Health and safety of Singaporeans is paramount: Lawrence Wong
National Development Minister says tough measures will affect lives and livelihoods but can be eased if Singaporeans cooperate
Decisions must be made from public health perspective even if economy suffers, he says
By Salma Khalik, Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Tough decisions are being taken - and some of these are affecting the economy - but National Development Minister Lawrence Wong feels that Singapore will just have to "manage it".
Right now, only one thing is paramount: the health and safety of Singaporeans.
But down the road, if everyone plays their part, some of the tough measures that have cramped life on the island as it battles the COVID-19 outbreak can be eased, said Mr Wong, in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times yesterday.
On the flip side, the number of unlinked cases going up could play the spoiler. Or a super-spreader event could unleash a nightmare scenario.
"Our basis of making decisions has to be, first and foremost, from a public health perspective, doing what is right and necessary", said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force battling the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore.
"That, to me, is the key priority."
As the pandemic spreads locally and globally, Singapore has steadily ramped up its defences - from tougher border control and travel restrictions, to curbs on public gatherings, shutting down bars and entertainment outlets and encouraging people to work from home.
Mr Wong said: "There will be economic consequences from these public health measures, but I think that we will have to just manage it... Rather than worry too much about the economic impact and because of that, choose not to take certain important public health measures."
The COVID-19 pandemic is here for the long haul and life will not go back to normal any time soon. But some of these measures can be eased if each person does his or her part, he said.
Using the analogy of brakes that may be applied till the end of the year or even longer, Mr Wong said: "If the situation is managed well by then (end-April), we could lift our foot off the pedal slightly, but not completely."
But if the number of unlinked cases goes up, "we will have to apply more pressure on the brakes" with even tougher measures.
"We have to be mentally and psychologically prepared for this," said the minister, who has been working from home, together with more than 90 per cent of his ministry.
A total of 1,000 people have been infected, with more than 460 patients still in hospital here. Three have died.
Speaking of his experience since he was made co-chairman of the task force in January, Mr Wong said: "Every day, we are discussing, thinking through potential scenarios of how the virus can unfold and then developing new measures, adjusting and updating our measures."
The decisions often have to be made quickly, without the benefit of complete data in a rapidly evolving situation. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong co-chairs the task force with Mr Wong.
The Government knows that its decisions have an impact on people's lives and livelihoods.
But not implementing the public health measures does not mean that there will be zero economic impact, Mr Wong said.
As the virus spreads, people would stop travelling or going out, so the impact on the economy would still be there.
What he fears most, and the reason he does not "have peaceful sleep at night", is the prospect of one super-spreader event. He said: "You only need one event to be a super-spreader event that can cause a large uncontrollable outbreak and then it starts to accelerate.
"When it accelerates and it's out of control, it overwhelms your hospital system and then you start to see rising mortality rates, particularly amongst the more vulnerable groups."
His biggest concern now is the local unlinked cases. There are more than 100 of such cases.
This figure, he said, is more worrying than the "headline number" as it points to the virus spreading in the community.
"We do know that the virus continues to circulate within our own population," he said.
He said it is important to "get all Singaporeans to understand that every person is, in fact, on the front line. Every Singaporean can make a difference in slowing down the spread of the virus today".
Another worry is a new COVID-19 epicentre somewhere in the world. "We had a first wave of imported cases from China, and then a series of local cases," he said. "Now, we are dealing with a second wave of imported cases and a consequential wave of local cases as well."
If the virus epicentre moves to other parts of the world, there may be yet another wave of returning Singaporeans, bringing the virus back with them.
That would not be a problem if those who are sick isolate themselves. While most do, there are some who flout these measures, including the stay-home notice, which prevents people from leaving their homes for 14 days.
Mr Wong said: "When we see such breaches, we will not hesitate to prosecute them, and to use the full force of the law to go after them."
To people who have suggested a two-week lockdown to reset the country back to normalcy, he said there is no short-term fix. "It's just not going to happen."
National Development Minister says tough measures will affect lives and livelihoods but can be eased if Singaporeans cooperate
Decisions must be made from public health perspective even if economy suffers, he says
By Salma Khalik, Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Right now, only one thing is paramount: the health and safety of Singaporeans.
But down the road, if everyone plays their part, some of the tough measures that have cramped life on the island as it battles the COVID-19 outbreak can be eased, said Mr Wong, in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times yesterday.
On the flip side, the number of unlinked cases going up could play the spoiler. Or a super-spreader event could unleash a nightmare scenario.
"Our basis of making decisions has to be, first and foremost, from a public health perspective, doing what is right and necessary", said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force battling the COVID-19 outbreak in Singapore.
