Singapore takes unprecedented step to bar all short-term visitors
Borders to be tightened amid rapidly escalating virus situation around world: Lawrence Wong
By Toh Ting Wei, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
Singapore will significantly tighten its borders from 11.59pm today, 23 March, with all short-term visitors no longer allowed to enter or transit through the country, in a move to reduce the risk of importing coronavirus cases.
Work pass holders and their dependants will be allowed to return to Singapore only if they are employed in sectors that provide essential services such as healthcare and transport.
This will also kick in at 11.59pm today, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement yesterday.
The measures were announced a day after two patients - a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man - died of complications due to COVID-19 infection. They were the first deaths the Republic has seen in the outbreak.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said at a briefing yesterday morning that the measures to "significantly tighten" Singapore's borders were taken in view of the rapidly escalating COVID-19 outbreak around the world.
To date, there are more than 319,000 COVID-19 cases worldwide and around 13,700 deaths.
Previously, except for a handful of countries, short-term visitors from elsewhere were allowed to come into Singapore but were issued a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival.
This meant, however, that resources were being expended to serve and enforce SHNs on them, and if they fell ill, to provide them with medical treatment, said Mr Wong. Last Saturday, there were still 533 short-term visitors arriving.
MOH said that in Singapore, almost 80 per cent of new COVID-19 cases over the past three days were imported, most of them Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from abroad.
There were 23 new cases confirmed as of noon yesterday, 22 March, with 18 of them imported. This brings the total number of cases to 455, of which 144 have fully recovered.
As previously announced, all returning Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders will continue to be issued a 14-day SHN.
Also, Malaysians with Singapore work permits can continue to work here during this period, with accommodation arrangements.
Transport of goods between both countries will also be facilitated, the Singapore-Malaysia Special Working Committee has agreed.
Yesterday, Mr Wong said the border restrictions were very significant moves, especially for a small open economy like Singapore, which has always been connected to the world. "But this is an unprecedented crisis," he said.
On how long these measures will remain in place, he said: "I can't say at this stage.
"It depends on how long the outbreak is going to continue in Europe and America, which are now the new epicentres for the virus outbreak. It (also) depends on how long more we will see returning Singaporeans coming back."
Mr Wong also warned that the Government is considering measures against those who choose to travel overseas despite the border control measures.
Transport economist Walter Theseira said the tightening of borders will not have much of an additional impact on Singapore's aviation and tourism sectors, given that there is almost no demand for air travel worldwide due to the outbreak.
He added: "If we did open our borders fully tomorrow, I think about the only change would be, anyone who has an excuse to come here to hunker down would, but you wouldn't be getting tourists or business travellers."
Borders to be tightened amid rapidly escalating virus situation around world: Lawrence Wong
By Toh Ting Wei, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
Work pass holders and their dependants will be allowed to return to Singapore only if they are employed in sectors that provide essential services such as healthcare and transport.
This will also kick in at 11.59pm today, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement yesterday.
The measures were announced a day after two patients - a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man - died of complications due to COVID-19 infection. They were the first deaths the Republic has seen in the outbreak.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said at a briefing yesterday morning that the measures to "significantly tighten" Singapore's borders were taken in view of the rapidly escalating COVID-19 outbreak around the world.
To date, there are more than 319,000 COVID-19 cases worldwide and around 13,700 deaths.
Previously, except for a handful of countries, short-term visitors from elsewhere were allowed to come into Singapore but were issued a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival.
This meant, however, that resources were being expended to serve and enforce SHNs on them, and if they fell ill, to provide them with medical treatment, said Mr Wong. Last Saturday, there were still 533 short-term visitors arriving.
MOH said that in Singapore, almost 80 per cent of new COVID-19 cases over the past three days were imported, most of them Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from abroad.
There were 23 new cases confirmed as of noon yesterday, 22 March, with 18 of them imported. This brings the total number of cases to 455, of which 144 have fully recovered.
As previously announced, all returning Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders will continue to be issued a 14-day SHN.
Also, Malaysians with Singapore work permits can continue to work here during this period, with accommodation arrangements.
Transport of goods between both countries will also be facilitated, the Singapore-Malaysia Special Working Committee has agreed.
Yesterday, Mr Wong said the border restrictions were very significant moves, especially for a small open economy like Singapore, which has always been connected to the world. "But this is an unprecedented crisis," he said.
On how long these measures will remain in place, he said: "I can't say at this stage.
"It depends on how long the outbreak is going to continue in Europe and America, which are now the new epicentres for the virus outbreak. It (also) depends on how long more we will see returning Singaporeans coming back."
Mr Wong also warned that the Government is considering measures against those who choose to travel overseas despite the border control measures.
Transport economist Walter Theseira said the tightening of borders will not have much of an additional impact on Singapore's aviation and tourism sectors, given that there is almost no demand for air travel worldwide due to the outbreak.
He added: "If we did open our borders fully tomorrow, I think about the only change would be, anyone who has an excuse to come here to hunker down would, but you wouldn't be getting tourists or business travellers."
Singapore residents who travel overseas may face consequences as Govt ramps up border controls
Additional measures being considered; work pass holders may not be allowed to re-enter
By Jean Iau, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
Those who choose to travel abroad despite travel advisories against doing so may face consequences, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.
The Government is considering measures against residents who choose to travel overseas despite border control restrictions, he said at a briefing.
"I don't think we can allow this to continue. We are discussing what additional measures may be needed," he said, adding that work pass holders who leave Singapore at this time may not be allowed to re-enter the country later.
