Ministerial Statement by Minister Lawrence Wong on Second Update on Whole-of-Government Response to COVID-19
May 4, 2020
Mr Speaker Sir
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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]
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.
It was a difficult decision to make because we knew businesses and workers are already hurting. In the end, we decided we had to proceed with this move, so as to break the transmission chain, and slow down the spread of the virus.
To mitigate the impact, we supported businesses, workers and Singaporeans at large with the Unity, Resilience, and Solidarity Budgets – more than $60 billion in total, including drawing on our national reserves with the President’s permission.
For all Singaporeans, we have the Solidarity Payment of $600, with more support for those with children, and other support such as the COVID-19 support grant and Temporary Relief Scheme.
Looking ahead, as we think about easing some of the circuit breaker measures, we will adopt the same evidence-based approach to assess the transmission risks, and then make careful and calibrated adjustments. Where possible, and where we assess the risks to be low, we will consider easing, and allowing some flexibility on the ground.
So to Mr Henry Kwek’s question, we do allow one change of address during the Circuit Breaker period, for caregiving needs, such as for parents to move in with children’s grandparents through the circuit breaker period; no shuttling to and fro; you move one time and you stay there.
But there will also be many requests that we have to reject. We are already getting appeals for more relaxation, for more businesses to open, going beyond what we have announced.
But we have to hold the line for now, and I hope Singaporeans understand why we need to be firm, and why everyone must do their part to cooperate and comply with these measures.
Learning from this Experience
Several members (A/P Walter Theseira and Ms Anthea Ong) asked for a review and inquiry into the cause of the outbreak in the dormitories.
We do want to review and learn; we do want to continue taking feedback and suggestions to improve. That’s our basic attitude – to keep improving, learning and doing better. But we are now still in the heat of battle. When all this is over, we will certainly look back and learn from the experience. We do that each time, after a crisis. For example, our lessons from SARS have helped us a lot in dealing with COVID-19.
Likewise, at the right time, we will comprehensively review this pandemic and our responses – not just the outbreak in the dormitories, but the entire crisis from start to finish, and our overall response, and we will seek to learn and improve. I have no doubt that we will find many things where we could have done better, and many changes that we should make to be better prepared the next time.
But for now, let us stay focused on the urgent priorities ahead of us – we have to bring the outbreak under control on the two fronts, in the community and in the migrant worker dormitories, so that we may then resume activities gradually.
Gradual Resumption of Activities
Indeed, looking ahead, the key challenge for us, and for countries everywhere, is to work out how we can exit from the circuit breaker and resume normal activities safely, without the virus flaring up again.
Easing on the measures prematurely and without proper safeguards can result in a second wave of transmission, and then force a second round of tightening, which I am sure no one wants. This has happened in other countries, and it reinforces the need for us to move cautiously.
As we take these steps to resume activities, there will be major challenges to tackle. Take the construction sector as one example. Over the years, we have made progress in construction productivity. We now have more pre-fabricated construction. But there are still 270,000 migrant workers in this sector alone.
A construction worksite typically will have hundreds of workers coming from multiple dormitories. One single infected worker, mild or asymptomatic, can spread the virus to their co-workers at the worksite. They, in turn, can bring the infection back to where they live, and also to places they gather with their friends. When that happens, large clusters will quickly form, as has happened.
How do we avoid this from happening again? So we will have to work with the industry to fundamentally change the way we go about construction activities – we will need a whole range of measures covering the worksites, the accommodation and transport of workers, as well as additional precautions taken by the workers themselves.
I’ve highlighted construction as an example. But this applies to all sectors of the economy. All firms will need to change their work culture and practices. Life after the circuit breaker will not be a return to status quo ante.
That is why MTI and MOM are engaging industry associations, business chambers and firms, to help them adapt to these new realities. For example, tele-commuting will have to be a default option extended to all staff; and then for those who cannot tele-commute, strict safe management practices will have to be implemented. There will need to be split team arrangements with no cross-deployment of staff, staggered working and lunch break hours, higher hygiene standards amongst a whole range of different measures. Within the workplace, there should not be any gathering of staff in groups at any time, be it the pantry or staff canteen. (These are) very simple measures, but every company has to take this seriously.
Wherever possible, we should make full use of technology to enable the implementation of these measures. All of these safeguards must be in place before we can allow workplaces to re-open and allow more people to resume going to work.
When we do so, we will start with industries that are critical to the economy and to local employment, and that keep us connected to the world and global supply chains. Some sectors will have to wait for a bit more time, for example entertainment outlets or activities that attract crowds or people in close contact with one another. I do not think we can restart these activities anytime soon. Likewise, it may take some time for us to allow dining in at F&B outlets. I understand many people are looking forward to doing that with their family members and friends, but we will have to assess the risk and consider this very carefully, considering that this particular activity is a known vector for transmission.
Religious gatherings and services too may take a while to resume. In fact, all our communities have experienced or will be experiencing their religious observances and holidays under very different circumstances. From Qing Ming and Easter in April, and soon Vesak Day and Hari Raya in May. We know it has not been easy and we really appreciate everyone’s understanding of the adjustments that have to be made to keep ourselves and our families safe during this period.
