新加坡冠病疫情以及如何邁向新常態
李顯龍總理全國講話
2021年10月9日
新加坡進入冠病疫情穩定階段已有兩周，李顯龍總理10月9日中午12時將發表全國講話，內容包括冠病疫情以及如何邁向新常態。
這是李總理今年第二次就冠病疫情對全國講話。他5月13日第一次發表全國講話時，分享了政府計劃如何在控制疫情的同時，讓我國再次逐步解封，並勾勒接下來的新常態。
全文如下：
各位同胞：
過去的幾個星期，本地的冠病病例大幅度增加，這難免讓大家感到焦慮不安。許多國人覺得政府不斷推出新的防疫政策，一些措施也一改再改，讓他們無所適從。我理解大家的擔憂和不滿。有些人開始問：爲了成爲一個具有對抗冠病韌性的國家所做的部署，是不是出了問題？政府是不是改變主意了？我們還能按部就班開放我國社會嗎？其他人也問到：爲什麽有那麽多人染病？我們爲什麽沒有再次實行阻斷措施？這些都是合理的問題。
因此，我要親自向大家說明：目前的局勢以及出現了什麽變化，我們在現階段所采取抗疫戰略，以及如何邁向新常態。
我要告訴大家我的看法和關注的事項。因爲，只有萬衆一心，齊力抗疫，我們才能夠克服困境，熬過接下來的幾個月。
原本戰略：“冠病清零”
去年，在疫情暴發初期，我們面對的是一種未知的疾病，全世界有關冠病的科學知識少之又少。由于新加坡曾經曆沙斯疫情，因此這一次我們知道應該從哪裏著手應對冠病疫情。隨著我們對這個病毒有更多的認識，我們也相應調整了防疫戰略。
我們原本所采取的戰略是要鉚足全力，幫助國人預防冠病。爲了把病例維持最低水平，我們盡可能收緊安全管理措施。我們認爲這是最有效的方法，能夠把重症和死亡病例減到最少。
當時，采取“冠病清零”戰略是正確的，因爲大家都還沒有接種疫苗，國人對冠病完全沒有免疫力，如果感染冠病，後果將非常嚴重。當時，病毒的傳染性也沒有那麽強，所以我們的防疫措施能夠有效地阻斷病毒的傳播。我們的戰略奏效了，我們沒有像許多國家一樣，有很多的死亡病例，我國是全球冠病死亡率最低的國家之一。
同時，我們也未雨綢缪，預先采購疫苗。在對抗疫情方面，疫苗起了非常關鍵的作用，疫苗爲大家提供了一層保護。我們所推出的全國疫苗接種計劃進行得非常成功，非常感謝國人對政府的信任，並全力配合，使我國成爲全球疫苗接種率最高的國家之一，接種率近85%，這大大加強了我們對冠病的抵抗能力。我們的數據跟世界各地的數據都清楚顯示，接種疫苗能顯著降低您染病後患上重症的風險。絕大多數的本土病例（超過98%）沒有或只出現輕微症狀，只有2%或更少的病人患上重症。這當中，只有0.2%病逝或需要在加護病房接受治療，換句話說，每2000位病患當中，只有兩位。其他重症病患只需要輸氧幾天。也就是說，打了疫苗，冠病對大部分的人來說已不再是一種危險的疾病。
情況已出現變化
不過， 德爾塔變種病毒的出現讓情況出現變化。德爾塔變種病毒傳染性強，並且已經在全球散播開來。即便我國讓所有人都完成疫苗接種，我們也不可能通過鎖國和安全管理措施抵禦這個變種病毒，因爲它的傳染性太強了。
即便我們能通過嚴緊的防疫措施讓冠病病例有所下降，但是一旦我們放寬限制，病毒很快又會迅速地傳播開來，新加坡的情況尤其如此。由于我們采取清零的抗疫戰略，因此大多數的國人仍未接觸到冠病病毒，我們大部分人從未染上冠病，又或者如醫生所說的，我們沒有得過冠病，所以就沒有抗體。因此，我們的人體自然免疫力不高。即使我們已經接種了疫苗，也還會面對一些染病的風險。所以我們要有心理准備，接下來的一段時間，還是會看到許多新病例。
然而 ，我們不可能無限期地封城和關閉邊境，這是不可行的，也要付出很高的代價，我們將無法恢複日常的生活，進行社交活動，開放邊境以振興經濟。我們每一次收緊防疫措施，企業的運作和生意就會受到更大的沖擊，工友會失去工作，小孩無法過正常、完整的童年和學校生活，一些國人和他們的家人也會分開得更久，尤其是那些有親人身在國外的家庭，還有一些大家庭也一直無法團聚。這種種情況不但給人們帶來心理和情感壓力，也讓人感到精神疲憊，這影響了國人以及其他民衆，包括客工。
所以，我們幾個月前就認定清零戰略已不可行。所以，我們改變了戰略，過渡到“與冠病共存”。
與冠病共存
不過， 整個過程並非一帆風順。在8月份，當我們取得80%的接種率時，我們就結束了高警戒解封階段。我們預計病例會上升，因爲更多人恢複了各種活動包括社交聚會。由于德爾塔病毒株的傳染性非常強，病例的增幅比我們所預期的高出了許多。
剛開始， 我國的醫療體系目前還是能夠應付。不過，我們擔心醫療體系將承受巨大壓力，而事實也正是如此。我們的醫護人員也面對同樣的情況。而隨著病例大幅度增加 ，重症病例也會相應增加。當我們出現多病例時，即使只有2%的病例需要住院或在加護病房治療，這些重症人數還是相當可觀的。在這種情況下，我國的醫療體系很快就會難以負荷。