Singapore issued a travel advisory last week telling Singaporeans to defer all travel.
Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force set up to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, gave the warning as he announced that all short-term visitors will be barred from entering or transiting in Singapore from 11.59pm today.
"We don't know the reasons (why people continue to travel), it may well be that they have very exceptional reasons to travel, but we do not want to see a third wave of imported cases from returning Singaporeans," he said, pointing to the rapidly escalating virus outbreak around the world.
"We are already having to digest this wave of returning Singaporeans now. I think if we experience third or fourth recurring waves of imported cases, it will be very, very challenging," he added, referring to how almost 80 per cent of new COVID-19 cases over the past three days were imported.
Most of them were Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from abroad.
The Ministry of Health said these imported cases had travel histories to 22 countries. About 90 per cent of them went to GP clinics and hospitals after returning home, as they had not displayed symptoms at the checkpoints, it added.
As was announced previously, all Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning to Singapore are required to complete a 14-day stay-home notice.
Those under the stay-home notice must remain in their place of residence at all times.
"With all of these measures, which are designed to keep Singaporeans and Singapore safe... the objective cannot be achieved with government measures alone," Mr Wong said. "We do need everyone to take responsibility, to step up and do their part," he added.
Asked how long the latest border restrictions announced yesterday would be in place, Mr Wong said he could not say at this stage.
"No one will know how long this current wave of imported cases we are experiencing will last. It depends on how long the outbreak is going to continue in Europe and America, which are now the new epicentres of the virus outbreak.
"It depends on how long more we will see returning Singaporeans... so we will monitor on a day-by-day basis," he said.
In a Facebook post last night, Mr Wong noted that the latest measures "are very major moves for a small open city like Singapore that has always been connected to the world".
"But this is an unprecedented crisis. Hence the task force has deliberated over the matter and decided to proceed with these measures," he said.
"We will continue to do everything we can to keep our borders safe, to limit the number of new cases, and importantly, to conserve our resources to focus on Singaporeans during this critical period."
Additional measures being considered; work pass holders may not be allowed to re-enter
By Jean Iau, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
Those who choose to travel abroad despite travel advisories against doing so may face consequences, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.
The Government is considering measures against residents who choose to travel overseas despite border control restrictions, he said at a briefing.
"I don't think we can allow this to continue. We are discussing what additional measures may be needed," he said, adding that work pass holders who leave Singapore at this time may not be allowed to re-enter the country later.
Singapore issued a travel advisory last week telling Singaporeans to defer all travel.
Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force set up to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, gave the warning as he announced that all short-term visitors will be barred from entering or transiting in Singapore from 11.59pm today.
"We don't know the reasons (why people continue to travel), it may well be that they have very exceptional reasons to travel, but we do not want to see a third wave of imported cases from returning Singaporeans," he said, pointing to the rapidly escalating virus outbreak around the world.
"We are already having to digest this wave of returning Singaporeans now. I think if we experience third or fourth recurring waves of imported cases, it will be very, very challenging," he added, referring to how almost 80 per cent of new COVID-19 cases over the past three days were imported.
Most of them were Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from abroad.
The Ministry of Health said these imported cases had travel histories to 22 countries. About 90 per cent of them went to GP clinics and hospitals after returning home, as they had not displayed symptoms at the checkpoints, it added.
As was announced previously, all Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning to Singapore are required to complete a 14-day stay-home notice.
Those under the stay-home notice must remain in their place of residence at all times.
"With all of these measures, which are designed to keep Singaporeans and Singapore safe... the objective cannot be achieved with government measures alone," Mr Wong said. "We do need everyone to take responsibility, to step up and do their part," he added.
Asked how long the latest border restrictions announced yesterday would be in place, Mr Wong said he could not say at this stage.
"No one will know how long this current wave of imported cases we are experiencing will last. It depends on how long the outbreak is going to continue in Europe and America, which are now the new epicentres of the virus outbreak.
"It depends on how long more we will see returning Singaporeans... so we will monitor on a day-by-day basis," he said.
In a Facebook post last night, Mr Wong noted that the latest measures "are very major moves for a small open city like Singapore that has always been connected to the world".
"But this is an unprecedented crisis. Hence the task force has deliberated over the matter and decided to proceed with these measures," he said.
"We will continue to do everything we can to keep our borders safe, to limit the number of new cases, and importantly, to conserve our resources to focus on Singaporeans during this critical period."
Tide yet to turn for coronavirus situation in Singapore, says PM Lee Hsien Loong in an interview with The Australian newspaper
Expect virus to persist for some time; social capital, trust must be built upon during crisis
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
While Singapore has been praised for its handling of the coronavirus situation, the Government is under no illusion that the problem is over, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.
The Government has done its best to tackle the virus - on the medical front, through social measures and with public reassurance - while it balances keeping Singapore's borders safe with maintaining essential trade and cooperation with other countries, PM Lee said in an interview with The Australian newspaper last Friday.
"If I made an analogy, it is not that the tide has turned, it is that we put the dykes up," PM Lee said.
"We are watching very carefully to see where water may leak in, and if you take your eyes off it for a moment, suddenly I have an outbreak, like what happened in South Korea, and I will be in a perilous situation.
"It can happen to us at any time," he added.
People should expect the virus to persist for "quite some time" based on current evidence, said PM Lee, as the virus continues to be a global problem despite successes in keeping cases down in individual countries.
