Singapore is in “much better shape” than it had been two years ago, when it entered a strict lockdown from April 7 to June 1 known as the Circuit Breaker, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Facebook on Apr 7.
Even as he highlighted how far Singapore has come, and asked people to behave responsibly as the pandemic isn’t over, many netizens commenting on his post reminisc about the Circuit Breaker and the fraught early days of the pandemic.
PM Lee also underlined how disruptive that lockdown had been: “Shops and businesses were closed, many employees shifted to working remotely, while schools implemented full home-based learning. Our streets fell silent… Major sectors ground to a halt, and our economy took a hit.”
But the country pulled together, and Singapore’s high vaccination, booster, and recovery rate have raised its population’s immunity levels.
“We have established safe management measures that can be dialed up or down as needed. As a society, we are also acting safely and responsibly,” he added.
Noting that while mask-wearing is no longer mandatory outdoors, he said he was “glad” that “most Singaporeans have cautiously chosen to keep their masks on outdoors”.
He added a note of caution that “we are far from being out of the woods” as hospitals are still handling a heavy workload.
Netizens responded to PM Lee’s post with a trip down memory lane and shared their own experiences of the lockdown.
Several netizens thanked healthcare workers, who, despite lower Covid numbers, are still having to work hard.
Others underlined the lessons the pandemic has taught Singapore.
/TISG
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