這就是爲什麽上個月，我們收緊了限制。這麽做是爲了減緩病例的增幅，讓醫護人員有喘息的機會，讓醫療體系能夠穩定下來。我們也趁這個時候擴充醫療設施，改善照顧病患的模式。這樣，我們才能更好地辨別哪些是可以在家康複的輕症患者，以及確保把醫療資源用來照顧那些重症患者。
接下來的計劃
我國必須繼續采取“與冠病共存”的戰略，那現在，我們應該采取哪些策略？
首先，我們必須調整心態，這是最重要的一步。我們應該對冠病敬而遠之，但我們不能對它感到恐懼而無所適從。我們應該盡量如常生活，同時采取必要的預防措施並遵守安全管理條例。如今，大多數國人都已接種了冠病疫苗，我們應該開始把冠病當作是一種可醫治的輕微疾病，尤其是對年輕人更是如此，即便是對那些不太年輕、但已接種疫苗的人也是如此。冠病主要會對年長人士造成威脅，包括60歲及以上、還沒有接種疫苗的年長者，以及80歲及以上已經接種的老人家。因此，對98%的人來說，如果感染冠病，可以在家休養直到康複，就像我們患上流感時，在家養病一樣。
這就是爲什麽我們正改變做法，著重通過居家康複模式來照顧患者。居家康複將是冠病患者的既定護理模式，患者可以在熟悉的家裏休養，沒有入住護理設施的壓力和麻煩。如果大多數冠病患者能在家休養，這將大大減輕我國醫院的負荷以及醫護人員的壓力。這一來，我們就能騰出更多病床照顧可能會得重症的冠病患者，尤其是年長者。當然，如果家中有成員屬于高風險群體，您也可以導到隔離設施休養。我知道很多人對居家康複計劃仍存有疑慮並感到擔憂，人們懼怕冠病，他們擔心在居家康複期間，會威脅到家人的健康。患者也擔心在家中是否能獲得足夠的照顧和支援，尤其是當他們的病情惡化時。我能理解這些顧慮。我向各位保證，所有的居家康複患者，在家休養時將能獲得所需的照顧和支援。我們之前在進行這項計劃時，的確有不足的地方，但我們已經努力改進，把工作做好。如果您在家休養期間，任何時候需要住院或入住冠病治療設施，我們會做出有關安排。
如今冠病是個可控制的疾病，接下來我們將大大簡化醫療方案，不再有複雜的一道道程序，人們必須清楚知道，如果冠病檢測結果呈陽性，或者您曾接觸冠病患者，應該怎麽做？
人們必須知道自己能做些什麽，每個人都必須負起個人和社會責任。例如：在必要時自行檢測；一旦檢測結果呈陽性，立刻自我隔離，以及在出現冠病症狀時，盡快看醫生。知道怎麽做的話，我們就不再會覺得冠病是一個恐怖的疾病。讓我們各盡所能保護每一個人，尤其是面對高風險人士的安全。
讓大家最擔憂的是我們的年長者，尤其是那些還未接種疫苗的年長人士。到目前爲止，我們仍能夠把死亡率保持在較低的水平，但讓人難過的是，我國目前已有142人因冠病而逝世，而他們幾乎都是患有其他疾病的年長者，他們是住在我們社區裏，經常會碰到的60、70以及80歲的“安哥、安娣”。病逝的患者當中，未接種年長人士也特別多，雖然他們只占人口的1.5%，但他們卻占了住進加護病房或因冠病去世病例的三分之二，其余的三分之一是已接種的年長者。我們爲每一個逝者感到哀痛和惋惜。在此，我向家屬表示最深的慰問。
隨著有越來越多人染病，我們大部分人已接觸過確診病患，或認識接觸過確診病患的人。相信每個人總有一天，也會染病，所有年長者也無法幸免，他們面臨的風險，真實存在。如我之前所說過，冠病主要會危害年長者，這包括未接種疫苗的60歲以上人士，和接種疫苗的80歲人士。
當病例增加，年長患者也會增加，假設每天有5000起新增病例，那麽預計就有約100人會病重。這不是一個小數目。
我們的醫生護士盡全力治療和照顧每個病患，但不幸的是，就算他們盡再大的努力，也不能確保每一個重症患者都能戰勝病毒，一些終究會病逝，就像感染肺炎一樣。我國每年有超過4000人死于肺炎，他們大多數是年長者，生前也都患有其他疾病。在接下來的幾個星期和幾個月，我們很可能持續看到更多冠病患者病逝的情況。所以，我們有必要減緩冠病病例增加的速度。
同時，在與冠病共存的過程中，我們還必須重新同世界接軌。我們尤其需要，繼續安全地重開邊境。這是因爲，以新加坡爲基地的企業和投資者，還需要經營他們在整個區域的業務和投資，他們的員工需要到國外出差。要到海外學習和實習的學生，也不能每次回國都履行居家通知。許多人也想偶爾和親友出國度假。
我們已經與德國和文萊推行疫苗接種者旅遊走廊計劃。這些試行計劃證明，已接種疫苗的人可以在安全的情況下出國，而通過這個方式入境的冠病病例也很少。我們還會和更多國家，尤其是那些疫情穩定的國家合作推行這項計劃。這能讓我國保住區域樞紐的地位，並繼續與全球供應連結軌。
未來幾個月
未來幾個月會是艱難的，我預計在接下來幾周，本地的每日病例仍會持續增加，我們的醫療體系將繼續承受相當大的負擔。我們可以減緩德爾塔病毒的傳播速度，但無法將它根除。
但總有一天，患病人數會趨向穩定，並開始下降。我們不確定這一天什麽時候到來，但以其他國家的經曆來看，希望我國的情況能在一個多月內好轉。隨著醫療體系所承受的壓力減輕，我們就能放寬限制，並脫離穩定疫情階段，但我們在放寬措施時也必須非常謹慎小心，以免出現新一波疫情，讓醫療體系不勝負荷。
