Minister for National Development and Second Minister of Finance Lawrence Wong has posted on the increase in imported Covid-19 cases and called on the people to heed the quarantine and travel advisories.
Mr Wong on Friday (March 20) discussed the sense of urgency required of the public on compliance with the mandatory 14-day quarantine policy for anyone who has recently returned from overseas.
Citing the rise in the number of infected cases in Singapore in the past few days, he said: “Most of these are imported cases. And by ‘imported’, we are referring to Singapore residents coming back from overseas.”
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Mr Wong stressed that, despite the nation’s warm greetings towards Singaporeans who have returned home, ensuring the safety and well-being of all Singaporeans was paramount — which is why the Government has increased its efforts to identify and quarantine all confirmed cases at the onset.
“This is why our main focus now is to ensure that all such returnees self-isolate for 14 days at home,” he said. “If the entire family had been away, then they should all stay at home for 14 days upon their return. If it’s just one or two persons who travelled (e.g someone studying or working abroad), then the returnee(s) should be separated from other members of the family at home.”
At the end of his advisory, he again urged Singaporeans to refrain from travelling for now, in order “to avoid compounding the issue” especially given the Government’s current dealings with returnees. “We must all do our part to keep ourselves, our families, and our fellow citizens safe during this crisis,” he said.
Although Mr Wong has recently been praised by netizens for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, in the comments section of his post, there were those who were doubtful that everybody would comply with the advisories. One urged him to use his existing authority to ensure compliance.
Another person stressed the need to temporarily halt all international flights with the exception of those that bring home Singaporeans and cargo. /TISG