SINGAPORE: Reopening Singapore’s borders is critical to the country’s economic recovery, but doing so too soon risks a new wave of COVID-19 infections, according to Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Monday (Jul 5). As a result, he believes that speeding up immunizations should be a top priority.
“There has been concern from the business and investment community that Singapore may lose out to other centers who are moving more actively to reopen their borders,” Mr Wong, who co-chairs the COVID-19 multi-ministerial task force, said.
“We are aware of your concerns. But we’re also aware that reopening too soon before we’ve reached high enough vaccination levels could result in another wave of illnesses, as well as an increase in hospitalization and ICU cases.” Mr Wong said the reopening of borders is a “existential issue” for Singapore, which lives on connectivity, in a ministry statement outlining support measures during the removal of some COVID-19 limitations. READ: S$1.2 billion in additional funding for SMEs Support package for COVID-19; no use of reserves
Vaccinations will allow Singapore to gradually reopen and reconnect with the rest of the world, he said, adding that the country can reach a “very high level of vaccination coverage” in the next one to two months.
“We are currently in discussions with other jurisdictions that have successfully controlled the infection to work out travel corridors with them for vaccinated persons to travel more freely, either without the need for a stay-home notice (SHN) or with a shorter SHN duration,” Mr Wong added.
While Singapore will not be able to prevent all imported viruses, Mr Wong believes that the country’s high vaccination rate and public health defenses would keep large outbreaks at bay.
NEW CAPABILITIES ARE BEING CREATED
Beyond the short term, Mr Wong stated that Singapore is investing in new capabilities and “strongly constructing” itself for the future.
For example, it is advancing digitization for businesses, stepping up efforts to upskill the local workforce, and focused on becoming a regional green finance hub.
He went on to say that the Emerging Stronger Taskforce has made a number of suggestions to better position Singapore for future growth, and that authorities will launch new initiatives in the coming months to expedite the implementation of these plans.
Mr Wong emphasized the need of community partnerships in order to attain these aims, and stated that the authorities will work to expand private-public collaborations.
“PROMISING SIGNIFICANCE”
Mr Wong concluded his remarks by stating that Singapore is planning to transition to a situation in which individuals learn to live normally with COVID-19.
He said that countries that are ahead of Singapore in terms of vaccines, such as Israel, where about 60% of the population has been fully vaccinated, are showing “promising signals.”
He observed that Israel has opened up the majority of its economy, and that despite a recent increase in incidence, mostly due to the Delta type, fresh outbreaks have not resulted in greater hospitalization rates due to vaccine protection.
Mr Wong admitted that inhabitants have a “strong wish” to return to life before the pandemic, and that some may experience a “feeling of powerlessness” in not knowing when normalcy will return, if at all.
“The truth is that COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
We can make (COVID-19) appear more like influenza in terms of morbidity and death with vaccination and treatment advancements,” he said. READ: The Greatest Book Ever Written: It’s a race against time to get more elders vaccinated as COVID-19 grows endemic. Mr Wong reaffirmed Singapore’s goal of vaccinating two-thirds of the population by National Day. Although this is a “ambitious goal,” he claims that the country is making “solid progress” toward it. “We’re also putting forth a lot of effort to engage our elderly and get them vaccinated… We will then be able to restore our economy safely with high immunization rates.” Residents can expect greater meetings and events – and eventually travel – if safe distance standards are gradually relaxed, especially for vaccinated persons, he said. Mr Wong remarked, “This has been a long and arduous trip.” “I’m aware that many people are exhausted. But there is a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel.” ADD THIS TO YOUR BOOKMARKS: Our in-depth coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its progression For the most up-to-date information on the coronavirus outbreak, download our app or follow us on Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram/n