要安然渡過這次疫情，我們就必須不惜一切代價，保護好我們的醫療體系和醫護人員。在此，我想告訴我們的醫護人員，我知道你們都在承受巨大的壓力，肩負重擔。你們拼盡全力奮鬥了那麽久，而此刻我們正在經曆這場抗疫之戰的最艱難階段，但這只是暫時的。只要我們能挺過此次疫情高峰，情況就應該有所好轉。在這期間，我們會竭盡所能保護所有醫護人員和整個醫療體系。因爲如果我們不保護好你們，你們又如何能保護我們？我謹代表全體新加坡人感謝你們的付出，我們與你們並肩作戰，並全力支持你們！
我也要對全體國人說，我們同樣需要您的支持。我們的醫院和醫護人員是對抗冠病的最後一道防線，請大家一起保護他們。希望我們每個人能攜手築起防疫的第一道防線，繼續遵守安全管理措施，盡量減少社交活動，以緩和病毒傳播的速度。如果您還沒接種疫苗，請盡快去接種。這會減低您患上重症的風險。請在輪到您的時候，接種疫苗追加劑。定期自行檢測，以避免無意間感染他人，尤其是身邊的年長者。如果您感染冠病，可以的話就在家裏養病，直到康複爲止，除非您患有重病或家中有屬于高風險群體的親人。如果您只出現輕微症狀，請不要立刻趕往醫院的急診部門求醫，請把寶貴的醫療資源留給最需要緊急治療的病患，這包括病情嚴重的冠病病患和患有其他重症的入院者。
前方的道路
這場同冠病對抗的戰鬥很漫長，也還沒有結束，但我們的處境已比一年前，甚至是半年前好很多。雖然我們有時並不那麽覺得，但我們確實已在通往新常態的道路上穩步前進，逐漸適應與冠病共存的生活。
即便這一波疫情穩定下來，我們日後或許還會面對一波又一波的新疫情，特別是當有新變種毒株出現。
我們要如何知道 我國已經進入新常態？所謂的新常態，就是我們在放寬限制後，不會看到病例激增。到時，我們只需實施一些較寬松的安全管理措施，新增病例也可維持在每天數百起的平穩狀態，而醫院也能恢複正常運作。我們需要至少三個月，甚至長達六個月，才能達到同樣的狀態。冠病局勢的演變已經多次讓我們始料未及，也可能再次讓我們無法意料。但我有信心，我們一定能進入新常態。我們會步步爲營，謹慎前進，不讓任何人孤軍作戰。在這個過程中，我們會盡可能減少死亡人數。
結語
只要大家全力配合，我們就能挺過最艱難的時刻，希望這一天早日到來。我們有足夠的資源、決心和勇氣共同克服這次的危機。疫情讓我們看到了新加坡人最美好的一面。我們在困境中保持團結，以堅定的意志應對挑戰。讓我們再接再厲，繼續攜手同心打完這場仗，最終成爲具冠病韌性的社會，進入新常態。
謝謝！
英文全文如下：
My fellow Singaporeans：
Local COVID-19 cases have increased sharply over the past few weeks. All of you are understandably anxious. Many have found it difficult to keep up with new policies and changes to measures. I understand your concerns and frustrations. Some ask: What happened to our plans to build a COVID-resilient nation? Has the Government changed its mind? Are we on track to reopening our society? Yet, others ask: Why are there so many cases? Should we not be fully locking down now? These are all valid questions.
Hence I have decided to speak directly to you, to explain: Our current situation and what has changed, our strategy for this phase of the pandemic, and our path forward to a new normal.
I want to share my thoughts and concerns with you, because unity of purpose and hearts is crucial to get us through the next few months.
Our Original Approach – “Zero COVID”