The coronavirus "is going to catch fire in many countries, and is going to take a long time to burn out", he added.
"What you can hope for is that you control the spread of the disease, you hold the position, and hope and pray that the scientists come up with either a treatment or a vaccine within a year or two," he told the newspaper, ahead of a video call with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison today.
Like Singapore, each country has to find its own balance to prevent "the doomsday scenario, namely that the disease goes through the whole population".
"Either it is going to leave you with huge casualties or it is going to take forever, and to lock down forever," he said.
"I think it is an enormous economic cost and human cost too."
Asked about Singapore being considered the most successful country in dealing with the coronavirus, PM Lee said the Republic has been reasonably successful at hindering the transmission of COVID-19, despite being a densely populated island, because of good social trust, ample medical capacity and extensive contact tracing.
The country has worked very hard to contact-trace once it detects a case, and to put immediate contacts either on notice or on quarantine depending on if they displayed symptoms. To date, several thousand people have been contact-traced, he noted. "It is labour intensive, but it is helpful in preventing one single case from becoming many hundred cases, if you catch it in time," he said.
While social capital and trust in the Government have been key, these assets have to be built upon during a crisis or they will erode very quickly, he added.
This is why Singapore has a multi-ministry task force and almost-daily press conferences "to bring people up to date and to prepare people when something particularly significant or surprising happens", he said.
Without such transparency and engagement, the public will begin to doubt what they are told or think that facts are being withheld and "you will be in trouble very quickly", said PM Lee.
He will speak to Mr Morrison today via video link, and the two countries will sign a slew of agreements to deepen the bilateral relationship. Among these are a treaty to strengthen defence cooperation and enhance the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Queensland.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Exercise Wallaby, the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) largest annual overseas drill, which takes place at SWBTA. The current training area is about four times the size of Singapore, allowing the SAF to conduct large-scale and complex training not possible at home.
Agreements on digital economy cooperation and scientific cooperation on research of the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease are among others to be inked.
During the interview, PM Lee pointed out that Singapore and Australia have a close relationship and are like-minded countries that have gone through thick and thin together. "We would like to keep that friendship for a very long time to come," he said.
Expect virus to persist for some time; social capital, trust must be built upon during crisis
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
While Singapore has been praised for its handling of the coronavirus situation, the Government is under no illusion that the problem is over, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.
The Government has done its best to tackle the virus - on the medical front, through social measures and with public reassurance - while it balances keeping Singapore's borders safe with maintaining essential trade and cooperation with other countries, PM Lee said in an interview with The Australian newspaper last Friday.
"If I made an analogy, it is not that the tide has turned, it is that we put the dykes up," PM Lee said.
"We are watching very carefully to see where water may leak in, and if you take your eyes off it for a moment, suddenly I have an outbreak, like what happened in South Korea, and I will be in a perilous situation.
"It can happen to us at any time," he added.
People should expect the virus to persist for "quite some time" based on current evidence, said PM Lee, as the virus continues to be a global problem despite successes in keeping cases down in individual countries.
The coronavirus "is going to catch fire in many countries, and is going to take a long time to burn out", he added.
"What you can hope for is that you control the spread of the disease, you hold the position, and hope and pray that the scientists come up with either a treatment or a vaccine within a year or two," he told the newspaper, ahead of a video call with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison today.
Like Singapore, each country has to find its own balance to prevent "the doomsday scenario, namely that the disease goes through the whole population".
"Either it is going to leave you with huge casualties or it is going to take forever, and to lock down forever," he said.
"I think it is an enormous economic cost and human cost too."
Asked about Singapore being considered the most successful country in dealing with the coronavirus, PM Lee said the Republic has been reasonably successful at hindering the transmission of COVID-19, despite being a densely populated island, because of good social trust, ample medical capacity and extensive contact tracing.
The country has worked very hard to contact-trace once it detects a case, and to put immediate contacts either on notice or on quarantine depending on if they displayed symptoms. To date, several thousand people have been contact-traced, he noted. "It is labour intensive, but it is helpful in preventing one single case from becoming many hundred cases, if you catch it in time," he said.
While social capital and trust in the Government have been key, these assets have to be built upon during a crisis or they will erode very quickly, he added.
This is why Singapore has a multi-ministry task force and almost-daily press conferences "to bring people up to date and to prepare people when something particularly significant or surprising happens", he said.
Without such transparency and engagement, the public will begin to doubt what they are told or think that facts are being withheld and "you will be in trouble very quickly", said PM Lee.
He will speak to Mr Morrison today via video link, and the two countries will sign a slew of agreements to deepen the bilateral relationship. Among these are a treaty to strengthen defence cooperation and enhance the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Queensland.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Exercise Wallaby, the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) largest annual overseas drill, which takes place at SWBTA. The current training area is about four times the size of Singapore, allowing the SAF to conduct large-scale and complex training not possible at home.
Agreements on digital economy cooperation and scientific cooperation on research of the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease are among others to be inked.
During the interview, PM Lee pointed out that Singapore and Australia have a close relationship and are like-minded countries that have gone through thick and thin together. "We would like to keep that friendship for a very long time to come," he said.
Coronavirus: Globalisation under scrutiny, but unrealistic to turn inwards, says PM Lee
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
The coronavirus outbreak will cause many countries to rethink the level of globalisation and interdependency they are comfortable with, but trying to reverse time and return to closed economies is unrealistic, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Diversification of supply chains is also not the same as bifurcation, added PM Lee, who called for the United States and China to find ways to work together constructively and stably.
