Easing of rules will see more Covid-19 cases, but healthcare system can bear burden, say Singapore task force ministers

People should continue to exercise social responsibility, given how unpredictable the virus is, say Singapore task force ministers. - The Straits Times/ANN

SINGAPORE, April 3 (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore will see an uptick in Covid-19 cases now that restrictions have been eased, but its healthcare system is expected to be able to shoulder the burden.

At the same time, people should continue to exercise social responsibility, given how unpredictable the virus is, stressed two of the ministers leading the country's pandemic response.

"If cases were to pick up again, our healthcare system will be able to accommodate them and we would not need to tighten up. That is our present assessment," Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told reporters on Friday (April 1).

"But as we all know, a lot of things can go wrong - you can make the best of predictions... but you will have curve balls thrown at you."

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: "When rules are eased, personal responsibility goes up."

This means people have to take precautions, such as getting tested for Covid-19 before meeting vulnerable people, staying in isolation if one is unwell and not rushing to the emergency department unless it is necessary.

In their interview with reporters from four SPH Media Trust publications - The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu - the ministers explained the Government's decision to relax Singapore's Covid-19 rules.

They also answered questions about the road ahead, including whether the country will roll back on current measures if infection numbers spike.

The Government would not have relaxed restrictions if it expects to tighten them again when cases go up, Ong replied.

"Nobody likes to do the cha-cha - three steps forward, two steps back. We wouldn't open up and take this decisive step if we thought we were going to step back."

But it is also important to understand how Singapore got to its current position, Ong said.

He compared the country's ongoing battle with Covid-19 to weightlifting at the gym, noting that people may get muscle aches after lifting weights but also grow stronger over time.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung (left) and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong during an interview with SPH Media Trust reporters. - The Straits Times/ANN

Similarly, Singapore started with the circuit breaker in April 2020 and bore up under various sets of restrictions in the months that followed. Its population grew stronger as vaccination rates climbed, enabling it to ride out the milder Omicron wave with less strict rules in place.

"You (lift weights) every day. One week later, you get stronger. Muscle ache goes away," Ong said. "Then you keep adding more weights. That's how you get stronger... and that's what we are doing for our society."

Wong was asked about the economic impact of Singapore's reopening plans, especially the easing of border restrictions.

Freer travel means workers will be able to enter Singapore more easily, alleviating the labour shortage faced by some companies, he replied. The country hopes to get manpower in the construction sector back to previous levels by the middle of this year, he added.

While some local companies may be concerned about losing business to their Malaysian counterparts, they are also likely to see an uptick in demand from Malaysians and other tourists, Mr Wong added.

"So I hope that businesses will look at it both ways... There may be some downsides, but overall, it's a net plus for businesses."

Could Singapore's reopening further push up the cost of living? Broader forces in the wider world - such as the war in Ukraine and the ongoing supply chain crisis - remain the main factors at play, Wong responded.

While increased demand from opening up could result in some upward pressure on prices, businesses' cost concerns will also be alleviated by the availability of more labour.

“It really has two effects. It is very hard to say what, overall, it will be,” Wong said. "But it wouldn't really be the major driver of inflation in Singapore, which remains very much the broader forces which I just described."

Both ministers were also asked about Singapore's vaccination-differentiated measures and the continued need for SafeEntry, given that it is not difficult for unvaccinated people to enter prohibited venues as checks are not always stringent.

Ong acknowledged that it is possible for a person to cheat the system if he is determined to do so. "But there is still some friction; it does carry a fine if you are detected. I think we want to keep that friction."

Singaporeans have generally been cooperative and are following the rules, Wong added. "There will always be the ones that want to cheat the system... No matter how tight the system, these people will be there."

Moving forward, the country will keep a close eye on the global virus situation even as it eases restrictions to allow people to resume more normal lives, he added.

"It's not tenable to say that just because there is a threat of something coming up in the future, now that we are in a good position, we still have to (remain on) high alert and cannot loosen (the measures)," he said. - The Straits Times/ANN