Singapore — The rising number of Covid cases has led to limits on social interactions as well as talks from Minister Lawrence Wong, the public face on pandemic-related issues, of the possibility of a return to Heightened Alert and the Circuit Breaker restrictions.
Many citizens have felt frustrated at the seemingly mixed messages from authorities who’ve also said that infections are endemic and that people must learn to live with Covid.
Mr Lim Jialiang wrote that “maybe before Singaporeans learn how to live with the virus, our politicians should learn how to be leaders” in a much-shared social media post.
Over on LinkedIn, a post on the matter from author and Chief Executive Officer Devadas Krishnadas from last Monday has also got many comments and shares.
The weariness of Mr Devadas, a regular LinkedIn commentator, is evident throughout his post, as he writes that his Monday night (Sept 6) entry will be the last concerning the Covid situation, “after 18 months and 1 book.”
He authored the book Confronting Covid-19: A Strategic Playbook for Leaders and Decision Makers, published in Oct of last year.
“I give up,” he writes, adding, “I no longer have confidence in the commitment of the MTF to opening up and do not believe they have themselves a commitment to their own 4 stage plan.”
The author’s point is that everyone knew loosening restrictions would result in more infections, which also means an increase in cases that would need medical attention, but not necessarily intensive care.
In Singapore, at this point, vaccination rates for those eligible are already at 90 per cent and rising.
Therefore, he added, “By this point we should be endemic and not even thinking in terms of quarantine or hospitalisation unless clinically required.
But here we are literally threatening the population with a return to either a state of ‘heightened measures’ or ‘circuit breaker’ if we don’t behave. Really? The low tolerance is all on us? What happened to all the confident talk about embracing an endemic stage?,” he asked, referring to a Jun 24 op-ed published in The Straits Times and written by the heads of the Multi-ministry Task Force assigned to address the pandemic.
In it, Ministers Gan Kim Yong, Lawrence Wong and Ong Ye Kung wrote that Singapore needed to learn to live normally with Covid-19 and promising to draw a road map for this “new normal.”
“I feel like a child behind schooled by a bi polar parent,” wrote the CEO.
“Despite public pronouncements, the evidentiary reality is that we are still aiming for 0 zero cases which means getting 0 in the ‘Covid Exam’.”
Mr Devadas added, “I am sure that the Minister Wong has his reasons for his disappointing message to the country.
Since the definition of madness is repeating the same action but expecting a different result, I shall now commit myself to staying sane.” /TISG
Read also: “Maybe before Singaporeans learn how to live with the virus, our politicians should learn how to be leaders”