"That, to me, is the key priority."
As the pandemic spreads locally and globally, Singapore has steadily ramped up its defences - from tougher border control and travel restrictions, to curbs on public gatherings, shutting down bars and entertainment outlets and encouraging people to work from home.
Mr Wong said: "There will be economic consequences from these public health measures, but I think that we will have to just manage it... Rather than worry too much about the economic impact and because of that, choose not to take certain important public health measures."
The COVID-19 pandemic is here for the long haul and life will not go back to normal any time soon. But some of these measures can be eased if each person does his or her part, he said.
Using the analogy of brakes that may be applied till the end of the year or even longer, Mr Wong said: "If the situation is managed well by then (end-April), we could lift our foot off the pedal slightly, but not completely."
But if the number of unlinked cases goes up, "we will have to apply more pressure on the brakes" with even tougher measures.
"We have to be mentally and psychologically prepared for this," said the minister, who has been working from home, together with more than 90 per cent of his ministry.
A total of 1,000 people have been infected, with more than 460 patients still in hospital here. Three have died.
Speaking of his experience since he was made co-chairman of the task force in January, Mr Wong said: "Every day, we are discussing, thinking through potential scenarios of how the virus can unfold and then developing new measures, adjusting and updating our measures."
The decisions often have to be made quickly, without the benefit of complete data in a rapidly evolving situation. Health Minister Gan Kim Yong co-chairs the task force with Mr Wong.
The Government knows that its decisions have an impact on people's lives and livelihoods.
But not implementing the public health measures does not mean that there will be zero economic impact, Mr Wong said.
As the virus spreads, people would stop travelling or going out, so the impact on the economy would still be there.
What he fears most, and the reason he does not "have peaceful sleep at night", is the prospect of one super-spreader event. He said: "You only need one event to be a super-spreader event that can cause a large uncontrollable outbreak and then it starts to accelerate.
"When it accelerates and it's out of control, it overwhelms your hospital system and then you start to see rising mortality rates, particularly amongst the more vulnerable groups."
His biggest concern now is the local unlinked cases. There are more than 100 of such cases.
This figure, he said, is more worrying than the "headline number" as it points to the virus spreading in the community.
"We do know that the virus continues to circulate within our own population," he said.
Another worry is a new COVID-19 epicentre somewhere in the world. "We had a first wave of imported cases from China, and then a series of local cases," he said. "Now, we are dealing with a second wave of imported cases and a consequential wave of local cases as well."
If the virus epicentre moves to other parts of the world, there may be yet another wave of returning Singaporeans, bringing the virus back with them.
That would not be a problem if those who are sick isolate themselves. While most do, there are some who flout these measures, including the stay-home notice, which prevents people from leaving their homes for 14 days.
Mr Wong said: "When we see such breaches, we will not hesitate to prosecute them, and to use the full force of the law to go after them."
To people who have suggested a two-week lockdown to reset the country back to normalcy, he said there is no short-term fix. "It's just not going to happen."
COVID-19 TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRMAN LAWRENCE WONG ON...
Concerns over growing number of local, unlinked cases and no short-term fix
"If the cases still rise, unlinked cases still rise, and the situation warrants it, then we will have to apply more pressure on the brakes and go for even more measures to help slow down the virus spread.
"That's where we will be for months and we have to be mentally prepared and psychologically prepared for this."
The possible easing of measures
"If the situation is managed well by then (end-April), we could lift our foot off the pedal slightly but not completely."
The best way to thank workers on the front line
"I think it's very heartwarming to see Singaporeans stepping forward and showing their appreciation... But I would say the best way that we can really pay tribute to them and show appreciation to them is for each one of us to uphold individual and social responsibility in abiding by the advisories, the guidelines that we have put out."
The need to stay at home
"Stay at home as much as you can, avoid contact with others, avoid unnecessary activities, and minimise contact with people outside of your immediate family members."
Concerns over growing number of local, unlinked cases and no short-term fix
"If the cases still rise, unlinked cases still rise, and the situation warrants it, then we will have to apply more pressure on the brakes and go for even more measures to help slow down the virus spread.
"That's where we will be for months and we have to be mentally prepared and psychologically prepared for this."
The possible easing of measures
"If the situation is managed well by then (end-April), we could lift our foot off the pedal slightly but not completely."
The best way to thank workers on the front line
"I think it's very heartwarming to see Singaporeans stepping forward and showing their appreciation... But I would say the best way that we can really pay tribute to them and show appreciation to them is for each one of us to uphold individual and social responsibility in abiding by the advisories, the guidelines that we have put out."
