Minister Told S’pore to Prepare for a ‘Long-Haul Battle’ With Wuhan Virus

By
Sabrina Chua
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It seems that the Wuhan virus isn’t going to go away soon. With 362 lives lost and more than 17,000 people infected, there needs to be more precautions and measures taken by Singaporeans to curb the spread of the virus, especially since our country is so small and densely populated.

As of now, there are 18 confirmed cases in Singapore, two of whom are Singaporeans who travelled to Wuhan, but they are all said to be in stable condition.

While there is a fear that this virus will continue spreading and infecting more people, there are two other uncertainties that we should be concerned with – whether the virus will mutate and become more deadly, and how long this situation will last.

Prepare For A “Long-Haul Battle”

According to Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing during a speech at a Chinese New Year lunch for the residents Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas constituency, Singapore is preparing itself for a long-haul battle and Singaporeans should prepare themselves “psychologically, emotionally, economically and socially”.

He said, “Because we don’t know how long this situation will last, all the measures we take, be it in health, or economics and jobs… must be sustainable. We cannot just be taking measures for the short haul, thinking that it will blow over.”

He also referenced the fact that past epidemics have lasted anywhere from a few months to a year, which is why we need to be prepared to continue battling the Wuhan virus.

The outbreak has caused a disruption to the global supply chains, and Singapore cannot take things for granted and assume that our own supply chains will not be affected.

Mr Chan added, “Hence, no matter how much stock of essential supplies we have in Singapore, be it masks or medicine or other essential supplies, how we use these supplies, we must have a care and perspective of how long this may last and how seriously our supply chains may be affected.”

Measures Taken 

Singapore has been doing their part to curb the spread of the Wuhan virus by imposing travel restrictions which started on 1 February, 11.59pm. This bars any visitors who have been in mainland China in the last 14 days from entering or transiting through Singapore. Those who hold Chinese passports have also had Visa restrictions placed on them.

For Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning back to Singapore from China, they will be subjected to a mandatory 14-day leave of absence.

The Government has also started distributing four masks to every household in Singapore, totalling to about more than five million masks being distributed.

While there may be travel restrictions, Mr Chan urged the public not to succumb to xenophobia and not to “reject” neighbours who have been placed on a leave of absence. He also said that it was “not possible for Singapore to close itself to the world”.

In his speech, he called on grassroots leaders to reassure residents and to prevent fear from crippling our society. He said, “People who are on a leave of absence are not contagious or anything of that sort. They are taking the responsibility of acting to keep themselves from the community to give people added assurance.”

As it is possible for the virus to cause rapid changes in the global economy, the Government sees a need to step up efforts to re-train middle-aged workers so that they can be equipped with new skills and take on jobs of the future.

Well, we can only pray that the battle will end soon, but if it doesn’t, stay strong, Singapore. We can do this!

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Sabrina Chua
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