Lawrence Wong Pre-Empts Citizens That Life Will Not Return To Normal After ‘Circuit Breaker’ Ends
Most of us probably have it in our minds that some sense of normalcy will return when ‘Circuit Breaker’ ends on 1 Jun.
However, this might not be the case. In fact, there might even be new precautions for speedier contact tracing.
This was all announced by Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong at a virtual press conference on Friday (8 May), reports The Straits Times.
According to Mr Wong, the scenario after ‘Circuit Breaker’ will be one of “gradual, calibrated easing”.
He said,
Whatever the decision, whatever happens in the coming days or weeks, it is clearly not going to be the case that after June 1 everything will be lifted, and we will go back to status quo ante.
Mr Wong also mentioned that more precautions will be taken so that faster contact tracing can happen.
Swifter contact tracing after ‘Circuit Breaker’ ends
Although recent Covid-19 numbers suggest that the situation is stabilising in Singapore, the multi-ministry task force is taking no chances.
Mr Wong announced that by 1 Jun, there will be some solutions in place to expedite contact tracing efforts.
This could be in the form of digital check-in systems, an enhanced TraceTogether contact-tracing app, or wearable dongles which citizens can have on their person at all times. This way, even those without smartphones will be traceable for contact tracing purposes.
TraceTogether app on mobile
Source
The solutions will be revealed when ready, and citizens are expected to use them, said Mr Wong, who also adds,
So that even if there were a case that emerges during that period, we can do much faster contact tracing, identify the contacts around that person, and quickly issue quarantine orders on an electronic platform instantly.
Citizens urged not to rush out on 12 May
The National Development Minister also urged citizens not to rush out after some measures are eased next week.
To recap, below are some services that are allowed to resume operations from 12 May:
- Barbers
- Laundries
- Home-based food businesses
- Selected F&B outlets like cakes shops and confectioneries
Mr Wong advised citizens to “pace themselves”, and reminded businesses to keep up necessary safe distancing measures. Inspectors will conduct spot checks to ensure compliance, and businesses that fail to comply will be asked to close.
He explains,
We are making progress because of the circuit breaker and we should continue to do our part to comply with the measures for the rest of the circuit breaker period.
Staying vigilant amid easing measures
The ‘Circuit Breaker’ measures might be easing, but this doesn’t mean our vigilance should follow suit.
If anything, we should continue to be cautious. The last thing we’d want is for a second wave of infections to kick-start ‘Circuit Breaker 2.0’.
Let’s not impede our own progress, and access the re-opened services only when absolutely necessary.
Featured image adapted from Bloomberg.
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