The need to stay at home
"Stay at home as much as you can, avoid contact with others, avoid unnecessary activities, and minimise contact with people outside of your immediate family members."
Singapore at critical stage of infection curve: Lawrence Wong
By Clara Chong, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Singapore is at a "very critical time" on the COVID-19 infection curve, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong yesterday.
While there are now fewer cases of Singaporeans overseas bringing home the virus, the increasing number of local and unlinked cases is concerning, he told The Straits Times.
The Government has introduced a slew of new safe distancing measures, but it will take about two weeks to determine if they work, he said. "The very stringent set of safe distancing measures came into effect only last Friday. That's still too early... all that we are seeing today is, in fact, the result of things that have already happened a week, two weeks ago," Mr Wong said.
Stricter safe distancing rules aim to keep people at least 1 metre apart in public places and reduce the total number of people who can gather at any one time to no more than 10.
The Ministry of Health reported 74 new cases yesterday, 1 April, out of which 54 are local transmissions.
The total number of infected people here is now 1,000.
The number of new imported cases has started to fall as most overseas Singaporeans with plans to return home have likely already done so. For instance, the number of returnees from the United States and Britain have fallen from a high of about 1,200 a day a week ago, to fewer than 200 now.
The Government has also been able to manage and control the number of imported cases, through border restrictions and by isolating and keeping returning Singaporeans in hotels as they serve out their 14-day stay-home notice.
Proper infection control measures in these hotels have to be put in place, Mr Wong said. Staff need to be trained to know what to do, or these facilities would risk becoming clusters themselves, he cautioned.
"It's not something that just appears out of nowhere, that you can magically produce rooms for thousands of people a day. But (there is) a lot of work behind the scenes to get these facilities ready," he said.
"We are working with more hotel operators to see how we can... activate more facilities, because ideally, I would like to be able to accommodate returnees from anywhere in the world," Mr Wong added.
Should the epicentre of the virus, which has moved from China to Europe and now to the US, shift to a new country or region, the Republic could see another wave of returning Singaporeans, Mr Wong cautioned.
By Clara Chong, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Singapore is at a "very critical time" on the COVID-19 infection curve, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong yesterday.
While there are now fewer cases of Singaporeans overseas bringing home the virus, the increasing number of local and unlinked cases is concerning, he told The Straits Times.
The Government has introduced a slew of new safe distancing measures, but it will take about two weeks to determine if they work, he said. "The very stringent set of safe distancing measures came into effect only last Friday. That's still too early... all that we are seeing today is, in fact, the result of things that have already happened a week, two weeks ago," Mr Wong said.
Stricter safe distancing rules aim to keep people at least 1 metre apart in public places and reduce the total number of people who can gather at any one time to no more than 10.
The Ministry of Health reported 74 new cases yesterday, 1 April, out of which 54 are local transmissions.
The total number of infected people here is now 1,000.
The number of new imported cases has started to fall as most overseas Singaporeans with plans to return home have likely already done so. For instance, the number of returnees from the United States and Britain have fallen from a high of about 1,200 a day a week ago, to fewer than 200 now.
The Government has also been able to manage and control the number of imported cases, through border restrictions and by isolating and keeping returning Singaporeans in hotels as they serve out their 14-day stay-home notice.
Proper infection control measures in these hotels have to be put in place, Mr Wong said. Staff need to be trained to know what to do, or these facilities would risk becoming clusters themselves, he cautioned.
"It's not something that just appears out of nowhere, that you can magically produce rooms for thousands of people a day. But (there is) a lot of work behind the scenes to get these facilities ready," he said.
"We are working with more hotel operators to see how we can... activate more facilities, because ideally, I would like to be able to accommodate returnees from anywhere in the world," Mr Wong added.
Should the epicentre of the virus, which has moved from China to Europe and now to the US, shift to a new country or region, the Republic could see another wave of returning Singaporeans, Mr Wong cautioned.
Multi-ministry task force for COVID-19 constantly adjusts, updates measures
By Salma Khalik, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Since the multi-ministry task force for COVID-19 was set up in January, its members have been meeting every day - at least virtually - to see what needs to be done in the ever-changing situation.
Its co-chairman, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, said: "Every day, we are discussing, thinking through potential scenarios of how the virus can unfold and then developing new measures, adjusting and updating our measures."
Speaking to The Straits Times yesterday, Mr Wong said the whole-of-government system has been effective as it allows coordination and integration across different agencies and lets them "put in place decisions and measures in a very decisive and swift manner".
He admits that with hindsight, some measures may not even have been necessary.
On the other hand, he said: "I remember when we first started, people were just wondering, you know, was there a need for a task force, were we overreacting?
