Singapore extends coronavirus ‘circuit breaker’ measures to June 1
- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says the decision was made against the backdrop of a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases
- The country will close more workplaces and implement a system for people to go to wet markets or supermarkets only on designated days
In a televised address, Lee said the country of 5.7 million people needed to hunker down and press on with even stricter social distancing measures, so that its “circuit breaker” efforts could bring down the number of infections to a “single digit, or even zero”.
“This suggests there is a larger, hidden reservoir of cases in the community,” Lee said, urging people to continue reducing interactions outside their homes.
Singapore has been under a partial lockdown since April 7, with most workplaces and schools closed and only businesses providing essential services such as food and groceries remaining open.
But more workplaces would now be closed to further minimise the risk of community transmission, Lee said, cautioning that this meant some services, such as frequent grass-cutting, would not continue. The authorities are also looking to cut the amount of people commuting daily to work from 20 per cent currently to 15 per cent.
In a briefing that took place after Lee’s speech, national development minister Lawrence Wong said there would be a new system for people to go to wet markets or supermarkets only on designated days, corresponding to their national identity card numbers.
Lee said the government would make further adjustments and consider easing some measures after June 1, adding that he understood many would be disappointed by the extension, especially businesses that had taken a big hit.
“But I hope you understand that this short-term pain is to stamp out the virus, protect the health and safety of our loved ones and allow us to revive our economy,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and finance minister Heng Swee Keat, who advises the multi-ministerial task force that deals with the virus, also unveiled new measures to tide businesses through the additional four weeks of partial lockdown.
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In particular, the jobs support scheme – under which the government will offset up to 75 per cent of the first S$4,600 (US$3,222) of all local workers’ monthly wages for the month of April – has been extended until May. Shareholders and directors, who were previously not included in the scheme, will now get to enjoy these benefits too, Heng said.
The enhanced measures amount to some S$3.8 billion on top of the previously announced S$59.9 billion fiscal stimulus.
“I urge our business leaders to do your best to retain your workers and make full use of the various grants for training and other schemes for upgrading corporate capabilities,” said Heng, in his first appearance on the panel since the outbreak.
On the rise in infections in Singapore’s mega-dormitories, which house more than 230,000 workers, Prime Minister Lee said it was a “serious problem” and the government was committed to treating them – with mild cases treated on site, more serious cases sent to hospitals and older workers who were more vulnerable moved to a separate dorm.
“To our migrant workers, let me emphasise again: we will care for you, just like we care for Singaporeans,” he said.
Asked during the briefing why these infections had not been spotted earlier, with ill workers moved out of the dorms, national development minister Wong said many displayed mild symptoms and only mass testing in the dorms had uncovered their infections.
Authorities said they would no longer allow workers to move in and out of all dormitories starting from 11.59pm on Tuesday, including workers in factory-converted dorms and temporary quarters on construction sites. About 180,000 construction workers who do not live in dormitories have also been put on stay-home notices from Monday until May 4.
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Lee also spoke in Malay to directly address the country’s Muslim community, who make up about 15 per cent of the population and will begin the fasting month of Ramadan later this week. The circuit breaker measures mean that mosques will remain closed and the traditional festive gatherings for Hari Raya Eid ul-Fitr in late May cannot take place.
This was a shame, Lee said, but he pointed to how more families were able to use technology to keep in touch and added that religious leaders would endeavour to make sure this year’s Ramadan was no less meaningful.
Lee said three steps were needed for Singapore to lift the partial lockdown which authorities have termed a “circuit breaker”. He said the city state would have to open up incrementally like New Zealand and Germany “making sure that we are safe each step of the way”, substantially scale up testing for Covid-19, and use technology to more effectively trace who had been in contact with infected people.
Some Singaporeans are saddened by the move to extend the partial lockdown into the festive season, including 58-year-old Muhammad Shahiddin, who said this had never happened in his life.
“I feel sad but I think it is necessary given how things are. I will miss visiting my relatives and indulging in dishes that I get to eat only once a year, but hopefully I live to experience the next Ramadan as normal,” said Shahiddin, who works in the aviation industry.
