“Socially Irresponsible” Actions Are Why Covid-19 Transmitted Locally, Says Gan Kim Yong

Health Minister Says Locally Transmitted Covid-19 Cases Due To “Socially Irresponsible” Actions From Few People

After all is said and done about good hygiene and social distancing, it seems this advice has fallen on deaf ears for some.

In a press conference on Tuesday (10 Mar), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has called out sick individuals who failed to distance themselves from others when necessary.

He even went as far as to saying that locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in Singapore were due to the “socially irresponsible actions from a few people”, according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA).

If you’re feeling unwell as you’re reading this, you might want to listen and stay home. Don’t act hero.

Local transmissions due to “socially irresponsible” behaviour

Mr Gan said members of the public should minimise social contact and see a doctor if they’re feeling sick.

This is crucial in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in the community.

Unfortunately, such was not the case for a few people. He relayed his concerns in a press conference.

I’m very concerned that many of the locally transmitted cases resulted from the socially irresponsible actions of a few individuals who continue to go to work, attend events and participate in activities despite being unwell.

Almost like domino effect, these cases had then gone to spread the disease to others, including their family members, friends, and close contacts.

Mr Gan brought up Wizlearn Technologies cluster, where 3 of the 14 confirmed cases had continued with their daily activities despite being unwell.

One of the contacts had also carried on with activities while symptomatic. This resulted in additional cases who were not employees of the company.

Yikes.

Giving honest accounts of daily activities is social responsibility too

In the same vein, Mr Gan also touched on the importance of providing honest accounts of their activities when being interviewed by public officers. All of this is part of social responsibility too.

He cautioned that socially irresponsible behaviour poses a risk to everyone, and would jeopardise the government’s hard work in curbing the new coronavirus from spreading.

The measures we have implemented will only work if individuals cooperate and behave in a socially responsible manner.

It goes without saying that giving half-truths, or even untruthful accounts, would cause a major delay in contract tracing efforts by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

See a doctor early if you are unwell

Those who are unwell, even with mild flu-like symptoms, should see a doctor and stay at home to prevent spreading illness to others.

Mr Gan said that over a fifth of Covid-19 patients had resumed work or went about their daily routine despite feeling unwell.

CNA reports that around 35 out of 160 confirmed cases in Singapore failed to do their part in avoiding social contact.

This was even when they were already having a fever or suffering from other respiratory symptoms. Shockingly, some didn’t consult a doctor too.

MOH advises against doctor-hopping

On a side note, MOH is also urging people not to go “doctor-hopping”, which means going to one different clinic after the other.

This is so that the same doctor can follow up on your case better, and assess whether they’ll have to run tests for Covid-19.

Sadly, 38 out of 160 confirmed cases in the country had visited more than 1 general practitioner (GP) clinic. Of the 38, 8 had visited at least 3 clinics, according to CNA.

Singapore’s efforts to curb virus from spreading start with citizens

Truly, it is concerning that people continue to be active, and go out and about when they’re sick. For whatever reasons they may have, it doesn’t explain why they thought it was a good idea to continue throwing themselves into populated areas.

It doesn’t take much for one to stay home and rest, or even see the doctor — Singaporeans have subsidised rates for consultation.

Remember, Singapore’s efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 won’t be possible without its citizens playing a proactive role. Do be socially responsible and stay home if you’re sick.

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Featured image adapted from Facebook.