"But now, we are in a completely different world, not just in Singapore, but everywhere in the world."
The 10-member multi-ministry team includes the majority of the fourth-generation leadership.
"We are always looking day by day how the situation unfolds. Looking ahead at potential risks and what we can do to mitigate some of these risks," Mr Wong said.
The decisions on measures to be implemented sometimes entail quite a bit of discussion.
Mr Wong said: "We want our measures to be based on science and evidence, and to be able to move quickly in response to a very rapidly changing situation."
Unfortunately, there is no definitive information to base some of the decisions on, and even experts are divided.
"You have to make decisions, and consequential decisions, in this sort of uncertainty," Mr Wong said.
The team debates and then tries to arrive at a decision, often in a very short time.
"And these are important decisions that have impact on people's lives and livelihoods," said Mr Wong.
But the decisions are made as a team, with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat acting as adviser.
"He comes to attend our meetings quite regularly. He provides useful guidance, especially for major decisions that have to be made. But it's really a team effort," said Mr Wong.
Referring to tougher measures on safe distancing introduced last week, he said: "These are very painful for people running businesses and I fully understand."
He said the team is living through anxiety and stress all the time now. "These past two months have been fraught with difficult decisions."
By Salma Khalik, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Since the multi-ministry task force for COVID-19 was set up in January, its members have been meeting every day - at least virtually - to see what needs to be done in the ever-changing situation.
Its co-chairman, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, said: "Every day, we are discussing, thinking through potential scenarios of how the virus can unfold and then developing new measures, adjusting and updating our measures."
Speaking to The Straits Times yesterday, Mr Wong said the whole-of-government system has been effective as it allows coordination and integration across different agencies and lets them "put in place decisions and measures in a very decisive and swift manner".
He admits that with hindsight, some measures may not even have been necessary.
On the other hand, he said: "I remember when we first started, people were just wondering, you know, was there a need for a task force, were we overreacting?
"But now, we are in a completely different world, not just in Singapore, but everywhere in the world."
The 10-member multi-ministry team includes the majority of the fourth-generation leadership.
"We are always looking day by day how the situation unfolds. Looking ahead at potential risks and what we can do to mitigate some of these risks," Mr Wong said.
The decisions on measures to be implemented sometimes entail quite a bit of discussion.
Mr Wong said: "We want our measures to be based on science and evidence, and to be able to move quickly in response to a very rapidly changing situation."
Unfortunately, there is no definitive information to base some of the decisions on, and even experts are divided.
"You have to make decisions, and consequential decisions, in this sort of uncertainty," Mr Wong said.
The team debates and then tries to arrive at a decision, often in a very short time.
"And these are important decisions that have impact on people's lives and livelihoods," said Mr Wong.
But the decisions are made as a team, with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat acting as adviser.
"He comes to attend our meetings quite regularly. He provides useful guidance, especially for major decisions that have to be made. But it's really a team effort," said Mr Wong.
Referring to tougher measures on safe distancing introduced last week, he said: "These are very painful for people running businesses and I fully understand."
He said the team is living through anxiety and stress all the time now. "These past two months have been fraught with difficult decisions."
Coronavirus: Life as normal in a pandemic is more than just obeying guidelines, says Lawrence Wong
Just stay home as much as possible, minimise social contact, says task force co-chair
By Salma Khalik, Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
The official recommendation is that no more than 10 people should gather at a time. But that does not mean it is fine for nine friends to meet up.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said: "This is not the point, right? It is not about, oh, let's just find a group that is about nine, maybe 10 is just nice, and we just comply with the guidelines.
"The question is, do you need to? Particularly during this time when we say we really want to reduce interactions with people in order to slow down the virus.
"So, during this time, life as normal should mean stay at home as much as possible - as simple as that."
Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force on COVID-19 with Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, said life as normal with a pandemic raging means "minimising contact with friends outside of your immediate family".
"Not even lunches or dinners, even if it meets the requirement of less than 10," he said.
Yes, people can still go out to buy essentials, or even to a food court or hawker centre to buy food.
In fact, Mr Wong admits that he does that too.
"I do go out to da bao (take away) food. I walk out from my home, and I will go to the food court nearby. I will go to a hawker centre, and I will buy food back," he said.
Going out, getting something, then going home is not going to increase viral transmission.
"But where it comes to activities with others, I would say keep it to a minimum, and then stay at home as much as possible," he said.
He urged everyone to be socially responsible with safe distancing, and to wash their hands regularly.
"If you look at how the virus spreads so quickly, you need only one event to be a super-spreader event that can cause a large uncontrollable outbreak, and then it starts to accelerate.
