Greater use of community care facilities rather than hospitals
Shorter stays in hospitals and community care facilities
Home quarantine instead of staying at government facilities
All households to get DIY COVID-19 test kits
Vaccinated individuals travelling to safe countries could serve a shorter seven-day SHN at home
Singapore to review COVID-19 rules in early August 2021, ease measures for vaccinated people if situation under control
By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
Singapore will review its Covid-19 restrictions early next month, easing some measures if virus clusters are under control and hospitalisation rates remain low.
But only vaccinated people will be allowed to take advantage of these looser restrictions, as they are "much better protected against the effects of the virus", said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong yesterday.
A larger proportion of vaccinated people who have contracted the virus, but display mild or no symptoms, will also be admitted directly to community care facilities instead of first going to hospitals.
This is part of Singapore's move towards treating the virus as endemic, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said.
His ministry also plans to allow more people to serve their quarantine at home.
In addition, it is reviewing its policies so that fully vaccinated patients - who are already discharged from isolation seven days earlier than other patients - can be discharged even earlier, and complete the rest of their isolation at home.
The two ministers, along with Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, were giving Parliament an overview of the next steps in the country's pandemic response.
A total of 4.24 million people have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, with 3.07 million having completed the full two-dose regimen as at Sunday.
By early next month - the midpoint of the current phase two (heightened alert) period, about two-thirds of Singapore's population would have received both doses, Mr Wong said.
Three-quarters of all seniors aged 70 and above would also have been vaccinated by then.
At that time, the authorities will assess the overall infection situation. They will also monitor the status of infected cases, to confirm that vaccines have weakened the link between infection and hospitalisation.
If all goes well, rules on social gatherings will be eased for vaccinated individuals, the minister said.
"This means that if you want to attend a large event or a religious service involving more than 100 persons, you have to be fully vaccinated," he told the House in a ministerial statement.
"If you want to go out to dine in a restaurant or work out in a gym, you have to be fully vaccinated."
Further down the road, fully vaccinated travellers may see stay-home notices replaced by a rigorous testing regimen, or may just serve a shorter notice at home, instead of in a hotel, Mr Wong said.
Mr Ong said it is now clear that those who are fully vaccinated are less likely to become critically ill when they contract the virus.
"(The protocols) need to shift closer to how we treat influenza today, without extensive contact tracing and quarantine in dedicated facilities, and hospitalising only those who are very ill," he said.
On the economic front, Mr Gan stressed that businesses should prepare for Covid-19 to become endemic.
This means helping eligible employees get vaccinated and integrating the use of antigen rapid tests into work processes, as well as continuing flexible work arrangements, he said.
Businesses that are able to respond, adapt and transform quickly will emerge stronger and move ahead of the others, the minister said.
In a separate statement on extra support for workers and businesses affected by the latest restrictions, Mr Wong said the measures announced earlier this month will cost more than $2 billion.
Although certain industries - such as the retail and food and beverage sectors - will continue to face challenges, the country remains on track for growth of 4 per cent to 6 per cent this year.
"Ultimately, the best way to support our businesses and workers is to bring the infection under control, push up our vaccine coverage, and reopen our economy," Mr Wong said.
More vaccinated people with COVID-19 will go straight to community care facilities instead of hospitals
Move is part of shifting healthcare protocols as Singapore lives with COVID-19: Ong Ye Kung
By Joyce Teo, Senior Health Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
More vaccinated people who have Covid-19 - but with no symptoms or mild ones - will be admitted directly to community care facilities, instead of first going to hospitals, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung yesterday.
Fully vaccinated people with Covid-19 are also being discharged after 14 days, instead of 21 days, with leave of absence of seven days, he said.
This is as long as their tests show that they are Covid-19-negative or have very low viral loads.
The duration is being further reviewed to see if they can be discharged even earlier, Mr Ong said in Parliament, in the first of three ministerial statements delivered by the co-chairs of the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic.
His statement addressed various MPs' questions on the KTV and Jurong Fishery Port clusters, as well as others on Singapore's vaccination programme and plans to transition to living with the coronavirus.
On those infected going straight to community care facilities, he said this was already the practice for those aged between 17 and 45. The group was expanded last week to include those up to the age of 59.
With the change, up to 60 per cent of infected cases are now expected to recover in community care facilities such as D'Resort in Pasir Ris and Civil Service Club @ Loyang, instead of in acute care hospitals, he said.
Meanwhile, the Government will plan for the next step, where perhaps 80 per cent can be admitted to community care facilities and some can even recover at home, said Mr Ong.
As part of the new normal, there is also greater use of home quarantine, he added.
Those who are fully vaccinated can now serve their quarantine at home instead of at a government facility, provided that their home is suitable for isolation.
Mr Ong said: "We expect (that) up to 40 per cent of persons under quarantine can serve their quarantine at home, and this will go beyond 50 per cent in the coming few weeks as more people are vaccinated."
These concessions for fully vaccinated people will limit the disruption of Covid-19 to their lives, as well as ensure that the healthcare system here will not be overwhelmed, so that patients who are more ill continue to have access to hospital beds, he added.
The moves are possible because it is now clear that those who are fully vaccinated are much less likely to become critically ill when infected.
Mr Ong stressed: "If we want to live with Covid-19 as an endemic disease, we cannot carry on with the current healthcare protocols for Covid-19.
"They need to shift closer to how we treat influenza today, without extensive contact tracing and quarantine in dedicated facilities, and hospitalising only those who are very ill."
However, he added that this can happen only if the likelihood of a Covid-19 infection developing into a very serious or life-threatening case has been significantly reduced by effective vaccination of the population, especially among vulnerable groups.
Travel with fewer curbs could be possible from early September 2021
Singapore aims to have about 80% of its population fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by that time
By Linette Lai, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
Overseas travel with fewer restrictions could become a reality after early September, when Singapore aims to get about 80 per cent of its population fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
By that time, larger groups may also be allowed to congregate, especially if they are fully vaccinated, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told Parliament yesterday.
In a statement outlining the country's plans for tackling Covid-19 in the near future, he said Singapore will begin reopening its borders for vaccinated people to travel.
"We will start by establishing travel corridors with countries or regions that have managed Covid-19 well, and where the infection is similarly under control."
With these arrangements in place, fully vaccinated individuals will be able to travel without needing to serve the full 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) in a hotel.
Instead, they will simply be subject to a rigorous testing regimen or serve a shortened seven-day SHN at home, depending on the risk level of the country they visit, Mr Wong said.
A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second vaccine dose. People who are not vaccinated will still be able to travel, but must abide by the prevailing restrictions.
