The change in the COVID-19 risk assessment level from Yellow to Orange last week prompted a sudden surge in demand for groceries and household essentials across stores in Singapore.
Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said, “We just want to continue to assure Singaporeans that our supply chains, when it comes to food and grocery items, remain robust. Our diversification strategy ensures that we are protected from any sudden shocks. We were able to meet that demand. It was simply a matter of getting the supplies out from the warehouse into the retail outlets, and the supply chain that we have remains robust.”
He added that authorities can understand why people were concerned and anxious, but the response from the public last week demonstrates the challenges in conveying accurate information to the public in such situations.
“It is — in some sense — normal for individuals to be concerned that they’re going to be quarantined, and if they’re going to be quarantined, [whether] they need essential supplies for that 14-day period,” said Associate Professor Jeremy Lim, Partner at Oliver Wyman and Co-Director of Global Health at SSHSPH.
He added that in order to mitigate some of these concerns and reassure Singaporeans, it is important to reiterate and communicate clearly that the country has robust quarantine and community containment measures, as well as supply chain processes and systems.
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Media coverage:
- Focus 焦点, Channel 8, 13 February 2020 (segment at 18:41–19:38)