Struggle shows colossal task of containment in Singapore

Signs of life: A woman walking past shops in Chinatown as the government advises people to reduce physical interaction as a preventive measure against the spread of Covid-19. — AFP

Held up as a role model for its battle against coronavirus, city-state Singapore is struggling with an infection spread that disease experts say bodes ill for global containment efforts.

The tiny South-East Asian nation was one of the worst hit countries when the virus first spread from China in January, but a strict surveillance and quarantine regime helped stem the tide, with methods that drew praise from the World Health Organisation.