Looking further ahead, Singapore will carry out a series of "progressive easings", keeping a close eye on hospitalisation rates and intensive care unit admissions as it does so.
Coronavirus cases are likely to rise when the rules are eased, Mr Wong said, due in part to ongoing "cryptic" transmissions in the community, which can cause new clusters with increased activity levels.
Singapore is also likely to see more imported cases once people are able to travel more freely, with infected individuals "slipping through from time to time".
But at that stage, the main focus will no longer be on daily case numbers but on the small number of infected people who need supplementary oxygen or intensive care, Mr Wong said, adding that more details will be revealed at a later date.
Moving forward, testing will play a key role in the country's efforts to treat the virus as endemic, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
The Government plans to increase the number of quick test centres, where people working in higher-risk settings can walk in to get tested, he added.
In his statement, Mr Wong also explained why the task force "made the difficult decision" to return to phase two (heightened alert) - a move that has drawn criticism from some quarters.
He noted how the large clusters that formed in recent weeks show how easy it is for the Delta variant of the coronavirus to spread and potentially overwhelm Singapore's hospital system.
Vaccinated individuals may experience very mild symptoms when infected, inadvertently becoming asymptomatic carriers. "By the time the cases pop up, days or even weeks would have passed and the infection would have spread to many people," he said.
Facing the risk of widespread community transmission before enough people attained adequate vaccine protection, Singapore thus decided to tighten the rules.
Stressing that vaccination remains the key to further reopening, Mr Wong said: "I make a special plea to all who remain un-vaccinated or have not registered to be vaccinated, especially our parents and grandparents: Please come forward."
Mr Ong said Singaporeans' thoughts on living with Covid-19 fall into two broad categories.
Younger, vaccinated individuals feel that those who are vaccinated should be allowed to enjoy more social activities. On the other hand, a sizeable segment of older Singaporeans who have yet to be vaccinated - for medical or other reasons - remains.
Differentiated measures for vaccinated people are necessary for public health reasons, especially to protect the unvaccinated, Mr Ong said.
He pointed out that Singapore is one of the few countries to have come through the last 20 months with very few fatalities, and is unique even among countries and regions that have access to vaccines.
Some countries - such as the United States and Britain - went through major episodes of widespread transmission, while others - such as Australia and New Zealand - kept the pandemic under control, but are now finding it difficult to get their people vaccinated.
"This will make us perhaps the only country in the world which has not suffered a collapse of our hospitals nor a high death toll, and at the same time achieved a very high vaccination rate in our population," he said.
"This uniqueness is due to the unity of our people, the trust amongst them, and between people and Government."
Singapore COVID-19 vaccination rate rising 1 percentage point each day
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung says inoculation drive progressing well, with 54% here having had two mRNA doses
By Timothy Goh, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
The nation's Covid-19 vaccination rate has been going up by about 1 percentage point a day, with 54 per cent of the population having received two doses of the vaccine as at Sunday.
Revealing this in a ministerial statement yesterday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the national vaccination programme is "progressing well".
The statistics he cited referred specifically to those who have taken the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines.
Mr Ong told Parliament that by National Day, almost 70 per cent of the population would have received two doses of these vaccines. This should rise to about 80 per cent by early September.
"This means Singapore will have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. It puts us in a strong position to transit to a Covid-19-resilient society," he said.
But Mr Ong added that unvaccinated seniors, especially those aged 70 and above, are a source of worry. Currently, just more than 70 per cent of them have received two doses of the vaccine.
However, he noted that more seniors are turning up at vaccination centres to get their jabs or getting them from mobile vaccination teams.
The rate of seniors receiving their shots in this way has doubled over the past few days, from about 500 to more than 1,000 a day.
"This may be due to heightened awareness as a result of more community transmissions, the lifting of rules that had previously deferred vaccinations for those with medical conditions and also our very intense outreach efforts," said Mr Ong.
Giving an update on the home vaccination scheme, which sees medical teams going to the homes of seniors to administer the Covid-19 vaccine, Mr Ong said that nine such teams have been launched so far.
As at last Friday, 734 seniors have received their jabs under the programme.
Mr Ong said there were other approaches as well. They included mobile vaccination teams travelling to Pulau Ubin to vaccinate seniors.
He added that there were also doctors who reassured their patients by first persuading them to get vaccinated, and then having them stay in their clinics the entire day so they can be watched over.
"This is a measure of the kind of society we are. We are making such an extraordinary effort with our seniors because we are not prepared to accept the high fatality rates among the elderly that other countries had or are still experiencing," he said.
As a result of these efforts, 77 per cent of those aged 70 and above have got their first doses of the vaccine, and should receive their second shots within a month or so, said Mr Ong.
"Even at our current level of vaccination, the preliminary evidence is that it has been effective in reducing the incidence of severe illnesses and deaths," he noted.
The minister pointed to the fact that although daily infections have gone up sharply over the past few weeks, the number of patients with severe illness who require oxygen supplementation or are in intensive care units remains low.
Currently, all patients with severe illness are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, he said.
The authorities are continuing to monitor the situation closely, given that it takes about one to two weeks from infection for someone to develop severe illness.
"For now, it would appear that we have successfully weakened the link between infections and severe illnesses," said Mr Ong.
Govt acknowledges recent shift in COVID-19 measures has caused 'some confusion': Ong Ye Kung
By Timothy Goh, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
The Government acknowledges that the recent shift in Covid-19 measures, which saw Singapore return to phase two (heightened alert), has caused "some confusion" among members of the public, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament yesterday.
The multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 here had announced last Tuesday that Singapore would be shifting back to this state of tighter restrictions last Thursday, given the worsening situation here.
The announcement came just one day after new measures, which allowed dining in for up to five people depending on their vaccination status, had kicked in.
Mr Ong emphasised in a ministerial statement that Singapore is still committed to living with Covid-19 and a return to normalcy.
"That is the only way for Singaporeans to regain our lives and livelihoods, and for Singapore to reconnect with the world again, for our young to look into the future with hope," he said.
But he said that Singapore will not be taking the same path as Britain, which declared a "Freedom Day" and lifted all its restrictions at once, or Israel and the Netherlands, which opened up and saw sharp increases in infections and hospitalisations before having to tighten restrictions again.
"Ours will be a controlled opening. We are not going to do a big bang because, predictably, things will then blow up," said Mr Ong, adding that the task force has been working on a road map comprising packages of measures to be implemented step by step over the coming months.
However, he said people here must remember that until the nation reaches a sufficiently high vaccination rate, especially among the elderly, it will continue to be vulnerable to "unexpected setbacks".
