Back when the circuit breaker was about to end and the government announced the three phases of our safe reopening, Singaporeans probably expected something very different.
We all envisioned Phase 3 to be this magical time where Singaporeans could go back to dancing naked in the rain with hundreds of other people, licking cinema seats after a movie, and coughing on each other’s faces during KTV sessions.
Reader: Uh, literally no one did those things.Â
Well I guess I led a very unique life.
But there’s a good reason why the authorities took a cautious, phased approach to reopening, and why things won’t go back to normal for quite a while.
Simply put, there’s no way we can return to pre-pandemic life without the entire world getting the coronavirus under control.
Minister: Phase 3 Could Last Over a YearÂ
When asked about Phase 3 in Parliament, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said it could last a year.Â
Even though 2020 has felt like fifteen years compressed into one, just over 10 months have passed since Covid-19 first emerged.
Another year with restrictions could feel like a century, but it’s necessary.
As you know, Singapore may enter Phase 3 by the end of the year, provided community cases remain low and testing and contact tracing intensifies.
We will only exit Phase 3 once the rest of the world has controlled the virus, or when effective treatments or vaccines are widely available.
While many hoped Phase 3 would be a return to normalcy, Mr Gan emphasised that some measures will still be in place to ensure that everyone remains safe.
Risk of Social Gatherings
Any hopes of large parties in Phase 3 may have to be put on hold further.
As Mr Gan noted, it is natural to lower our guard when we are among family and friends, which increases the probability of transmission.
Moreover, we remove our masks when we eat and drink in social gatherings, making it a high-risk setting.
However, Mr Gan noted that it is “not tenable nor desirable” to ban social gatherings for an extended period of time.
This is why the authorities are considering increasing group size limits for social gatherings from 5 to 8 in Phase 3.
Larger group sizes will be permitted in settings where safe management measures can be put in place.
Which brings us to…
Weddings
There have been requests for events such as weddings to have more participants, and understandably so.
But weddings have been noted to be high-risk events around the world, and have often resulted in clusters.
This is why additional measures have been put in place, such as preventing guests from mingling beyond their tables of five, and ensuring they check in with TraceTogether and SafeEntry.
“This allows more family and friends to participate while still minimising the total number of interactions,” Gan said.
Pre-event Testing for Large Events
In addition, Mr Gan said pre-event testing is being piloted so more high-risk activities like weddings can increase its group limits.
This would reduce the chance of a Covid-19 case further spreading the disease.
TraceTogether-only SafeEntry, which is being rolled out progressively, will also enable the authorities to carry out contact tracing more quickly and efficiently.
Safe distancing ambassadors and enforcement officers will continue to be deployed, Mr Gan said.
Restrictions Could Return
However… (and this is a big however), if cases spike again, certain restrictions might have to be reimposed to prevent the outbreak from getting out of control.
As Mr Gan said: “Our objective in phase three is to reach a steady state of permitted economic and social activities until an effective vaccine or treatment is widely available. If we can put in place more enablers and risk-mitigating measures that allow for further reopening and scaling up of activities, we will.
“On the other hand, if and when conditions worsen, we will take targeted measures too.
“Should there be a spike in cases, we need to respond swiftly and decisively. We cannot rule out the need to reimpose measures or introduce new measures in order to keep the virus under control,” he said.
So, while there’s reason to celebrate moving to the next phase of our safe reopening, it is not a return to pre-Covid life, and we shouldn’t get too carried away.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