"When it accelerates and it is out of control, it overwhelms your hospital system, and then you start to see rising mortality rates, particularly amongst the more vulnerable groups."
Distancing measures can slow the spread of the virus but if people do not comply, then this "nightmare scenario" may come about.
"The fight against COVID-19 is not something that the Government alone can do," he said. "Every Singaporean has to be enlisted in this fight against the virus. It is so critical that we take this seriously."
Just stay home as much as possible, minimise social contact, says task force co-chair
By Salma Khalik, Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
The official recommendation is that no more than 10 people should gather at a time. But that does not mean it is fine for nine friends to meet up.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said: "This is not the point, right? It is not about, oh, let's just find a group that is about nine, maybe 10 is just nice, and we just comply with the guidelines.
"The question is, do you need to? Particularly during this time when we say we really want to reduce interactions with people in order to slow down the virus.
"So, during this time, life as normal should mean stay at home as much as possible - as simple as that."
Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force on COVID-19 with Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, said life as normal with a pandemic raging means "minimising contact with friends outside of your immediate family".
"Not even lunches or dinners, even if it meets the requirement of less than 10," he said.
Yes, people can still go out to buy essentials, or even to a food court or hawker centre to buy food.
In fact, Mr Wong admits that he does that too.
"I do go out to da bao (take away) food. I walk out from my home, and I will go to the food court nearby. I will go to a hawker centre, and I will buy food back," he said.
Going out, getting something, then going home is not going to increase viral transmission.
"But where it comes to activities with others, I would say keep it to a minimum, and then stay at home as much as possible," he said.
He urged everyone to be socially responsible with safe distancing, and to wash their hands regularly.
"If you look at how the virus spreads so quickly, you need only one event to be a super-spreader event that can cause a large uncontrollable outbreak, and then it starts to accelerate.
"When it accelerates and it is out of control, it overwhelms your hospital system, and then you start to see rising mortality rates, particularly amongst the more vulnerable groups."
Distancing measures can slow the spread of the virus but if people do not comply, then this "nightmare scenario" may come about.
"The fight against COVID-19 is not something that the Government alone can do," he said. "Every Singaporean has to be enlisted in this fight against the virus. It is so critical that we take this seriously."
Call for more people to use Singapore's contact-tracing app TraceTogether
By Clara Chong, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
About one million people here have downloaded Singapore's contact-tracing app TraceTogether so far, but National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said more need to come on board for the tool to be truly effective in combating COVID-19.
"In order for TraceTogether to be effective, we need something like three-quarters - if not everyone - of the population to have it. Then we can really use that as an effective contact-tracing tool," he told The Straits Times yesterday.
While the one million downloads are a record for a government app, they translate to about one in six people here having the app. And it is not enough to just download the app, Mr Wong pointed out. People need to turn on their Bluetooth function to ensure the app is running, he added.
The app leverages short-distance Bluetooth signals between phones to detect other participating TraceTogether users in close proximity.
Mr Wong, co-chair of a multi-ministry task force set up to fight the coronavirus, said the app is useful because relying on a person's memory during contact tracing takes time and can lead to lapses.
The app is a better way to track down not just family members and colleagues but others that an infected person has had contact with. "The ability to catch all of the close contacts would be much more comprehensive and faster," he said.
Launched on March 20, the app is able to identify people who have been in close proximity - within 2m for at least 30 minutes - to coronavirus patients using wireless Bluetooth technology, and is especially useful in cases where the infected persons do not personally know everyone whom they had been in close proximity with for an extended duration.
On its website, TraceTogether developers said that keeping the app running all the time will not drain a phone's battery significantly.
The authorities have also stressed that the app collects only the data it needs.
The only data that is collected by the Government through this app is the user's mobile number, which is logged so that the Health Ministry can contact users quickly if they were in close proximity with an infected case.
The app also does not collect or use users' location data, but only records who they might have been close to.
By Clara Chong, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
About one million people here have downloaded Singapore's contact-tracing app TraceTogether so far, but National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said more need to come on board for the tool to be truly effective in combating COVID-19.
"In order for TraceTogether to be effective, we need something like three-quarters - if not everyone - of the population to have it. Then we can really use that as an effective contact-tracing tool," he told The Straits Times yesterday.
While the one million downloads are a record for a government app, they translate to about one in six people here having the app. And it is not enough to just download the app, Mr Wong pointed out. People need to turn on their Bluetooth function to ensure the app is running, he added.
The app leverages short-distance Bluetooth signals between phones to detect other participating TraceTogether users in close proximity.