Mr Ong said: "A high rate of vaccination will provide us with a more solid and stable base as we proceed on this journey. The higher the vaccination rate, the more solid the ground we walk on.
"So, in a way, this is the most peculiar period of our transition: We are clear about our mission, our will is firm; we have a broad plan. But we don't have enough antibodies inside us to ensure that we can follow through with our plans without a hitch."
But he emphasised that work is being done.
Aside from adjustments to safe management measures, the authorities are currently looking at remodelling Singapore's Covid-19 healthcare protocols, restoring economic and social activities, and shifting the collective psychology of the nation on infection rates and safe management measures.
He said: "Let us not underestimate the progress we have made. The road map is being implemented as we speak."
Abuse of boyfriend/girlfriend category to enter Singapore led to its removal in March 2021: Shanmugam
It was scrapped in March 2021 after ICA started getting dodgy applications, with action taken against those involved
By Justin Ong, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
The abuse of a "boyfriend/girlfriend" category in applying for Vietnamese nationals to come into Singapore as partners of locals resulted in the authorities scrapping the category altogether quite quickly, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam.
The first case linked to a KTV cluster uncovered on July 12 was a short-term visit pass holder from Vietnam who had managed to enter Singapore in February via a familial ties lane, sponsored by her Singaporean boyfriend.
Mr Shanmugam yesterday told Parliament that the category was introduced in October last year to allow Singaporeans in relationships with foreign partners to be reunited with them after a long spell apart due to border restrictions.
In February this year, due to the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in Vietnam, the Government suspended its unilateral opening arrangement with the country and short-term travellers could no longer enter Singapore.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) then began receiving applications such as those involving a Vietnamese woman with multiple sponsors claiming to be her boyfriend, Singaporean sponsors who applied for multiple girlfriends, sponsors who were already married to someone else, and sponsors who were unable to substantiate their relationship with the travellers.
This abuse of the "boyfriend/girlfriend" category led to its subsequent removal in March, with ICA taking action against "dodgy" applications by rescinding approvals, barring travellers from entry into Singapore, and suspending the sponsors and travellers from future applications, he said.
The minister had previously revealed that as at Jan 31, over 16,000 short-term visit and long-term pass holders had arrived in Singapore via the familial ties lane.
In contrast, as at the same date, over 3,000 of such pass holders had arrived via reciprocal green lanes, which facilitate essential business and official travel.
"We created this category (of) boyfriend/girlfriend during a pandemic, last year, October, because we wanted to be compassionate... People want their loved ones to come in, and we want to try and help," he said.
"But if the system is abused, then we have to stop it (and) unfortunately, what that has meant is that many legitimate applications are now being refused."
Mr Shanmugan noted that police have arrested 29 women of various nationalities during recent operations for offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and other laws.
Sixteen have had their passes cancelled and have been or will be deported, while investigations into the remaining women are ongoing, he said.
202 police operations against errant nightlife outlets since October 2021: Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam
By Justin Ong, Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
The authorities have conducted continuous enforcement against unlicensed nightlife operators and outlets that pivoted to selling food and drinks since last October when the pivot was allowed, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said yesterday.
Mr Shanmugam said in Parliament that from October last year to this month, the police had conducted 202 operations against KTV outlets that had pivoted, or were operating illegally.
This meant an average of one police operation was conducted each day during this period.
"So this should put to rest any questions about enforcement actions by the police: one operation, every day," he said.
A Covid-19 cluster linked to KTV outlets, uncovered on July 12 and which has grown to more than 230 cases, has been linked to an outbreak at Jurong Fishery Port.
With more than 790 infections as at Sunday, the fishery port cluster is now Singapore's largest community cluster.
It led to the Government reverting last week to a set of tougher curbs that have affected many businesses, including those in the nightlife industry.
Asked by Leader of the Opposition and Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh if this was a heightened enforcement regimen, Mr Shanmugam replied: "We can assume that if there was one enforcement action per day, it's quite intense... This is quite apart from what safe distancing ambassadors and so on do."
Such police operations led to the detection of 58 infringements under the Public Entertainments Act and Liquor Control Act, 595 breaches of Covid-19 safe management measures and 142 arrests for offences under various related laws, including the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and Immigration Act, said Mr Shanmugam.
Enforcement was also carried out over 20 weekends and at every festive occasion, with about 400 food and beverage (F&B) outlets inspected each time.
About 100 of these outlets, including 40 pivoted ones, have been ordered to close. As at last Friday, the Singapore Food Agency has permanently revoked the food licences of seven pivoted outlets.
Mr Shanmugam acknowledged that the pandemic had badly affected an estimated 10,000 local workers in the nightlife industry, and that the Government's response had been to consider appeals and suggestions from stakeholders and weigh the risks.
"Most people will accept it will be wrong to treat all the 430-odd businesses - KTV operators, pubs, bars who want to change to provide F&B - automatically as crooks," he said. "Yes, the Government does know that there are some... with dodgy reputations.
"For some, if you look at their premises - darkened rooms, not the most optimal for dining - it appears commonsensical to say this is dodgy and doubtful."
But it is not so straightforward in law, he said. Agencies would have to consult the Attorney-General's Chambers on whether they can reject an operator's application if they think it might be dodgy, even if it undertakes to comply with the conditions.
Once these issues are assessed, the Government will decide on whether reopening can be allowed for pivoted nightlife outlets, which have had their operations suspended since July 16.
"I will also say realistically, the people who are going to cheat, going to do illegal things, will do them anyway... regardless of whether we allow the change to F&B," said Mr Shanmugam.
He was later asked by Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) if there was a risk that shining a spotlight on pivoted KTV outlets would drive these vice activities further underground. Mr Shanmugam said this was precisely the issue, and if the authorities had disallowed the pivot, it would have made enforcement even more difficult.
Singapore's approach has never been to make prostitution illegal, because countries have tried for centuries and failed, he noted. Instead, it adopts a practical approach, in this instance focusing on those who operate illegally, and on their patrons.
"There is money to be made in making available these services, and there will always be people (offering them) because there is a huge demand, regardless of the rules," he said.
The authorities just have to keep at it, he said. "This is not going to stop. It's just a question of whether (there are) more or less of these activities."
He also stressed, as Health Minister Ong Ye Kung did in a separate ministerial statement yesterday, that the KTV cluster alone would not have triggered the latest round of tightened restrictions.
The fishery port cluster, which has spread through markets and hawkers into the wider community, is the reason, said Mr Shanmugam. "Some are under the misimpression that the virus went from the KTVs to the fishery port; the evidence we have doesn't suggest that," he said. "The virus seems to have come from the region to our port."