The logical extreme of globalisation, where the world is completely borderless and there is complete dependence on one source for important things like electronics or even food "is going to come under searching scrutiny", PM Lee told The Australian newspaper in an interview.
"Even Singapore will have to ask ourselves, in a crisis, what will we be short of?" said PM Lee.
"Masks in this crisis, but in another crisis, it may be something else. Certainly, you have to ask whether your food supplies are secure," he said.
But while there has to be some diversification, "fire breaks" and checks on movements of people, the world cannot go back to when countries were disconnected from one another, said PM Lee.
He noted that the flu pandemic of 1917 swept through the world even though it was much less globalised then.
"So to shut yourself off and hope to become impregnable, I do not think it is a realistic approach," he said.
Asked about US-China trade tensions, PM Lee noted that the phase one trade deal signed in January forestalled further conflict, but did not address many of the difficult issues between the world's two biggest economies, nor the fundamental strategic tension in the relationship due to a rising China.
While both countries are now preoccupied by COVID-19, this issue will eventually return no matter who wins the upcoming US presidential election, said PM Lee.
"You will always have a tension in it, but at least some mutual understanding of each other's position, and what is a way forward which will acknowledge that tension, but enable the two countries to work constructively together in a wide range of areas, and stably," he said.
PM Lee said countries in the region hope that the US will take an open view of its role in the world, and endeavour to maintain today's rules-based global order even as it enters an era when it has to accommodate other major players.
"I hope that it (the US) will eventually settle somewhere that is in keeping with the generosity of spirit and breadth of vision which has for very long characterised the US approach to not just international affairs, but even to their self-conception of their role in the world," said PM Lee.
By Lim Yan Liang, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
The coronavirus outbreak will cause many countries to rethink the level of globalisation and interdependency they are comfortable with, but trying to reverse time and return to closed economies is unrealistic, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Diversification of supply chains is also not the same as bifurcation, added PM Lee, who called for the United States and China to find ways to work together constructively and stably.
The logical extreme of globalisation, where the world is completely borderless and there is complete dependence on one source for important things like electronics or even food "is going to come under searching scrutiny", PM Lee told The Australian newspaper in an interview.
"Even Singapore will have to ask ourselves, in a crisis, what will we be short of?" said PM Lee.
"Masks in this crisis, but in another crisis, it may be something else. Certainly, you have to ask whether your food supplies are secure," he said.
But while there has to be some diversification, "fire breaks" and checks on movements of people, the world cannot go back to when countries were disconnected from one another, said PM Lee.
He noted that the flu pandemic of 1917 swept through the world even though it was much less globalised then.
"So to shut yourself off and hope to become impregnable, I do not think it is a realistic approach," he said.
Asked about US-China trade tensions, PM Lee noted that the phase one trade deal signed in January forestalled further conflict, but did not address many of the difficult issues between the world's two biggest economies, nor the fundamental strategic tension in the relationship due to a rising China.
While both countries are now preoccupied by COVID-19, this issue will eventually return no matter who wins the upcoming US presidential election, said PM Lee.
"You will always have a tension in it, but at least some mutual understanding of each other's position, and what is a way forward which will acknowledge that tension, but enable the two countries to work constructively together in a wide range of areas, and stably," he said.
PM Lee said countries in the region hope that the US will take an open view of its role in the world, and endeavour to maintain today's rules-based global order even as it enters an era when it has to accommodate other major players.
"I hope that it (the US) will eventually settle somewhere that is in keeping with the generosity of spirit and breadth of vision which has for very long characterised the US approach to not just international affairs, but even to their self-conception of their role in the world," said PM Lee.
Coronavirus: Education Minister Ong Ye Kung responds to concerns on schools reopening
He points to extra precautions, scientific evidence and need to reduce disruptions
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung responded to parents' concerns about schools reopening today, citing scientific evidence, extra precautions and a desire to reduce disruptions as key considerations in allowing students to resume classes.
His Facebook post yesterday came after Singapore announced it would bar all short-term visitors from entering or transiting through the country from 11.59pm today, to reduce the risk of imported coronavirus cases.
Said Mr Ong: "Part of the reason for the tougher border measures is to ensure we keep Singapore as safe as possible, so that daily activities, like going to work, eating out and attending school, can go on."
He said he has received many e-mails and messages from parents, with some asking why the March holidays were not extended, especially given the rising number of imported COVID-19 cases and impending border closures.
Others, including several students, urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to keep schools open as they would like to go to school, he added.
Setting out MOE's thinking on the matter, he said COVID-19 does not affect the young as much as it does adults - echoing remarks made by Professor Dale Fisher, chair of the World Health Organisation's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.
"Neither is there evidence to show that the young are vectors or spreaders of the virus," Mr Ong said.
"The reverse appears to be the case, where the young get infected by adults at home."
None of the students in Singapore who contracted COVID-19 caught it in school, he added.
"In this context, it may not be a bad idea for our children to spend the bulk of their day in school, where lessons and activities are arranged such that they mingle only with their classmates, who are less susceptible to the virus than adults," Mr Ong said.
"They will be quite a resilient group. If we close schools, many will not stay home, but may run around in the community and mingle with a lot more people, exposing themselves to more risk."
The minister also said closing schools would disrupt the lives of many people, particularly parents who have limited childcare options.
"We are particularly concerned about parents who are healthcare workers and providers of essential services."
