Tighter measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore were introduced this past week. These include shutting our borders to tourists and short-term visitors, banning large gatherings, and ordering pubs and entertainment outlets to close from tonight (26 March) 11.59pm until 30 April.
This has left some people wondering if the country is in a ‘partial lockdown’.
While there is no universal definition of a lockdown, in most countries it is a protocol triggered by an emergency that restricts the movement of people, vehicles and goods, and where citizens are required by law to stay at home. In a lockdown, non-essential activities and even public transport can also be suspended.
“I disagree with the use of the word lockdown in Singapore’s case,” said Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying.
“People are free to move in many aspects; they can still go to malls, they can still go to restaurants, I can go to work, the schools are not closed and public transportation is not closed.”
“In Singapore right now, we are nowhere near [Italy’s] situation. For us to adopt such a measure will be unnecessary and not prudent. The measure we have adopted here is catered to the situation we have in Singapore,” added Prof Teo.
On whether a lockdown could bring cases in Singapore down to single digits or even zero, Prof Teo said that such a strategy might work to keep cases down internally, but there is still the risk of importation.
He explained that this is why border controls have been tightened and more stringent requirements have been imposed on those returning from US and UK, where many of the recently imported cases had travelled to recently.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said each set of measures introduced progressively has been aimed at putting the brakes on the spread of the disease.
But he stressed: “Underpinning all of these efforts is the need for all Singaporeans to take individual and social responsibility.”
Washing of hands, keeping a safe distance from one another, working from home and avoiding large gatherings are the least disruptive measures, but they are also the most important.
Media coverage:
- Measures taken so far not akin to lockdown: Expert, The Straits Times (Print), 26 March 2020
- Coronavirus: Measures taken so far not akin to lockdown, says expert, The Straits Times, 26 March 2020