Nikkei Asia commentary on KTV outbreak full of inaccuracies: Ministry of Home Affairs official
Ministry rebuts false claims in article about KTVs and the Govt's handling of cluster
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 29 Jul 2021
A recent opinion piece published by Nikkei Asia on the Government's handling of the Covid-19 cluster linked to KTVs was "full of inaccuracies", said a senior director from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) yesterday.
In the rebuttal sent to the media, Mr Sam Tee from the Joint Operations Group said it was false for the article - titled The Institutional Failures Behind Singapore's Latest Covid Outbreak - to claim that most KTVs in Singapore are fronts for money laundering or illegal brothels run by organised crime cartels.
He said it was also false that KTVs were allowed to open "without explanation", as was alleged in the piece by Andy Wong, which was published on the financial news agency's website last Friday.
Mr Tee said that the KTV cluster has been "swiftly contained", with about five new cases linked to it each day from July 22 to 26, and is still declining.
"The cluster was not the reason why the Government reimposed stricter safe distancing measures on July 22. A spread into fresh food markets which had the potential for a wider outbreak was the reason," he said.
"Your correspondent's stance appears to be based on a stern disapproval of illegal sexual activity. We commend his high moral expectations. But his comments on public policies need to be based on facts, not imagined realities."
Wong, 28, was also one of four men who were charged in court yesterday morning for their involvement in running a Telegram group containing leaked sexual videos and images of women.
In his piece, Wong said the KTV cluster - currently linked to more than 200 cases - "exposed the pernicious role of organised vice enterprises in Singapore, and the institutional failure of the country's much-vaunted law enforcement to clamp down on them".
The piece also questioned whether such KTVs should have been allowed to convert to food establishments, and said there was an "evident border policy loophole" with foreign sex workers being allowed to enter the country by falsely claiming familial ties.
On the claim that KTVs are fronts run by organised crime cartels, Mr Tee said Singapore has laws against organised crime, money laundering, and trafficking in persons.
"Singapore is one of the least likely places in the world to find organised crime syndicates running operations," he said, noting that the 2020 Gallup Global Law and Order Report has ranked the country first for law and order for the seventh year in a row.
"The Government is aware that sex workers visit KTVs (and other places) to solicit patrons. We cannot prevent people meeting in these places. But any sexual activity in these premises will be a breach of licensing conditions," he added.
Such breaches are dealt with via regular enforcement, he said, adding that from 2018 to last year, the police checked nearly 3,000 nightlife outlets, and arrested more than 1,000 people.
"We welcome visitors to Singapore, but are aware that some seek entry for purposes of prostitution. This is not allowed under our entry conditions. While we take all efforts to turn away dubious travellers, there is no foolproof way of determining this upfront," he said.
On the allegation that KTVs were allowed to reopen without explanation, Mr Tee said the Government had explained the considerations in allowing some to reopen, although not as KTVs but as food and beverage outlets.
Nightlife activities had been disallowed since March last year.
"The Government also made public statements to announce their reopening in November 2020 (with certain conditions). Your correspondent made sweeping statements, without basic checks."
Contrary to Wong's claim that the Government had belatedly increased punitive raids on KTVs, there had been regular enforcement, said Mr Tee.
Since last October, the police have conducted over 200 operations, in addition to those by other agencies. Several of these were widely publicised when the lawbreakers were taken to court, he said.
Mr Tee noted that Wong - who was described as a political and business intelligence analyst based in Singapore in the article - wrote that the "Boyfriend/Girlfriend" category was removed from the Familial Ties Lane for immigration abruptly without explanation.
Mr Tee said that earlier this month, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the police gave details of why this category was introduced and subsequently removed, as well as the enforcement operations that were undertaken.
Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam told Parliament on Monday that the abuse of the category, in applications for Vietnamese nationals to come into Singapore as partners of locals, resulted in its removal.
Shanmugam questions motives of writer behind 'fictional' Nikkei piece on KTV COVID-19 cluster
Minister calls it 'work of fiction', notes that the man faces charges over obscene materials
By Lim Min Zhang, The Straits Times, 30 Jul 2021
Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam yesterday questioned the motives of the writer of an opinion piece on the KTV Covid-19 cluster, whose claims had been rebutted by his ministry a day earlier.
He noted that the writer, Andy Wong Ming Jun, 28, was charged over his alleged involvement in a Telegram group containing leaked sexual videos and images of women on Wednesday.
"We are left to wonder if the criminal investigation against him was the reason for his diatribe based on falsehoods; and the extent to which he was doing a political hack job (his political affiliation is public). Surprising also that Nikkei will publish such an article," said Mr Shanmugam in a Facebook post.
The article, published on the Nikkei Asia website last Friday, said that the KTV cluster - currently linked to more than 200 cases - had "exposed the pernicious role of organised vice enterprises in Singapore".
It also asked why KTVs were allowed to reopen "without explanation" last year, and said there was an "evident border policy loophole", with foreign sex workers being allowed to enter the country by falsely claiming familial ties.
These claims were rebutted on Wednesday by Mr Sam Tee from the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) Joint Operations Group, who said the piece was full of inaccuracies.
The senior director said it was false for the article - titled The Institutional Failures Behind Singapore's Latest Covid Outbreak - to claim that most KTVs in Singapore are fronts for money laundering or illegal brothels run by organised crime cartels.
He also said that while the authorities are aware some visitors to Singapore seek entry for the purposes of prostitution, which is not allowed under entry conditions, there was no foolproof way of determining this upfront even as all efforts to turn away dubious travellers are taken.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Law, said the piece was "little more than a work of fiction". It was ironic that Wong has been charged with multiple counts of possessing obscene films and transmitting obscene materials in a sex-themed chat group, the minister said.
Investigations against Wong and others began in November 2019.
Mr Shanmugam added: "MHA has rebutted the article strongly, and has said his high moral expectations are commendable but his comments on public policies need to be based on facts, not imagined realities."
Gaps in COVID-19 safe management measures at Jurong Fishery Port to be rectified: Grace Fu
By Adeline Tan, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
Gaps in safe management measures at Jurong Fishery Port (JFP), such as lapses in mask wearing, will be rectified before the port is reopened, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in Parliament yesterday.
While investigations by the Ministry of Health and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) are ongoing to determine how transmission took place there, a preliminary review has identified some gaps.
For instance, the humid environment had made it uncomfortable for workers to wear their masks for a prolonged period of time, the minister said. These workers usually have to move boxes of fish and ice, which can weigh up to 120kg.
"This meant a higher propensity for workers to adjust their masks or take them off momentarily," she added, noting that workers could have also taken off their masks when smoking during breaks.
Workers and traders also mixed freely throughout the facility, and some contactless delivery measures were not followed strictly.