Various measures will help keep students safe, he said, pointing to the Government's existing leave of absence and stay-home notice policy, as well as checks on people's travel history at school gates, which will be done as an extra precaution.
Students will also spend their time only with those in their classes, with co-curricular activities suspended for two weeks.
They will sit apart in class and be reminded to wash their hands regularly and avoid touching their faces.
Those who are not feeling well - be it with a cough or sore throat - will be placed in an isolation room or sent home, Mr Ong added.
"Implemented together, these measures will serve as a robust layer of system defence, complementing the natural defence children may already have, to enable school to continue," he said.
He points to extra precautions, scientific evidence and need to reduce disruptions
By Toh Wen Li, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung responded to parents' concerns about schools reopening today, citing scientific evidence, extra precautions and a desire to reduce disruptions as key considerations in allowing students to resume classes.
His Facebook post yesterday came after Singapore announced it would bar all short-term visitors from entering or transiting through the country from 11.59pm today, to reduce the risk of imported coronavirus cases.
Said Mr Ong: "Part of the reason for the tougher border measures is to ensure we keep Singapore as safe as possible, so that daily activities, like going to work, eating out and attending school, can go on."
He said he has received many e-mails and messages from parents, with some asking why the March holidays were not extended, especially given the rising number of imported COVID-19 cases and impending border closures.
Others, including several students, urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to keep schools open as they would like to go to school, he added.
Setting out MOE's thinking on the matter, he said COVID-19 does not affect the young as much as it does adults - echoing remarks made by Professor Dale Fisher, chair of the World Health Organisation's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.
"Neither is there evidence to show that the young are vectors or spreaders of the virus," Mr Ong said.
"The reverse appears to be the case, where the young get infected by adults at home."
None of the students in Singapore who contracted COVID-19 caught it in school, he added.
"In this context, it may not be a bad idea for our children to spend the bulk of their day in school, where lessons and activities are arranged such that they mingle only with their classmates, who are less susceptible to the virus than adults," Mr Ong said.
"They will be quite a resilient group. If we close schools, many will not stay home, but may run around in the community and mingle with a lot more people, exposing themselves to more risk."
The minister also said closing schools would disrupt the lives of many people, particularly parents who have limited childcare options.
"We are particularly concerned about parents who are healthcare workers and providers of essential services."
Various measures will help keep students safe, he said, pointing to the Government's existing leave of absence and stay-home notice policy, as well as checks on people's travel history at school gates, which will be done as an extra precaution.
Students will also spend their time only with those in their classes, with co-curricular activities suspended for two weeks.
They will sit apart in class and be reminded to wash their hands regularly and avoid touching their faces.
Those who are not feeling well - be it with a cough or sore throat - will be placed in an isolation room or sent home, Mr Ong added.
"Implemented together, these measures will serve as a robust layer of system defence, complementing the natural defence children may already have, to enable school to continue," he said.
'I'm isolating myself as if I have the virus': Students returning from overseas taking stay-home notice seriously
By Michelle Ng, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
After a 21-hour journey that included a Paris layover, graduate student Lim Ying Xuan arrived at a relatively empty Changi Airport where he quickly collected his luggage and headed straight to a relative's vacant flat, where he will be spending the next two weeks alone.
His family had stocked the fridge with groceries and daily essentials for the University of Cambridge history student, 25, to serve out his 14-day stay-home notice at the four-room Housing Board unit in Punggol from Friday.
"I'm isolating myself and treating it as if I have the virus. I don't want to put my family at risk because within the United Kingdom, we don't know who has the virus and who doesn't," Mr Lim told The Straits Times over the phone.
His parents, who are in their 60s, occasionally drop off food at his front door. Mr Lim, who said he is feeling well, opens the door and waves to them only when they are at the lift landing some metres away.
Mr Lim is one of many Singaporeans studying overseas who have returned home in the past week, after an advisory by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) last Tuesday to do so, as the number of COVID-19 cases globally increases rapidly.
Since Saturday, Singaporeans and residents returning to the country must serve a mandatory 14-day stay-home notice. All short-term visitors will no longer be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore from 11.59pm today.
"The moment MFA issued the advisory, friends who had lingering doubts about whether or not to go back made their decision," said Mr Lim.
What ensued was a "mad rush" to book a one-way flight ticket and pack four years' worth of belongings into two bags, he added.
Mr Lim monitors his temperature twice daily and records it on a white board where he counts down to the day he can step out of the house.
Some returning overseas students said it was a relief to be home.
Early last week, fine arts undergraduate Joshua Lau, 22, said he and his sister Deborah, 23, were still debating whether to leave London.
"But when we stepped into Changi, it was a huge mental relief. Our fear was if we had got sick in London, we wouldn't be able to get proper healthcare because we're international students," said Mr Lau, who attends Central Saint Martins in London. His sister is an arts and culture management postgraduate student at King's College.
He added that he knows of at least 15 other Singaporean students who have flown home in the past week.
The flight home was not without drama for Mr Lau, who said some travellers at Gatwick Airport where he was taking his flight had on hazmat suits and raincoats.
The siblings wore only masks on the flight, as that was all they had.
Back in Singapore, they disinfected their luggage and shoes before stepping into the house and now spend most of their time in separate bedrooms.
"If I want to talk to my family in person, we'll stand a distance away. Hugs can wait; what's important is that we're all back together safely," said Mr Lau.
National University of Singapore medical school student Shanisse Tsai, 22, is doing the same.
Ms Tsai, who was in Boston for a four-week internship programme at Harvard Medical School, decided to self-isolate for two weeks despite having arrived a day before the stay-home notice kicked in.
