Minister: New Guidelines & New Standards for COVID-19 Required to Prevent New Waves of Infection

Just before this article, I wrote about the new report which said that Covid-19 could hang out with us for the next two years.

And experts think that Covid-19 would appear in periodic surges throughout this period.

Well, it seems like they’re not the only ones thinking this.

The Singapore government’s saying the same thing too.

Minister: New Guidelines & New Standards for COVID-19 Required to Prevent New Waves of Infection

On 1 May 2020, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that while community cases are staying within the single-digit range, we should not let our guard down.

A single case, he emphasised, can spark a new cluster.

Ministry of Health’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak added that the prediction by a group of students at SUTD that Covid-19 can end by July 2020 is overly optimistic and might not be wholly accurate.

However, he added that the model is useful in telling Singaporeans to continue being vigilant in the longer run.

New Workplace Safety Rules

On lifting circuit breaker, Mr Lawrence Wong said that new workplace safety rules will be needed.

“It cannot be going back to the old practices, business as usual. We have to put in place new guidelines, new standards — literally workplace safety standards, but now safety in the broader context.”

While details of the new standards are not shared yet, he did reveal hints of what’s going to happen:

• A need for safe distancing inspectors in every workplace
• Increased regular testing
• Technology to better track cases in the workplace
• Wearing of masks
• No socialising among coworkers in the workplace

He added that the current strict guidelines that workers have to abide by now will be “expanded on” when more people are allowed to go back to work.

Guidelines will not be standardised across all sectors, Mr Gan added, and will vary according to sectors.

The multi-ministerial taskforce promises to share more as Singapore starts opening up.

Upgrade of TraceTogether App

The TraceTogether app, they revealed, will have their protocols updated to make it even more effective.

The Singapore government is now working with Apple and Google to make it even better.

If you have not already downloaded the TraceTogether app, please go ahead and do so.

And if you’ve done so, please keep it turned on and scanning so that if the need ever arises, the authorities are able to accurately trace your footsteps and stifle Covid-19 transmission before another cluster emerges.

Basically, what they’re saying is, life isn’t going to get back to normal but it might get better if we all work together.

That and to be prepared for a new norm.