Praise for New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern … on PM Lee’s post

Singapore — People online have commended New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for her handling of the country’s Covid-19 crisis … on a recent Facebook post of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

They add that there is much Singapore can learn from that country.

Mr Lee posted on Wednesday (May 27) about an online conference with his counterpart in New Zealand. He noted that, since their last call nearly two months ago, both countries had moved from strict circuit breaker measures to a gradual, careful easing of restrictions.

Mr Lee also said he was pleased to mark the one-year anniversary of the Singapore-New Zealand Enhanced Partnership and that he looked forward to expanding cooperation with new initiatives that both sides value.

As part of safe reopening, Mr Lee said both countries were discussing creating a green lane for short-term essential travel between them.

Ms Ardern has won international acclaim for her success at handling Covid-19. According to New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, on Thursday (May 28), the country’s last Covid-19 patient was discharged from the hospital, leaving it with zero confirmed cases.

New Zealand, like Singapore, implemented quarantine measures by closing down establishments and mandating people to remain in their homes. Now, the country is set to further ease some restrictions.

Several of those who commented on Mr Lee’s post called Ms Ardern one of the best leaders in the world.

Singapore was once praised for its handling of the Covid-19 crisis but other nations like New Zealand have fared much better. Singapore now has the most cases in South-east Asia, although the vast majority of them are in foreign worker dormitories.