"I went through the airports and various points of contact, so even though it's not mandatory, I think the socially responsible thing to do is to isolate myself," she said.
Her family members leave her meals outside her door.
She is working on a research project in place of the now-cancelled internship programme as she had completed only two of the scheduled four weeks.
"At first, it was quite disappointing to leave because the internship was really hard to get. But as the situation got more serious in Boston, nothing beats the anticipation to get home; I just wanted to come home as soon as possible," she said.
Ms Tsai has started sharing her stay-home experience on social media, besides keeping in touch with her friends over video calls. "I'm vlogging my life in this small space so after 14 days, I can look back to see what I did and help other people think of things to do in their rooms."
Coronavirus: An unprecedented Singapore border closure, in unprecedented times
Singapore shut its doors to tourists and short-term visitors from today. The lockdown is necessary to stem imported infections and may prevent the need for a full shutdown of the local economy.
By Grace Ho, The Straits Times, 24 Mar 2020
At the stroke of midnight on Monday, Singapore did something it has never done before - close its borders to tourists and short-term visitors.
The stakes have never been higher. The move came a day after Singapore confirmed its first two coronavirus-related deaths, a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man. The number infected here with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, now number over 500, the bulk of them imported cases.
To limit the spread of Covid-19, short-term visitors can no longer enter or transit through Singapore, while work pass holders and their dependants are allowed to return to Singapore only if they work in essential service sectors such as healthcare and transport, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Sunday.
Such a move is unprecedented. The Republic did not turn away visitors even at the height of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic.
The decision to close Singapore, a highly connected air hub, could not have been easy, but an inflexion point was reached. Steps had to be taken to safeguard Singaporeans' interests.
First, empirical evidence points to imported cases as the cause of the recent sharp spike in numbers.
Second, no one knows how long the global pandemic will last. In earlier crises, from the 1997 Asian financial crisis to Sars in 2003 to the 2009 global financial crisis, Singapore's economy recovered fairly quickly because conditions elsewhere improved. It helped that only certain sectors or regions were badly hit.
But Covid-19 is not sparing any country, causing healthcare systems to be overwhelmed as tens of thousands fall sick. As countries close shops and restaurants to stop the spread, the world is heading into recession. Experts expect the outbreak to last a year or more.
With a protracted battle ahead, resources must be conserved so the healthcare system can focus on Singaporeans.
Before the ban, short-term visitors from all but a handful of countries were allowed to enter Singapore, but were issued a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival.
MOH explained on Sunday that this meant resources were being expended to serve and enforce SHNs on them and, if they fell ill, to provide them with medical treatment. As of last Saturday, there were still 533 short-term visitors arriving here.
Banning short-term visitors from entry allows Singapore to focus its resources on helping Singapore citizens and permanent residents, including those returning from studies or work overseas.
TIGHTENING OF BORDER CONTROLS
The move to shut borders may be drastic, but it comes after a series of calibrated measures to manage the outbreak.
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan told The Straits Times: "As the measures are being calibrated upwards, those who are potentially carrying the virus as a result of their travels will have to be denied entry. This is not a time, put bluntly, to be travelling at will."
Singapore was swift to introduce temperature screening in January for incoming flights. It was among the first countries to ban visitors from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in China.
Its border controls have been surgical and responsive to infection spread in other cities. Travellers from areas with some transmission were put on 14-day SHNs to sieve out those who had caught the virus.
As the virus spread widely in places like Iran, Italy and certain regions in South Korea, the controls were tightened to outright bans for travellers from those areas.
Through it all, and even now, Singapore's doors remain open to welcome back its citizens and permanent residents.
Border controls were progressively tightened not only in response to infection spread globally, but also when there was community spread domestically, and when the number of imported cases here went up.
This risk-based approach to control imported infections meant Singapore remained open for business domestically through the outbreak.
NO FULL LOCKDOWN
Even with the latest move, Singapore has stopped short of the more severe steps taken by other countries. There is no full-scale lockdown within the country. Schools have reopened after a one-week holiday, with stricter measures in place to limit activities and keep students apart.
Restaurants, cinemas and other businesses remain open but are expected to follow stricter social distancing guidelines. Working from home is now de rigueur, but not mandated.
Lockdown orders - requiring residents to stay at home - have been issued in China, Italy, some American cities, New Zealand and others.
Closer to home, Malaysia announced a two-week lockdown, closing its borders as well as schools and businesses, prompting employers in Singapore to scramble to secure temporary lodging for stranded workers.
In closing borders yet keeping the city open for business internally, the Government is walking a tightrope between preserving public health and keeping the economy afloat, analysts say.
"The economic downsides are glaringly obvious, yet the speed of transmission is so rapid that if we lose two or three days, it may mean the difference between life and death for many people," says Dr Jeremy Lim, partner for health and life sciences at consultancy firm Oliver Wyman.
"It needs to be very carefully calibrated. Since the task force meets every day, there is the ability to review decisions and the Government can mobilise very quickly."
ECONOMIC IMPACT
With tourists barred from entering, the tourism sector, which had slowed to a trickle, will dry up. Singapore Airlines is already slashing 96 per cent of its capacity.
With all ticketed cultural, sports and entertainment events with 250 participants or more deferred or cancelled, companies in vulnerable sectors such as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) are going into the red. DBS Bank economist Irvin Seah has projected that Singapore's economy may contract 0.5 per cent for the full year.
