S’pore Is 4th ‘Safest’ Country In The World For Covid-19, Following Switzerland And Germany
It can be pretty disheartening to see hundreds of new Covid-19 cases in Singapore every day, even as we enter Phase 1 of reopening.
But does that necessarily mean that Singapore is unsafe? Well apparently not, at least according to this report by Deep Knowledge Group (DKG).
According to the study, which takes into account over 130 parameters, Singapore is apparently the 4th ‘safest’ country in the world for Covid-19, just behind Switzerland, Germany, and Israel.
Singapore is ‘safest’ country in Southeast Asia
The study by DKG takes into account 130 parameters and 11,400 data points across 6 categories:
- Quarantine efficiency
- Government efficiency of risk management
- Monitoring and detection
- Health Readiness
- Regional resilience
- Emergency preparedness
Clinching first and second place in the study are Switzerland and Germany with 752 and 749 respectively.
According to the study, this was specifically attributed to their economic resilience, as well as how they are easing their lockdown measures without compromising public health and safety.
Singapore, the highest-ranking Southeast Asian country, scored 744 points, and came in 4th, just behind Israel with 748 points.
New Zealand 9th safest country despite 0 active Covid-19 cases
New Zealand (NZ), which announced earlier today that they no longer have any active Covid-19 cases, came in 9th.
New Zealand Celebrates Victory Over Covid-19, S’poreans Think We Can Learn From Them
This might come as a surprise for many, but not for former NMP Calvin Cheng.
While Covid-19 has essentially been eradicated in NZ, Mr Cheng pointed out that the country is facing its worst recession in 160 years, with significant damage dealt to their economy.
The full report by DKG can be read here
Curbing virus is only part of the battle
It goes without saying that the Covid-19 pandemic has been a trying time for countries all around the world.
However, as this study shows, curbing the virus itself is only part of the battle. Other measures should also be taken into account when engaging in discussions on how well a particular country has done in combatting the outbreak.
In our case, we are thankful that our government has taken deliberate actions to protect not just our health but our livelihoods as well.
Featured image adapted from Unsplash.