Ms Fu said that to date, 76 per cent of workers at the port are fully vaccinated, while 86 per cent have received at least one dose of vaccine. "Unfortunately, Covid-19 managed to break through these defences, with many cases detected at JFP over the past month. The cases further spread to the markets and hawker centres through the stallholders who had visited JFP," she added.
These gaps in safe management measures will be addressed before the port is expected to reopen on Sunday, said Ms Fu.
She was responding to questions from several MPs, including Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio GRC), who had asked about measures taken to ensure the safe reopening of Jurong Fishery Port, markets and hawker centres.
The minister said the fishery port will go through a second round of cleaning before its reopening, and common areas and crates will also be cleaned regularly.
The SFA will also work with companies to implement a seven-day rostered routine testing (RRT) for all workers at Jurong Fishery Port, and contactless delivery protocols for truck drivers and boatmen will also be stepped up.
Trade visitors who are not on any testing regimes, such as RRT, will have to take an antigen rapid test before entering. There will also be more frequent patrols carried out to ensure compliance of safe management measures.
These enhanced safe management measures will also be progressively rolled out to all the other key food facilities, such as Senoko Fishery Port, Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market and slaughterhouses and pig abattoirs.
Ms Fu said a one-time polymerase chain reaction test of all workers at the facilities is being carried out, with no big clusters detected.
A seven-day RRT will also be rolled out at the key food facilities as soon as possible.
As part of efforts to improve the safety at markets, RRT will also be carried out for all market stallholders once every 14 days. More quick testing centres will be set up and hawkers may also be taught to conduct self testing.
In her reply, Ms Fu also said that Singapore has sufficient stocks of frozen seafood, noting how some in Singapore had rushed to buy seafood at the weekend after Jurong Fishery Port was closed on July 17.
She said that SFA and Enterprise Singapore had responded quickly to help distributors and supermarkets activate alternative arrangements, such as diverting supplies directly to the supermarkets' distribution centres and retail outlets.
An alternative site is also being made available for use in the event of another closure of the fishery ports or Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market.
She said: "We will factor in lessons learnt from this episode to better future-proof the sector... This episode has truly tested the resilience of our supply teams. Our overall seafood supply situation has remained stable because of our diversified supply and distribution channels."
Over $2 billion being provided to support workers, businesses affected by two periods of heightened alert
Package financed by reallocation of funds, will not affect Singapore's fiscal position: Finance Minister Lawrence Wong
By Tham Yuen-C, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
More than $2 billion will be set aside to support workers and businesses grappling with the impact of tighter Covid-19 restrictions since May, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced yesterday, as he said that the latest period of heightened alert is not expected to derail Singapore's economic recovery.
He acknowledged that the domestic, consumer-facing sectors, such as retail and food and beverage (F&B), will continue to face challenges, but said that Singapore remains on track to achieve growth of 4 per cent to 6 per cent this year.
Mr Wong was giving a statement in Parliament shortly before he introduced the Supplementary Supply Bill to effect the reallocation of funds for the measures.
The latest round of support measures for the current phase two (heightened alert) period was announced by the Ministry of Finance last Friday, and includes rental relief for hawkers and eligible businesses as well as enhanced wage support under the Jobs Support Scheme. It is expected to cost up to $1.1 billion.
This will be financed by the reallocation of funds, in keeping with Singapore's principles of fiscal responsibility and prudence, said Mr Wong.
The bulk of the amount, about $0.9 billion, will come from operating and development expenditures that will not be used owing to delays caused by the pandemic. These are one-off expenditures slated for activities in schools and for construction projects that have been cancelled or postponed.
The remaining amount will be covered by the buffer of $0.2 billion already provided for as part of the supplementary estimates presented early this month. This buffer had been set aside in anticipation of enhancements to or extensions of support measures.
Mr Wong said: "I had said previously that given the stronger position we are in today compared with last year, and the fact that most of the economy remains open, we should not be drawing on past reserves. This remains the case."
He said that since the support package will be funded via reallocation of funds, Singapore's overall fiscal position for Financial Year 2021 is expected to remain unchanged, with an overall deficit of $11 billion, or 2.2 per cent of gross domestic product.
Mr Wong said he recognised that businesses in the affected sectors had been working very hard to adapt to the changing regulations, and are deeply disappointed by the recent turn of events.
But business leaders he spoke to understood the need for the restrictions, and have continued to show resilience and the resolve to ride out the storm.
He noted that last week, he and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong met representatives from the Singapore Business Federation and several trade associations from the retail and F&B sectors who said many businesses were facing more strain this time.
"It is not just having to enter into another heightened alert. But it is the broader challenge of having to endure more than 1½ years' worth of restrictions, as well as continued disruptions to their business," he said, adding that the latest round of measures has taken in their feedback.
JSS support will be raised to 60 per cent for sectors - such as F&B, sports, performing arts and arts education - that have to close or suspend most activities.
Support will go up to 40 per cent for those significantly affected by restrictions, such as the retail and tourism sectors, cinema operators and family entertainment centres.
The wage support will taper to 10 per cent as businesses reopen, from Aug 19 to 31.
The Covid-19 Driver Relief Fund will be enhanced for taxi and private-hire car drivers, while a new Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund will give a one-off $500 cash payout to all individual stallholders of cooked-food and market stalls in centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators.
To help other workers affected by the tightened curbs, the Government will also make the temporary Covid-19 Recovery Grant available until Aug 31.
These measures come on top of a package announced weeks earlier to cover tighter measures imposed since May. The earlier measures will also be funded by reallocation of funds, some of which will come from capitalisation of development expenditure under the recently passed Significant Infrastructure Government Loan Act.
With about 70 per cent of Singapore's economic activities in outward-oriented sectors, the earlier projected growth of 4 per cent to 6 per cent this year remains on track, as long as external demand remains healthy, said Mr Wong.
He said the bigger uncertainty for recovery is the impact the Delta variant of the coronavirus may have on the major economies in Europe and the United States, which will affect external demand.
He noted that most economists are still projecting a robust global economic recovery this year.
But he said there are growing fears that as countries open up and the Delta variant spreads, the resurgence in cases could lead to more hospitalisations and fatalities, which could force a return to lockdowns and impinge on global economic growth.
"We must continue to stay agile and nimble, and keep on updating our Covid-19 and economic strategies based on the latest developments around us," he said.
"Ultimately, the best way to support our businesses and workers is to bring the infection under control, push up our vaccine coverage and reopen our economy. These continue to be our key priorities."
MPs will debate the statement today.
