Singapore — Some Singaporeans may be feeling somewhat confused by recent announcements, even as the country finds its footing in “learning to live” with Covid-19.
The Ministry of Health reported a recent daily high of 3,994 new infections on Tuesday (Oct 19) as well as the largest single-day toll of 18 deaths the following day.
On Oct 20, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) managing the pandemic, said “At the current situation, we face considerable risk of the healthcare system being overwhelmed.”
“The hospitals are no doubt bracing themselves for a sustained heavy patient load. MOH is doing whatever we can to support and bolster the hospitals,” said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
The MTF announced that Covid restrictions will remain in place until Nov 21.
But other pandemic restrictions were recently eased, specifically travel restrictions to a number of countries. Starting from Oct 19, the government expanded the Vaccinated Travel Lanes or VTL for quarantine-free travel to eight more countries, including important trading partners the United States, Britain and France.
Former Straits Times editor Bertha Henson wrote in a Thursday morning Facebook post, “On the front page of ST, we have story on Covid curbs extended. AND also story on first flights coming into Singapore. How people not going to be confused about what’s happening?
We’ve got to keep telling people the purpose and precautions of one and the other. And hope they keep them all in their heads.”
Her remarks resonated with a number of commenters, who said they felt the same way.
One netizen wrote that the “government is giving people starkly different messages.”
Another wrote that the existing Covid curbs would be difficult for those who travel to Singapore.
One commenter even compared the situation to the popular Korean Netflix series, Squid Game.
/TISG