry hails more travel lanes to Europe and America

• Singapore could reach 'new normal' in 3 to 6 months: PM Lee