Mr Wong, co-chair of a multi-ministry task force set up to fight the coronavirus, said the app is useful because relying on a person's memory during contact tracing takes time and can lead to lapses.
The app is a better way to track down not just family members and colleagues but others that an infected person has had contact with. "The ability to catch all of the close contacts would be much more comprehensive and faster," he said.
Launched on March 20, the app is able to identify people who have been in close proximity - within 2m for at least 30 minutes - to coronavirus patients using wireless Bluetooth technology, and is especially useful in cases where the infected persons do not personally know everyone whom they had been in close proximity with for an extended duration.
On its website, TraceTogether developers said that keeping the app running all the time will not drain a phone's battery significantly.
The authorities have also stressed that the app collects only the data it needs.
The only data that is collected by the Government through this app is the user's mobile number, which is logged so that the Health Ministry can contact users quickly if they were in close proximity with an infected case.
The app also does not collect or use users' location data, but only records who they might have been close to.
Sacrifice of others drove Lawrence Wong to tears in Parliament
By Clara Chong, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Sleep has been less peaceful, but he now gets to spend more time with his wife, said multi-ministry task force co-chairman Lawrence Wong in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times yesterday.
Mr Wong spoke about the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on him and how his life has changed.
There has been more stress and certainly more work, he said, especially since he continues to helm the National Development Ministry portfolio.
"As the situation escalates, it weighs on my mind a lot more, I don't have such a peaceful sleep at night. But those are the things we have to handle," Mr Wong said yesterday.
But it was thinking about the sacrifices and hard work of others in the past few weeks, such as healthcare workers, teachers, immigration, airlines and airport staff, and even taxi drivers, that moved Mr Wong to tears while he was speaking in Parliament on March 25.
"Just as I was going through that part of the speech, the thought and the images of all of these people came to my mind... it took me by surprise too, that the emotions just came, and it overwhelmed me."
As more stringent safe distancing measures kick in, Mr Wong has also been walking the talk - by practising telecommuting, following safe distancing guidelines and staying at home.
By Clara Chong, The Straits Times, 2 Apr 2020
Mr Wong spoke about the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on him and how his life has changed.
There has been more stress and certainly more work, he said, especially since he continues to helm the National Development Ministry portfolio.
"As the situation escalates, it weighs on my mind a lot more, I don't have such a peaceful sleep at night. But those are the things we have to handle," Mr Wong said yesterday.
But it was thinking about the sacrifices and hard work of others in the past few weeks, such as healthcare workers, teachers, immigration, airlines and airport staff, and even taxi drivers, that moved Mr Wong to tears while he was speaking in Parliament on March 25.
"Just as I was going through that part of the speech, the thought and the images of all of these people came to my mind... it took me by surprise too, that the emotions just came, and it overwhelmed me."
As more stringent safe distancing measures kick in, Mr Wong has also been walking the talk - by practising telecommuting, following safe distancing guidelines and staying at home.
More than 90 per cent of his ministry have been working from home.
"I tell all my staff, non-essential meetings, we don't have to gather together, we can do teleconference and phone calls... So we still work through e-mails, through teleconferences," he said.
"I'm staying at home more often, but I do go out to da bao (take away) food. I walk out from my home and I'll go to the foodcourt nearby, I'll go to a hawker centre and I'll buy food back."
Due to the many cancelled activities and events, Mr Wong now spends more time at home.
"I have, interestingly, more time at home. I spend a lot more time at home now. I see my wife a lot more than before," he said.
"But the flip side of it is that all of this free time is now spent thinking through, working through all the things that we have to do as part of the task force."
However, with the virus here to stay for the long term, Singaporeans, including himself, will need to be prepared. "We have to be mentally prepared and psychologically prepared for this.
"It is not just us in Singapore, it is literally the whole world in such a posture until we see better medical treatments, perhaps antiviral drugs that are now on clinical trials, or until vaccines are ready, which will only be by next year, not this year," he said.
