It is five weeks since I spoke about the COVID-19 situation in Singapore. So it is timely to update Singaporeans again on the medical, economic and psychological outlooks of the situation.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. This means that while the situation in Singapore remains under control, the COVID-19 threat will be with us for a long time. We cannot be complacent.
There are some baseline precautions we must get used to, like maintaining good personal hygiene and not holding large gatherings. We must also plan ahead in case a major outbreak happens in Singapore, like in South Korea or Italy.
If a major outbreak happens, we will need more stringent social distancing measures, such as suspending schools and compulsory telecommuting. These will slow down the rate of transmission and prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
Already our economy has been seriously impacted, so we are working on a second stimulus package to support businesses and workers.
Singapore’s response to COVID-19 has been recognised by the WHO and the international community. This is through the efforts of many Singaporeans, from the frontline staff to all of us keeping #SGclean. I thank all Singaporeans who are dealing with this calmly and responsibly. We must keep up our efforts, and remain #SGUnited. – LHL
(Video by Mediacorp)
