Singapore can expect ‘recurring waves’ of coronavirus, circuit breaker unsustainable, says NCID head

Professor Leo Yee Sin, executive director of Singapore’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases, said complete elimination of Covid-19 is not attainable for now

Singapore reported 793 new coronavirus cases on Friday, taking its total number of infections to 26,891

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A migrant worker is seen at a dormitory in Singapore, amid an outbreak of coronavirus cases among foreign workers. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:00pm, 15 May 2020Updated: 4:00pm, 15 May 2020

It is not sustainable for Singapore to remain in its circuit breaker phase to stem the spread of Covid-19, and the nation will have to live with the coronavirus for some time until a vaccine is found, said National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) executive director Leo Yee Sin.

But until then, the country will have to buy itself time to reduce the impact of the virus by having a solid plan in place, said the infectious diseases specialist.

“We are hoping to be able to suppress the transmission [of the virus], but I do not think we can attain complete elimination,” Professor Leo said on Thursday during the sixth edition of the Covid-19: Updates from Singapore webinar series.

Medical workers wearing personal protective equipment are seen at a foreign worker dormitory in Singapore. Photo: EPA-EFE

The webinar was jointly organised by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the National University Health System.

On Friday, Singapore reported 793 new coronavirus cases, taking its total number of infections to 26,891. Only one of the cases is either a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, with most of the new cases being work permit holders living in foreign worker dormitories.

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