Related
Ministry of Health - Updates on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Local Situation
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2019 Novel Coronavirus: Ministerial Statement on Whole-of-Government Response
Wuhan virus: Singapore confirms first case of novel coronavirus infection on 23 January 2020
Wuhan virus: Singapore has to stay vigilant, but has every reason to be confident, says PM Lee Hsien Loong
Wuhan virus: Each Singapore household to get 4 free masks for contingencies; collection starts on 1 Feb till 9 Feb 2020
2019-nCoV: Singapore reports first cases of local coronavirus transmission on 4 February 2020
2019-nCoV: Singapore employers will receive $100 a day for each worker serving the 14-day Leave of Absence (LOA)
DORSCON Orange: Singapore raises coronavirus outbreak alert on 7 February 2020; Singaporeans clear supermarket shelves in panic buying of essentials
Fear and panic can do more harm than coronavirus: PM Lee Hsien Loong
Singapore to work closely with China to battle novel coronavirus threat: Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat
COVID-19: Show support for healthcare workers on front lines, says Health Minister Gan Kim Yong
$77 million support package for taxi and private hire drivers affected by the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak
Total Defence Day 2020: Government to ensure minimal retrenchments as Singapore deals with COVID-19, says Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen
PM Lee Hsien Loong doesn’t rule out recession as coronavirus outbreak hits Singapore’s economy hard
COVID-19: Clinics roped in to help detect and manage coronavirus cases from 18 February 2020
Budget 2020 to help families with cost of living and businesses tackle COVID-19 fallout: Heng Swee Keat
COVID-19: Singapore's new Stay-Home Notice, all returning from China not allowed to leave home for 14 days
Singapore Budget 2020: Advancing as One Singapore
Leak of closed-door Chan Chun Sing meeting deeply disappointing and a betrayal, says Singapore Chinese Chamber president
Ministry of Home Affairs investigating Singapore religious teacher for xenophobic, racist posts about the coronavirus
COVID-19: Singapore won't hesitate to act against those who flout measures to curb coronavirus, says Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam
COVID-19: Singapore to bar visitors from South Korea, north Italy and Iran from 4 March 2020; other travellers with symptoms may face nasal swab tests at checkpoints
SG Clean Taskforce formed to raise hygiene standards beyond COVID-19 outbreak
Foreigners to pay for COVID-19 treatment in Singapore from 7 March 2020
Best response to the coronavirus? Altruism
COVID-19: Why was the Costa Fortuna cruise ship allowed to dock in Singapore?
Singapore COVID-19 spread caused by socially irresponsible behaviour
Singapore working on second stimulus package as COVID-19 situation has worsened, says DPM Heng Swee Keat
COVID-19 situation is serious but under control in Singapore: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his second national address on the situation
Singapore takes more tough steps to curb spread of COVID-19 (13 March 2020)
Singaporeans advised to defer all non-essential travel for next 30 days, as part of new COVID-19 measures (16 March 2020)
Malaysia closes borders in lockdown from 18 to 31 March 2020 to curb COVID-19 spread
COVID-19: Singaporeans advised to defer all travel abroad; all returning residents and short-term visitors will be served 14-day Stay-Home-Notice from 20 March 2020, 2359 hours
Police investigating Facebook post by NUS Atheist Society suggesting using holy books as toilet paper during COVID-19 outbreak
Stricter safe distancing measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19 cases (20 March 2020)
Singapore launches TraceTogether mobile app to boost COVID-19 contact tracing efforts
Singapore reports first two COVID-19 deaths on 21 March 2020
How Singapore overcame past downturns
Singapore border control measures: All short-term visitors barred from entering or transiting in Singapore from 23 March 2020, 11.59pm to reduce further importation of COVID-19 cases
Stay at home as much as you can: Singapore announces strictest measures yet to fight COVID-19
Coronavirus: Precautions will be taken whenever polls are held, says Teo Chee Hean
COVID-19: Those who breach stay-home notice will be charged in court, says Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam
Government provides update in Parliament on Singapore's response to COVID-19
$48 billion Resilience Budget to combat impact of COVID-19
Extraordinary measures for extraordinary times: Heng Swee Keat on COVID-19 stimulus package
COVID-19: Can a virus left on surfaces remain infectious after a few days?
