Near virus-free environment vital if 'air travel bubble' is to work
IT came as no surprise, but Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung's remarks in Parliament last week - that there can be no overseas holidays this December - was a body blow to those who were still hoping this dreadful year might end on an upswing.
His caution is a sober reminder of how persistent and long-lasting the Covid-19 pandemic has become, despite Singapore having largely reined in the virus threat, with daily infections dipping to the low teens or single digits from a peak of a thousand a day. If only this trajectory is mirrored elsewhere.
Despite the sacrifices in personal liberty and livelihood, particularly during the circuit-breaker period, Singapore has succeeded in creating a safe bubble at home, as the pandemic runs amok in much of the Western world. Singapore has managed to stave off a health crisis, but is still mired in an economic one, which cannot pass until the borders are reopened fully.
TRENDING NOW
Two-thirds of Sentosa Cove resales in the red, with average loss topping S$1 million since 2023
Singapore at 61: How we can ensure opportunity, security and ownership for the next generation
Too little, too late? Manila’s billion-dollar bid to ignite its sputtering EV industry
How BYD disrupted Singapore’s car market – and why the strategy is turning on itself