But how long will the ban on short-term visitors last before the economy shrivels up?
Australia's border closure will last six months, but New Zealand's is for one month, at least for now.
Analysts say three broad things need to happen for the country to be out of the woods.
First, the total number of infected cases must go down.
Second, the number of unlinked cases here - a sign of community spread - must not go up, otherwise it would mean that social distancing measures have not been successful.
Third, and critically for affected workers and businesses, is government stimulus measures. "It is very difficult to tell food and beverage outlets not to operate if there is no lifeline. If they can get cash into people's hands quickly enough, that would help make the pain of closing businesses a lot easier to manage," says Dr Lim.
All eyes are thus on Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who will present a supplementary Budget on Thursday, in addition to the $4 billion Stabilisation and Support Package rolled out last month.
"This is the first time that we are introducing a supplementary Budget so soon after the main Budget, reflecting how fast the situation has deteriorated over the past weeks," Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, wrote in a Facebook post yesterday.
The pandemic is both a public health and an economic emergency. Infection numbers are rising so exponentially, with attendant costs on human health, healthcare resources and the economy, that swift action is needed.
Sealing Singapore's borders from external visitors is an extreme step sure to impose social and economic hardship on many Singaporeans.
But if it manages to rein in infection numbers - and Singapore is able to prevent re-infections from overseas - then it will be able to recover better.
In that sense then, a partial shutdown - closing borders - may be a way to avert a total shutdown of closing all domestic businesses, which will have an even harsher impact.
By Michelle Ng, The Straits Times, 23 Mar 2020
After a 21-hour journey that included a Paris layover, graduate student Lim Ying Xuan arrived at a relatively empty Changi Airport where he quickly collected his luggage and headed straight to a relative's vacant flat, where he will be spending the next two weeks alone.
His family had stocked the fridge with groceries and daily essentials for the University of Cambridge history student, 25, to serve out his 14-day stay-home notice at the four-room Housing Board unit in Punggol from Friday.
"I'm isolating myself and treating it as if I have the virus. I don't want to put my family at risk because within the United Kingdom, we don't know who has the virus and who doesn't," Mr Lim told The Straits Times over the phone.
His parents, who are in their 60s, occasionally drop off food at his front door. Mr Lim, who said he is feeling well, opens the door and waves to them only when they are at the lift landing some metres away.
Mr Lim is one of many Singaporeans studying overseas who have returned home in the past week, after an advisory by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) last Tuesday to do so, as the number of COVID-19 cases globally increases rapidly.
Since Saturday, Singaporeans and residents returning to the country must serve a mandatory 14-day stay-home notice. All short-term visitors will no longer be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore from 11.59pm today.
"The moment MFA issued the advisory, friends who had lingering doubts about whether or not to go back made their decision," said Mr Lim.
What ensued was a "mad rush" to book a one-way flight ticket and pack four years' worth of belongings into two bags, he added.
Mr Lim monitors his temperature twice daily and records it on a white board where he counts down to the day he can step out of the house.
Some returning overseas students said it was a relief to be home.
Early last week, fine arts undergraduate Joshua Lau, 22, said he and his sister Deborah, 23, were still debating whether to leave London.
"But when we stepped into Changi, it was a huge mental relief. Our fear was if we had got sick in London, we wouldn't be able to get proper healthcare because we're international students," said Mr Lau, who attends Central Saint Martins in London. His sister is an arts and culture management postgraduate student at King's College.
He added that he knows of at least 15 other Singaporean students who have flown home in the past week.
The flight home was not without drama for Mr Lau, who said some travellers at Gatwick Airport where he was taking his flight had on hazmat suits and raincoats.
The siblings wore only masks on the flight, as that was all they had.
Back in Singapore, they disinfected their luggage and shoes before stepping into the house and now spend most of their time in separate bedrooms.
"If I want to talk to my family in person, we'll stand a distance away. Hugs can wait; what's important is that we're all back together safely," said Mr Lau.
National University of Singapore medical school student Shanisse Tsai, 22, is doing the same.
Ms Tsai, who was in Boston for a four-week internship programme at Harvard Medical School, decided to self-isolate for two weeks despite having arrived a day before the stay-home notice kicked in.
"I went through the airports and various points of contact, so even though it's not mandatory, I think the socially responsible thing to do is to isolate myself," she said.
Her family members leave her meals outside her door.
She is working on a research project in place of the now-cancelled internship programme as she had completed only two of the scheduled four weeks.
"At first, it was quite disappointing to leave because the internship was really hard to get. But as the situation got more serious in Boston, nothing beats the anticipation to get home; I just wanted to come home as soon as possible," she said.
Ms Tsai has started sharing her stay-home experience on social media, besides keeping in touch with her friends over video calls. "I'm vlogging my life in this small space so after 14 days, I can look back to see what I did and help other people think of things to do in their rooms."
Coronavirus: An unprecedented Singapore border closure, in unprecedented times
Singapore shut its doors to tourists and short-term visitors from today. The lockdown is necessary to stem imported infections and may prevent the need for a full shutdown of the local economy.
By Grace Ho, The Straits Times, 24 Mar 2020
The stakes have never been higher. The move came a day after Singapore confirmed its first two coronavirus-related deaths, a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man. The number infected here with Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, now number over 500, the bulk of them imported cases.
To limit the spread of Covid-19, short-term visitors can no longer enter or transit through Singapore, while work pass holders and their dependants are allowed to return to Singapore only if they work in essential service sectors such as healthcare and transport, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Sunday.
