Lawrence Wong Says We Should Still Minimise Social Interaction After ‘Circuit Breaker’, As Testing Is Not 100%
After being cooped up at home for so long, everyone probably has plans on what they are going to do after the ‘Circuit Breaker’ ends on 1 Jun.
Be it going for meal, catching a movie, or just window shopping, we simply cannot wait for normal life to resume.
However, this might not be the most responsible thing to do, according to Minister For National Development Lawrence Wong.
In a press conference on Monday (27 Apr), he said that even after ‘Circuit Breaker’ is over, we should still try our best to minimise social interaction, and maintain good hygiene and distancing habits.
Social interaction in a group with many will birth new cluster
Although testing is a key component of Singapore’s strategy, it cannot identify all patients that have been infected with the coronavirus.
As the minister puts it,
We should still try very hard to minimise our social interactions, because it only takes 1 person interacting in a group in close quarters with many people to cause another cluster from happening.
Good habits like wearing masks, safe distancing, and practicing good personal hygiene are still needed to sustain the fight against Covid-19 — possibly extending beyond the end of 2020.
Singapore is ramping up testing
While we shouldn’t pin all hopes on mass testing, the government is still scaling testing capabilities in Singapore.
This is because testing is a critical enabler in Singapore’s fight against Covid-19, said Mr Wong in his Facebook post on Monday (27 Apr).
In early April, the nation conducted an average of 2,900 tests per day. Now, more than 8,000 tests are conducted daily, of which 3,000 are on migrant workers.
This aggressive testing allows Singapore to identify patients and reduce the risk of transmission to the wider community.
Be responsible to end ‘Circuit Breaker’ for good
As we’ve once witnessed, the government will not hesitate to extend the ‘Circuit Breaker’ if the situation doesn’t improve. The last thing we want is to lose our freedom as soon as we regain it.
Hence, we should all continue to stay vigilant, even after safe distancing measures ease on the proposed 1 Jun.
Eventually, social interaction can be part of our daily lives again. We just need to be responsible, and patient.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
