In the wake of Singapore’s growing Covid-19 numbers and the resumption of “Phase 2”, the co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce, Lawrence Wong, said in an Instagram post that Singapore cannot afford to close borders for a long duration.
He explained that Singapore needs migrant workers to help build our homes, as well as in a wide range of essential services like cleaning and caring for our seniors.
He also said that Singapore’s approach to the pandemic is not to shut our borders permanently, but to manage them on a risk-based approach – controlling the inflow of the workers tightly and quarantining them before they can start work here.
Wong also highlighted that in fact, with the latest restrictions on arrivals from the entire Indian sub-continent, some HDB BTO projects may now be delayed by more than a year.
He also stressed the importance for the community to do their part to reduce interactions and observe safe distancing rules, and that Singapore cannot rely on border measures alone to control the infection.
Images source: Singapore Tourism Board via @lawrencewongst on Instagram, Lawrence Wong Facebook