Business transformation key to avoid being left behind after COVID-19: Gan Kim Yong
He adds that crisis is a chance to develop new growth areas, strengthen global connections
By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on almost every economy in the world, and those that respond well, adapt and transform quickly will emerge stronger and move ahead of others, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong told Parliament yesterday.
"To ensure that we do not get left behind once the dust settles, we must turn this once-in-a-generation crisis into a once-in-a-generation opportunity, to transform our businesses, develop new areas of growth and strengthen our connections to the global economy," he said in a ministerial statement on the Government's business and economic response to Covid-19.
Mr Gan noted that the Government has delivered eight Budgets over 1½ years to support businesses and save jobs - including the Supplementary Supply Bill that was introduced in Parliament yesterday.
Schemes such as the Jobs Support Scheme, Jobs Growth Incentive, rental relief and tax rebates were also introduced, along with enterprise financing schemes. The Government also worked with banks to put a moratorium on loan repayment.
"Together, these efforts have helped avert massive business failures, a much deeper recession and higher unemployment," Mr Gan said.
Businesses and workers have told officials that while the help has been critical and helpful, it can serve only as "temporary pain relief", and they would prefer to resume business fully and for the economy to grow again, he said.
Many are therefore transforming their businesses to seek out new opportunities and prepare for the recovery, he said.
But he acknowledged that it is not easy for businesses to juggle everyday challenges and the need to transform.
This was why the Emerging Stronger Taskforce was set up in May last year to examine Singapore's post-Covid-19 economic strategies. It released its report in May this year, and some of the nine public-private partnerships it formed, known as Alliances for Action (AfAs), have delivered promising results.
The minister cited the AfA on Enabling Safe and Innovative Visitor Experiences, which he said made possible innovations in safe events for the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) industry that has provided some relief to the sector while elevating its international profile.
Mr Gan also said the AfA on Supply Chain Digitalisation created the Singapore Trade Data Exchange, a piece of digital infrastructure that allows businesses to share trade data with one another in a trusted and safe manner, in response to a growing demand for supply chain transparency and resilience.
Some sectors, such as the financial, infocomm technology, biomedical manufacturing and electronics sectors, are doing well despite the pandemic.
Mr Gan said the Government's focus for these sectors is to "add wind to their sails" and help them create new products, forge new partnerships and break into new markets.
In some of these sectors, AfAs have helped identify growth opportunities, the minister said. He said the AfA on medical technology product development, for instance, recognised the increasing prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases, and identified in-vitro diagnostics as one such sub-sector that Singapore can grow.
"We will continue to work closely with industry and partner businesses in this endeavour to give them the support they need to raise their productivity, innovate and grow beyond our shores.
"We will also help workers to be ready for the challenges in the new normal. As businesses transform to remain competitive and seize new opportunities, workers will also need to learn new knowledge and acquire new skills. The need for workers to upgrade and upskill is more urgent than ever."
Mr Gan further urged employers to work with the Government and its tripartite partners to upgrade and redesign jobs, as well as invest in workforce training.
Businesses need to prepare for endemic COVID-19 in Singapore: Gan Kim Yong
Firms urged to help staff get vaccinated
By Adeline Tan, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
Businesses here should help eligible employees get vaccinated, integrate the use of antigen rapid tests into work processes, and continue flexible work arrangements as Singapore transits towards living with endemic Covid-19.
Making the points in a ministerial statement yesterday, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said businesses need to prepare as the nation's vaccination coverage increases.
Safe management measures will be eased, including restrictions on social gatherings. He added that certain events will see higher capacity limits as safe management measures are adjusted.
This means that food and beverage establishments, retail and other businesses that provide in-person services, such as gyms and beauty services, will see a return in demand.
Mr Gan said workplace restrictions will also be eased, and progressively, more workers could return to the office.
As a result, businesses will be able to conduct face-to-face meetings, or hold team bonding and networking activities.
To prepare for this eventuality, businesses can encourage and facilitate all medically eligible employees, especially those involved in high-touch-point activities, to get vaccinated.
Those who cannot be vaccinated should be deployed to lower-risk settings.
Second, the use of antigen rapid self-test kits should be integrated into work processes, especially for businesses that provide services with high touch points, or those which tap a pool of workers that frequently changes.
"Encourage employees to self-isolate and get themselves tested if they are not feeling well, or if they suspect they may have been exposed to Covid-19. Doing so can help detect cases early, and limit the extent of disruption to your businesses," said Mr Gan, adding that he knows of several employers who have made bulk purchases of testing kits so their staff can have easy access to them.
Third, to strengthen operational resilience, businesses should continue to allow flexible work arrangements and put in place business continuity plans.
Mr Gan said businesses can expect other changes with an endemic Covid-19.
For example, they would not have to shut down their premises for deep cleaning whenever a Covid-19 case emerges, and huge resources would not have to be pumped into contact tracing efforts.
With domestic infected cases creating much less disruption than they do currently, businesses will be able to largely return to normal operations, he added.
"Infected individuals with mild symptoms may be able to recover from home, and close contacts will likely just be required to monitor their health without the need for quarantine or self-isolation. This is similar to how we treat influenza cases today," he said.
Mr Gan added that Singapore is also looking at relaxing border restrictions safely, as many parts of the economy require a steady flow of people in and out of the country.
He said: "As a business hub, many of our executives have to travel to manage and grow their regional businesses. Our tourism and Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) industry, as well as our air hub status, also critically depend on international connectivity."
As the vaccination coverage rate here increases, and the majority of residents are protected against Covid-19, Mr Gan said, Singapore will progressively facilitate international travel with countries that have managed the pandemic well.
This means fully vaccinated individuals will be able to travel and do business more freely.
"This is a critical move that will allow us to reassert Singapore's position as a business, travel and talent hub. We are working this out carefully and engaging partner countries, and will provide more details when ready," said Mr Gan.
All Singapore households to get DIY antigen rapid test kits
They will go to those near large clusters first; Singapore also rolling out other testing methods
By Hariz Baharudin, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
All households here will receive Covid-19 self-test kits, as Singapore scales up its testing regimen and works to live with the coronavirus.
These antigen rapid test (ART) kits, now widely available at retailers, are being distributed by the Government to households and will be rolled out first to those near large Covid-19 clusters, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament yesterday.
"We will progressively scale up and distribute to everyone in Singapore," said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19.
As these kits are being distributed, Singapore will also be rolling out other ways of testing for the virus. Mr Wong said these include breathalyser tests in Parliament before each sitting, in addition to similar tests at Singapore's checkpoints, and wastewater surveillance in estates.
"Regular testing, and the social consciousness to get ourselves tested regularly, will protect us and keep us safe as we transit to the new normal," he said.