Such a move is unprecedented. The Republic did not turn away visitors even at the height of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic.
The decision to close Singapore, a highly connected air hub, could not have been easy, but an inflexion point was reached. Steps had to be taken to safeguard Singaporeans' interests.
First, empirical evidence points to imported cases as the cause of the recent sharp spike in numbers.
Second, no one knows how long the global pandemic will last. In earlier crises, from the 1997 Asian financial crisis to Sars in 2003 to the 2009 global financial crisis, Singapore's economy recovered fairly quickly because conditions elsewhere improved. It helped that only certain sectors or regions were badly hit.
But Covid-19 is not sparing any country, causing healthcare systems to be overwhelmed as tens of thousands fall sick. As countries close shops and restaurants to stop the spread, the world is heading into recession. Experts expect the outbreak to last a year or more.
With a protracted battle ahead, resources must be conserved so the healthcare system can focus on Singaporeans.
Before the ban, short-term visitors from all but a handful of countries were allowed to enter Singapore, but were issued a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival.
MOH explained on Sunday that this meant resources were being expended to serve and enforce SHNs on them and, if they fell ill, to provide them with medical treatment. As of last Saturday, there were still 533 short-term visitors arriving here.
Banning short-term visitors from entry allows Singapore to focus its resources on helping Singapore citizens and permanent residents, including those returning from studies or work overseas.
TIGHTENING OF BORDER CONTROLS
The move to shut borders may be drastic, but it comes after a series of calibrated measures to manage the outbreak.
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan told The Straits Times: "As the measures are being calibrated upwards, those who are potentially carrying the virus as a result of their travels will have to be denied entry. This is not a time, put bluntly, to be travelling at will."
Singapore was swift to introduce temperature screening in January for incoming flights. It was among the first countries to ban visitors from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in China.
Its border controls have been surgical and responsive to infection spread in other cities. Travellers from areas with some transmission were put on 14-day SHNs to sieve out those who had caught the virus.
As the virus spread widely in places like Iran, Italy and certain regions in South Korea, the controls were tightened to outright bans for travellers from those areas.
Through it all, and even now, Singapore's doors remain open to welcome back its citizens and permanent residents.
Border controls were progressively tightened not only in response to infection spread globally, but also when there was community spread domestically, and when the number of imported cases here went up.
This risk-based approach to control imported infections meant Singapore remained open for business domestically through the outbreak.
NO FULL LOCKDOWN
Even with the latest move, Singapore has stopped short of the more severe steps taken by other countries. There is no full-scale lockdown within the country. Schools have reopened after a one-week holiday, with stricter measures in place to limit activities and keep students apart.
Restaurants, cinemas and other businesses remain open but are expected to follow stricter social distancing guidelines. Working from home is now de rigueur, but not mandated.
Lockdown orders - requiring residents to stay at home - have been issued in China, Italy, some American cities, New Zealand and others.
Closer to home, Malaysia announced a two-week lockdown, closing its borders as well as schools and businesses, prompting employers in Singapore to scramble to secure temporary lodging for stranded workers.
In closing borders yet keeping the city open for business internally, the Government is walking a tightrope between preserving public health and keeping the economy afloat, analysts say.
"The economic downsides are glaringly obvious, yet the speed of transmission is so rapid that if we lose two or three days, it may mean the difference between life and death for many people," says Dr Jeremy Lim, partner for health and life sciences at consultancy firm Oliver Wyman.
"It needs to be very carefully calibrated. Since the task force meets every day, there is the ability to review decisions and the Government can mobilise very quickly."
ECONOMIC IMPACT
With tourists barred from entering, the tourism sector, which had slowed to a trickle, will dry up. Singapore Airlines is already slashing 96 per cent of its capacity.
With all ticketed cultural, sports and entertainment events with 250 participants or more deferred or cancelled, companies in vulnerable sectors such as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) are going into the red. DBS Bank economist Irvin Seah has projected that Singapore's economy may contract 0.5 per cent for the full year.
But how long will the ban on short-term visitors last before the economy shrivels up?
Australia's border closure will last six months, but New Zealand's is for one month, at least for now.
Analysts say three broad things need to happen for the country to be out of the woods.
First, the total number of infected cases must go down.
Second, the number of unlinked cases here - a sign of community spread - must not go up, otherwise it would mean that social distancing measures have not been successful.
Third, and critically for affected workers and businesses, is government stimulus measures. "It is very difficult to tell food and beverage outlets not to operate if there is no lifeline. If they can get cash into people's hands quickly enough, that would help make the pain of closing businesses a lot easier to manage," says Dr Lim.
All eyes are thus on Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who will present a supplementary Budget on Thursday, in addition to the $4 billion Stabilisation and Support Package rolled out last month.
"This is the first time that we are introducing a supplementary Budget so soon after the main Budget, reflecting how fast the situation has deteriorated over the past weeks," Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, wrote in a Facebook post yesterday.
The pandemic is both a public health and an economic emergency. Infection numbers are rising so exponentially, with attendant costs on human health, healthcare resources and the economy, that swift action is needed.
Sealing Singapore's borders from external visitors is an extreme step sure to impose social and economic hardship on many Singaporeans.
But if it manages to rein in infection numbers - and Singapore is able to prevent re-infections from overseas - then it will be able to recover better.
In that sense then, a partial shutdown - closing borders - may be a way to avert a total shutdown of closing all domestic businesses, which will have an even harsher impact.
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