Don't let social distancing become anti-social
COVID-19: Singapore schools to implement home-based learning once a week from 1 April 2020 to further support safe distancing
Govt will do whatever it takes to help Singaporeans through COVID-19 outbreak: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Coronavirus: Workplace distancing more effective than school closures, says study
Coronavirus could take years to run its course: PM Lee Hsien Loong's interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria
How the Govt is helping Singaporeans to weather the coronavirus crisis
COVID-19: Government to enforce stay at home telecommuting for workers; seniors must be kept safe via social distancing
Life and Death in a Wuhan Coronavirus ICU
Digital space a new battleground in war against Wuhan virus
World Health Organisation very impressed with Singapore's COVID-19 response
Ministry of Health - Updates on COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Local Situation
Gov.sg: 2019 - COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) situation in Singapore
2019 Novel Coronavirus: Ministerial Statement on Whole-of-Government Response
Wuhan virus: Singapore confirms first case of novel coronavirus infection on 23 January 2020
Wuhan virus: Singapore has to stay vigilant, but has every reason to be confident, says PM Lee Hsien Loong
Wuhan virus: Each Singapore household to get 4 free masks for contingencies; collection starts on 1 Feb till 9 Feb 2020
2019-nCoV: Singapore reports first cases of local coronavirus transmission on 4 February 2020
2019-nCoV: Singapore employers will receive $100 a day for each worker serving the 14-day Leave of Absence (LOA)
DORSCON Orange: Singapore raises coronavirus outbreak alert on 7 February 2020; Singaporeans clear supermarket shelves in panic buying of essentials
Fear and panic can do more harm than coronavirus: PM Lee Hsien Loong
Singapore to work closely with China to battle novel coronavirus threat: Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat
COVID-19: Show support for healthcare workers on front lines, says Health Minister Gan Kim Yong
$77 million support package for taxi and private hire drivers affected by the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak
Total Defence Day 2020: Government to ensure minimal retrenchments as Singapore deals with COVID-19, says Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen
PM Lee Hsien Loong doesn’t rule out recession as coronavirus outbreak hits Singapore’s economy hard
COVID-19: Clinics roped in to help detect and manage coronavirus cases from 18 February 2020
Budget 2020 to help families with cost of living and businesses tackle COVID-19 fallout: Heng Swee Keat
COVID-19: Singapore's new Stay-Home Notice, all returning from China not allowed to leave home for 14 days
Singapore Budget 2020: Advancing as One Singapore
Leak of closed-door Chan Chun Sing meeting deeply disappointing and a betrayal, says Singapore Chinese Chamber president
Ministry of Home Affairs investigating Singapore religious teacher for xenophobic, racist posts about the coronavirus
COVID-19: Singapore won't hesitate to act against those who flout measures to curb coronavirus, says Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam
COVID-19: Singapore to bar visitors from South Korea, north Italy and Iran from 4 March 2020; other travellers with symptoms may face nasal swab tests at checkpoints
SG Clean Taskforce formed to raise hygiene standards beyond COVID-19 outbreak
Foreigners to pay for COVID-19 treatment in Singapore from 7 March 2020
Best response to the coronavirus? Altruism
COVID-19: Why was the Costa Fortuna cruise ship allowed to dock in Singapore?
Singapore COVID-19 spread caused by socially irresponsible behaviour
Singapore working on second stimulus package as COVID-19 situation has worsened, says DPM Heng Swee Keat
COVID-19 situation is serious but under control in Singapore: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his second national address on the situation
Singapore takes more tough steps to curb spread of COVID-19 (13 March 2020)
Singaporeans advised to defer all non-essential travel for next 30 days, as part of new COVID-19 measures (16 March 2020)
Malaysia closes borders in lockdown from 18 to 31 March 2020 to curb COVID-19 spread
COVID-19: Singaporeans advised to defer all travel abroad; all returning residents and short-term visitors will be served 14-day Stay-Home-Notice from 20 March 2020, 2359 hours
Police investigating Facebook post by NUS Atheist Society suggesting using holy books as toilet paper during COVID-19 outbreak
Stricter safe distancing measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19 cases (20 March 2020)
Singapore launches TraceTogether mobile app to boost COVID-19 contact tracing efforts
Singapore reports first two COVID-19 deaths on 21 March 2020
How Singapore overcame past downturns
Singapore border control measures: All short-term visitors barred from entering or transiting in Singapore from 23 March 2020, 11.59pm to reduce further importation of COVID-19 cases
Stay at home as much as you can: Singapore announces strictest measures yet to fight COVID-19
Coronavirus: Precautions will be taken whenever polls are held, says Teo Chee Hean
COVID-19: Those who breach stay-home notice will be charged in court, says Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam
Government provides update in Parliament on Singapore's response to COVID-19
$48 billion Resilience Budget to combat impact of COVID-19
Extraordinary measures for extraordinary times: Heng Swee Keat on COVID-19 stimulus package
COVID-19: Can a virus left on surfaces remain infectious after a few days?
Don't let social distancing become anti-social
COVID-19: Singapore schools to implement home-based learning once a week from 1 April 2020 to further support safe distancing
Govt will do whatever it takes to help Singaporeans through COVID-19 outbreak: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Coronavirus: Workplace distancing more effective than school closures, says study
Coronavirus could take years to run its course: PM Lee Hsien Loong's interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria
How the Govt is helping Singaporeans to weather the coronavirus crisis
COVID-19: Government to enforce stay at home telecommuting for workers; seniors must be kept safe via social distancing
Life and Death in a Wuhan Coronavirus ICU
Digital space a new battleground in war against Wuhan virus
World Health Organisation very impressed with Singapore's COVID-19 response
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