Mr Wong and his two co-chairs - Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong - spoke in Parliament to give an update on the Government's response to Covid-19.
Stressing that everyone has a role in Singapore's controlled and phased reopening, Mr Wong said safe management measures will remain important for some time.
Mask wearing may well be one of the last rules to go in the new normal, he said. While Singapore may consider dispensing with masks when outdoors, he said it would still make sense to wear them in indoor, enclosed environments, where transmission risks are greater.
Basic safety measures like wearing a mask and keeping a safe distance from others can help reduce transmission effectively, he said.
"So we must stay disciplined and continue to maintain these practices, even as we transition towards the new normal."
Singapore will also continue with regular enforcement checks and take strict action against any breach of the rules.
Mr Wong noted that since April last year, a task force comprising various government agencies has been coordinating the enforcement of safe management measures in public venues. "They have been doing daily enforcement checks. Where laws were flouted, offenders, both operators and individuals, have been taken to task and cases publicised."
But Singapore cannot rely on enforcement efforts alone to get through the pandemic, Mr Wong said, and the country will be safer if people here demonstrate social solidarity and a collective sense of responsibility to do the right thing.
For instance, people can take precautions such as practising good personal hygiene, seeing a doctor and staying at home when not feeling well, and getting themselves tested and minimising social interactions as they wait for the results.
Mr Wong acknowledged how disheartened people here are over the new coronavirus clusters caused by people who broke the rules and acted irresponsibly. But he said that over the past 18 months, the vast majority of Singaporeans have shown tremendous discipline.
"Many have also been working tirelessly in our fight against Covid-19. It's not just our healthcare workers like our doctors and nurses at our hospitals, clinics and community care facilities," he said.
"It's also our fellow Singaporeans on the front lines elsewhere... They include our safe distancing ambassadors, food delivery riders, cleaners and many more."
Yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Facebook that he tried out the TracieX breathalyser before attending Parliament, adding that the process was fast, simple and non-invasive. The breathalyser has been registered with the Health Sciences Authority and is undergoing validation.
Touching on the statements that the three co-chairs of the task force made in Parliament, PM Lee noted that the recent large cluster from Jurong Fishery Port has forced Singapore to delay its reopening, but that the country's vaccination programme is progressing well.
He added that the task force will review Covid-19 measures here early next month and that hopefully by then, the numbers will have stabilised and Singapore can start to ease up.
"We have to accept a certain level of fluidity as part of living with endemic Covid-19. Let's stay the course; we will get through this together," he said.
Taking a difficult but balanced approach to Singapore's reopening as COVID-19 frustration grows
Ministers stress need to keep businesses viable while ensuring public health
By Grace Ho, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
At 12.01am on July 19, the start of "Freedom Day" in Britain, partygoers packed heaving dance clubs to celebrate the end of Covid-19 lockdowns.
But the reopening has been marred by surging infections - about 50,000 a day - and warnings of overwhelmed hospitals.
In Singapore, the authorities have been eyeing these global developments with concern, even as new daily cases here have risen past 100 in recent days.
Yesterday, ministerial statements by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Mr Lawrence Wong and Mr Gan Kim Yong, as well as clarifications by Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, sought to clear the air.
Three questions are worth highlighting because of the public debate - and in some cases, misinformation - surrounding them.
First, is the Government reversing plans to transition to a Covid-19 endemic state, by returning to phase two (heightened alert)?
The answer is no.
Stricter rules help slow down transmission and give the country time to push vaccination rates up further, protecting vulnerable seniors. Today, about half of Singaporeans are fully vaccinated; more than 200,000 of those aged 60 and above are not fully vaccinated.
Mr Ong, the Health Minister, put this across graphically when he said Singapore's opening must be a controlled one. He said: "We are not going to do a big bang - because predictably, things will then blow up."
He spoke of a three-pronged strategy: Restore economic and social activities, remodel Covid-19 healthcare protocols, and shift the collective psychology.
This includes tapping more community care facilities instead of hospitals, focusing on those with severe illnesses rather than broad infection numbers, and differentiating safe management measures for vaccinated people.
Second, why were KTVs and nightclubs allowed to operate as F&B outlets? Was there inadequate enforcement, and were immigration rules lax?
Mr Shanmugam asked the House to weigh a blanket ban against helping many legitimate businesses to stay afloat. The authorities had to take a risk-based, balanced approach to their appeals, he said.
"Some of them, when you look at the premises, you do question if they can really be F&B. But it requires us to say flat out to the owners: 'Regardless of what you say, I am not going to believe you and I am not going to allow you to operate as F&B'."
Responding to Ms Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson) on whether illicit activities would be pushed further underground, he said that pivoting is not the issue; the issue is that there is money to be made in making services such as prostitution available.
"The people who are going to cheat, going to do illegal things, will do them anyway. They will use lounges, flats, warehouses - various places. It goes on regardless of whether we allow the change to F&B."
Nor would Singapore have had to move to the tightened restrictions if there was just the KTV cluster, he added. It was the Jurong Fishery Port cluster that triggered the need to go back to phase two (heightened alert) - because the infections had spread from the port to the markets and hawkers, and into the wider community.
There was also, on average, one police enforcement operation every day. Meanwhile, the immigration authorities quickly scrapped entry into Singapore via the boyfriend/girlfriend category in March - just one month after unilateral opening between Singapore and Vietnam was suspended owing to the worsening Covid-19 situation there.
Third, what exactly happened at Jurong Fishery Port? Were foreign traders allowed to disembark and mingle with workers there?
Investigations are ongoing. What is clear is that contactless delivery rules were in place, but whether they were strictly followed is a question mark.
Strenuous activity meant that workers might adjust their masks or take them off. There is also the possibility of fomite transmission, or the virus surviving on surfaces.
Mr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) voiced what is on the minds of Singaporeans frustrated with reimposed restrictions when he asked if vaccination could be made mandatory.
But with Covid-19 vaccines approved only for emergency use, mandating them is legally and ethically tricky, and most governments continue not do so for their general adult populations. Even in places like China, there has been public backlash against extreme enforcement actions such as turning unvaccinated people away from supermarkets.
What is clear is that it is not possible to stop transmissions completely. While it may be expedient to opt for either a complete lockdown or a big-bang opening, the ministers yesterday laid out the need for a nuanced approach - one that keeps businesses viable while ensuring public health.
Singaporeans are understandably anxious to know if this will be the final round of restrictions. But as Mr Wong, the Finance Minister, pointed out, one cannot rule out another variant that may not just be more transmissible, but also more lethal.
He also elaborated on the differentiated approach going forward, such as how any loosened restrictions - for example, a religious service involving more than 100 people - will be extended only to fully vaccinated individuals.
