Singapore Government Handles Covid-19 Well, Impresses American Living Here
The Singapore government is no stranger to praise, especially about the way it has been handling the Covid-19 situation.
Plaudits from the World Health Organization (WHO) and a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer are among the notable ones.
Others on the ground – notably an outsider – have also applauded the government’s response, in case you’d like to get a more personal take.
American Noah Pepper, who recently moved to Singapore amid the Covid-19 outbreak tells Twitter users why he’s so impressed by our country’s handling of the health crisis.
You can read his entire thread here, but we’ll give you a comprehensive summary.
Efficient updates and follow-up actions by govt
Noah, who moved to Singapore with his family on 4 Feb, has only been here for about a month.
In that month alone, however, observing how the government reacted to Covid-19 has already blown him away.
The first factor that impressed him was how “transparent and regular” updates were on the following issues:
- Government policies
- Status of virus spread
- Clear, actionable steps for individuals and businesses
- Clarification of fake news/misinformation
He adds a link to the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Covid-19 page, which they update daily.
Clearly a fan of MOH’s efficiency, he also compliments the “aggressive contact tracing” which tests individuals who were in close contact with patients and quarantines them immediately.
Another equally “aggressive” move is the travel ban on visitors from Covid-19 hotspots like Hubei, Daegu and Cheongdo.
The Stay-Home Notice (SHN) for citizens, PRs and workers who return from these places and punishment for those who break it prove just how stringent our measures are.
Concern for all citizens on the ground
The praise Noah has isn’t just for top-down measures through which the government exercises authority.
Steps pertaining to citizens’ day-to-day activities are likewise worthy of acclamation.
Regular temperature checks and even precautions for taxi drivers are some of the things that he highlights.
His remark about going through more than 4 temperature checks in a day at different places emphasises how everyone is taking the precautions seriously.
For those who show flu-like symptoms, subsidies at Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPC) have them covered.
Government doing a great job managing Covid-19
Ending with constant reminders to observe good hygiene and to stay home when sick, Noah concludes that the Singapore government has done a great job.
He supposes that some sort of system must be in place to mobilise IT staff to communicate all the above measures effectively and quickly, which is testament to how thorough government preparedness is.
Even so, he’s sure he hasn’t covered everything that the government has done.
Indeed, stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, we should be thankful for Singapore’s efficient management of the Covid-19 outbreak.
All things considered, we are doing relatively better than many other countries, so let’s hope the situation gets better, with fewer to no new cases eventually.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
