Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will serve as the Acting Prime Minister while Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong recovers from his ongoing Covid-19 infection.
This comes after PM Lee tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time, days after he recovered from his first infection on 28 May.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced DPM Wong’s temporary appointment in an official statement on Thursday (1 Jun).
As PM Lee recuperates from his second bout of the coronavirus at home, DPM Wong will take on his duties and deputise for him on state affairs.
Per the statement, DPM Wong, as the Acting PM, will be playing host to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday (2 Jun).
The Australian statesman will be in town for the 8th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting (ALM).
Shortly before the PMO’s statement, PM Lee Hsien Loong shared on Facebook on Thursday morning that he has tested positive for Covid-19 yet again.
This comes four days after he tested negative from his first infection.
According to his doctors, this is a case of a Covid-19 rebound — a rare occurrence that happens in about 5% to 10% of cases.
In such cases, the virus is still infectious but the risk is not as high as the initial infection.
PM Lee’s care team has thus advised him to self-isolate until his Antigen Rapid Test (ART) comes out negative.
This is where DPM Wong comes in — to help with PM Lee’s responsibilities while he is convalescing.
Source: Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook
Due to this morning’s positive ART test, PM Lee already had to miss an event today.
He was supposed to attend the consecration ceremony of Sri Thendayuthapani Temple along Tank Road this morning.
In his Facebook post, he explained that he now has to miss it to keep the people around him safe.
He also conveyed his apologies to the organisers, and to all those attending the ceremony.
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Featured image adapted from Lawrence Wong on Facebook and Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook.
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