While this is easy to grasp for large-scale events, what might alleviate the administrative hassle for businesses - as well as confusion among the public - is if the earlier revised rules for dining could be simplified. Already, some restaurants had kept to the limit of two diners to a table to avoid any trouble.
It has been a difficult past 1½ years. There was no triumphant emergence from the shadow of Covid-19; instead, countries everywhere have wriggled out of its grasp in fits and starts.
But hope lies in the numbers.
Even with more than $2 billion in support given to workers and businesses over the two periods of heightened alert since May, state coffers here are not expected to take a further hit, with the overall deficit remaining at $11 billion.
The Republic is slated to remain on track for gross domestic product growth of 4 per cent to 6 per cent this year, as long as external demand remains healthy.
By National Day, almost 70 per cent of Singaporeans will have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine; by early September, it should be almost 80 per cent. This means Singapore will have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. It means that the ability to live with Covid-19 as an endemic disease is within reach.
Now - barring a more deadly variant lurking around the corner - everyone just has to play his part.
Decision to tighten COVID-19 measures was right judgment call: Lawrence Wong
By Rei Kurohi, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2021
The Covid-19 situation today would have been much worse if the authorities did not impose tighter restrictions in the wake of the Jurong Fishery Port cluster, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Tuesday (July 27).
Responding to a barrage of questions and comments from MPs on the move back to phase two (heightened alert) measures last week, he said he was "fully convinced" it was the right judgment call.
He noted that the Covid-19 cluster linked to KTV lounges stood at 245 cases as at noon on Tuesday, including two new cases.
In comparison, the still-growing Jurong Fishery Port cluster stood at 902 cases, with 36 new cases.
The number of Covid-19 patients who are hospitalised and require oxygen or intensive care has also risen 3½ times since early July, from five to 18 as at Monday night.
"If we had not done a heightened alert, the outcomes would have been far worse," he said, reminding the House that there are still 200,000 seniors aged above 60 who are not vaccinated.
"Are we prepared to live with an outcome where many of them fall sick and even succumb to the illness? Is that something we want to happen, to see happen in Singapore?" said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry Covid-19 task force.
Some MPs had called for a clearer road map on the path ahead, saying the shifting rules have led to uncertainty and disruption. To this, the minister said the pandemic situation is highly fluid, rapidly changing and very uncertain.
"Obviously, it's very hard to predict what would happen," he said.
"We don't even know what will happen in the next few days, let alone in the next few weeks or months."
He noted that Covid-19 case numbers were in the single digits and continuing to fall in early July.
"Any risk dashboard would tell you things are okay and we would be able to move forward to open confidently. Then, what struck? We had the KTV cluster. No warning, no early indicator, but it struck us."
The task force felt it was still possible to continue reopening, based on its assessment of the KTV cluster then.
But the Jurong Fishery Port cluster that emerged shortly after that was "much, much more serious", he said, with infections quickly spreading in the community through markets and hawker centres.
"There was heightened risk of exponential spread, and our vaccine coverage at that time was not adequate. That's why we decided at that time that we had to return to phase two (heightened alert)," Mr Wong added.
"I know everyone is frustrated about the measures. The minute I announce something, I get it in my inbox already. I fully understand, but I hope members in this House understand too," he said.
"We've tried very hard to explain to all of you in the hope that you too understand what an important, difficult but necessary decision this has to be so that you too can do your part as responsible Members of Parliament, in a crisis and pandemic like this, to explain to your residents, to your constituents... why we had to do this."
Mr Wong cited the hospitalisation and intensive care unit numbers as some of the metrics that the task force would be monitoring in the next few days as it prepares to review current measures.
It will then consider easing some measures for vaccinated people only, with further easing in September when the proportion of fully vaccinated people in Singapore hits the 80 per cent mark.
But he warned that Singaporeans should be prepared for tightened measures once more if the situation worsens significantly despite a high vaccination rate, adding that this could potentially be due to the emergence of a new variant.
"We have shared as much as we can up to now, and as I said, when further details are ready, we will share more."
Need to protect healthcare system is why Singapore reverted to earlier COVID-19 rules: Ong Ye Kung
By Yeo Shu Hui, The Straits Times, 28 Jul 2021
Singapore had to move back to phase two (heightened alert) and tighten Covid-19 restrictions to prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
Mr Ong was addressing attendees in an opening speech at the Healthcare Scholarships Award Ceremony, which was held virtually on Wednesday (July 28).
He noted that the Jurong Fishery Port cluster had led to new cases of Covid-19 in markets around Singapore.
Mr Ong added that although Covid-19 patients are now occupying only a handful of intensive care unit (ICU) beds, "we have already opened up close to 70 beds, which is double from two weeks ago, and we are preparing to open up more".
Hospitals have also added about 1,000 isolation beds and about 80 per cent were occupied by Covid-19 patients and suspected cases.
Mr Ong said: "The odds of a large surge in cases are stacked against us: We knew that when a cluster grows uncontrollably, infection numbers would double every seven to 10 days, which meant that hospital beds could fill up in a week. Beyond that, we could be overwhelmed."
He added that in many countries around the world, hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, and sick people had to be turned away, with doctors having to choose who lives and dies.
"That is why, in a pandemic like this, we protect our healthcare system robustly. We cannot let a human tragedy like this happen in Singapore," he added.
Mr Ong said the pandemic had been a difficult time for all healthcare workers, and he expressed his appreciation for them.
At the award ceremony, 164 scholarships were awarded to nurture the next generation of talent and leaders in the healthcare sector.
Mr Ong congratulated the scholarship recipients and noted their diversity in backgrounds, education and stages in life.
He said: "It is very important that scholarships are not just for the very young. All of us need to continue to learn throughout our lives and careers, hone our skills and knowledge, and reinvent ourselves from time to time."
The Health Ministry's chief nursing officer Paulin Koh and Second Minister for Health Masagos Zulkifli also congratulated the scholarship recipients at the ceremony.
Mr Masagos said: "Persevere and never lose sight of what made you choose healthcare in the first place."
Ms Tang Li Ern, 19, who received the Healthcare Merit Award, said her mother and sister, who are healthcare workers, had inspired her to seek a career in the industry.
She said: "They taught me that healthcare is about sacrificing and spreading love, and I want to be able to help people in that way as well."
Ms Tang, who will begin her degree in diagnostic radiography at the Singapore Institute of Technology in September, looks forward to working with other healthcare professionals to assist and provide support for those in need.
She added: "I think helping others is a very valuable and impactful thing to do. It is something that takes time, patience and love."
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