Singapore will likely start reopening its borders with small and selective measures, said the Republic’s Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.
Gan said a mix of isolation and testing requirements would proceed to be imposed to guard the republic from recent imported cases resulting in community spread of the disease.
The Minister said this in his Ministerial Statement tabled in Parliament today on the second update on the whole-of-government response to Covid-19.
Gan noted that various aspects or indicators will likely be considered when considering reopening borders under stricter containment measures.
“We need to assess the situation globally and in individual countries regarding the scope and approach to reopening our borders.”
“We would analyze the rate of infection in other countries, as well as what they have done to contain the spread,” Gan explained. Named.
Singapore reported its first imported case on January 23, and with Sunday’s tally of 18,205, Singapore has identified 579, or simply 3.18 percent, as imported cases.
Gan stressed that numbers are essential, but not the one thing that should be taken into consideration before lifting circuit breaker measures.
“We must make sure that community-to-community transmission locally has been contained or may be very low. Ideally, community cases should drop to zero or single digits day by day, with only a few unrelated cases, and never only for in the future, but persist for a time period.
“While we have managed to keep cases low among local communities despite the high number of cases among migrant workers, it is equally important to reduce the number of migrant worker cases over time, although this will take some more time,” Gan said.
Otherwise, Singapore will remain prone to spillover from dormitories to the broader population, he added.
As businesses in Singapore begin to reopen, the federal government may even need to extend its testing capability and efficiency. As I quote Bloomberg“We need to be sure that community transmission of the virus has been stopped or is very low,” Gan said in his own remarks in parliament.
A nationwide testing strategy is being developed, whilst the country ramps up its testing capability, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who also co-chairs the ministerial task force on the virus, told parliament on Monday.
“Remember that the fight is not over yet.”
Authorities said over the weekend that some workplaces and services would reopen from May 12, and a few groups of scholars could be allowed to return to high school next week. Sectors equivalent to manufacturing, which require staff on site, should meanwhile start preparing for a gradual reopening of the economy in the approaching weeks, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing told reporters.