To open up safely, we will need to do other two things, which Minister Gan highlighted just now – to ramp up testing and harness technology for faster contact tracing. A nation-wide testing strategy is being developed, even as we scale up testing capacity. It will involve more extensive community surveillance, so that we are better able to detect any unlinked cases in the community.
We will also prioritise the testing of higher-risk and more vulnerable groups, like residents and staff of nursing homes and welfare homes, as well as healthcare workers that have high touch-points with the community. And then, we will progressively expand testing to the rest of the essential workforce and the broader community, in line with the expansion of our testing capacity.
On the technology front, we have implemented two key tools. The first is SafeEntry, which is a digital check-in/check-out system to log the visits by individuals in all business premises and venues. The second is a TraceTogether app, which uses Bluetooth on your phones to quickly identify whom you have been near to, so that we can track your close contacts when the need arises. The team is now working with Apple and Google to enhance this app and to make it more effective, especially on iOS phones. We are also developing solutions for the elderly and young who may not have smart phones. That is also a group we are focused on, and there’s a whole series of work around the technology front, and when the work is ready, we will announce more details.
Expanded testing and faster contact tracing are our two key strategies, but they are not a substitute for personal responsibility. All of us still have a part to play by practising good personal hygiene habits, wearing a mask when we are outside, and seeking medical attention immediately when we are unwell. These are basic fundamentals that we all have to uphold. With these enablers and the safeguards in place, we can then plan for a safe and gradual resumption of activities in June, provided as we said just now, we see a continued decline in our community numbers.
Responding as SG United
Mr Speaker, it has been more than 3 months since we started our fight against the virus. The entire team has been working flat out over this period. They include our healthcare workers, contact tracers and infectious disease experts, researchers, scientists and lab technicians, communications team who help to put out accurate and timely information, safe distancing ambassadors and enforcement officers deployed all over Singapore, officers manning our checkpoints, isolation and quarantine facilities, SAF, SPF, SCDF officers mobilised across different areas, and public officers from all ministries working hard to support the overall effort – they are mobilising volunteers, securing more spaces, helping with the relief measures and mask distribution, and a whole range of work.
As the Co-Chair of the Taskforce, I get a front row seat in seeing the best of Singapore at work during this crisis. And this has been a truly humbling and inspiring experience; because everywhere I go, I see people who are tired, but they remained committed and focused on the mission and they are still going all out to get the job done.
Some have had to quickly adapt to the new requirements of working from home, like our teachers who have been busy designing new curriculum and engaging students on Home-Based Learning, and they are now getting ready for the first batch of students returning to schools in two weeks.
For others, it has been a complete change of job scope. For example, Ms Jaime Lim, a Deputy Director at MOM, and I quote, “my work went from being desk-bound to manning safe distancing measures ops command and now I am at a dormitory gazetted as an isolation area. Stationed at the dormitory, weekends and weekdays have merged into a blur. I am now used to foggy face shields, powdery palms from glove wear and facial marks made by masks.”
Many others like Jaime have gone above and beyond the call of duty. So a big thank you goes out to everyone on the frontline. They are working their guts out, taking care of fellow Singaporeans, fighting the virus and controlling the outbreak.
We also deeply appreciate all who are in essential services, who have kept Singapore going through this circuit breaker period. They include our cleaners, facilities managers and technicians; our refuse collectors; our workers in the power and water industries; our public transport workers; social service professionals; security guards; delivery riders and taxi drivers, and many others.
It is also very heartening to see many ground-up initiatives from community groups. Our SGUnited portal saw a sevenfold increase in the total donations in this period compared to the previous year. Many social service organisations are helping the more vulnerable groups cope with the circuit breaker and providing additional support to our migrant workers. Thousands of volunteers have also signed up for initiatives ranging from mask distribution, helping with applications for Temporary Relief Funds, and appreciating our frontline workers.
So to everyone out there working during the circuit breaker, to those working from home, and those supporting the fight in whatever way you can, we also want to say “Thank You” for your contributions and sacrifices. We are all on the frontline in this fight against the virus. Every contribution counts and helps in our overall efforts.
As we go about tackling this crisis, we see also many shining examples of SG United in action, like how we went about setting up very quickly community care facilities in the Singapore Expo and Changi Exhibition Centre – a truly public-private partnership at work. These examples show us how much more effective we can all be when we stand together and combine our efforts across the public, private and people sectors.
Mr Speaker, at some point, this COVID-19 crisis will pass. It will leave in its wake a permanently changed world. Uncertainty and instability may rise in some countries. Societal divides and inequalities may sharpen in others. But a few will emerge from this stronger, more united, and more resilient than before. Singapore will endeavour to be in this group. To do so, all of us must continue to work together and support each other. This is the time for us to stand as one nation – to beat the virus, overcome the crisis, and emerge stronger together. Thank you, Mr Speaker.