Last year, at the start of the outbreak, we were dealing with an unknown disease. Globally, there was little scientific knowledge about COVID-19. Our own experience from SARS gave us some idea where to start. As we learnt more about the virus, we adjusted our strategy to the evolving situation.
Our original approach was to do our utmost to prevent Singaporeans from being exposed to COVID-19. We tightened Safe Management Measures (SMM) as much as necessary, to bring cases down to a very low level. We judged this the best way to minimise serious illness and deaths.
“Zero COVID” was the right strategy at that time. Our population was not yet vaccinated. People had little or no immunity against COVID-19. The consequences of catching the virus were serious. But because the virus was not so infectious then, our measures could work to break the chain of transmission. The strategy succeeded. We avoided the huge loss of lives that many countries saw. We have one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world.
At the same time, we planned ahead and secured vaccine supplies. Vaccines were a game changer. A safety vest for each of us in this pandemic. Our national programme to vaccinate everybody has been very successful. Thanks to your trust and cooperation, we now have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world – almost 85%. This has greatly enhanced our protection against the virus. Our data, as well as data from around the world, clearly show that vaccination sharply reduces the risk of serious illness. The vast majority of local cases (more than 98%) have mild or no symptoms. Only 2% or less developed more serious illness. Of these, 0.2% died or needed ICU treatment – just two out of every one thousand cases. The rest have needed oxygen supplementation for a few days. In other words, with vaccination, COVID-19 is no longer a dangerous disease for most of us.
A Changed Situation
But the emergence of the Delta variant has put us in a changed situation.
The Delta variant is highly infectious, and has spread all over the world. Even with the whole population vaccinated, we still will not be able to stamp it out through lockdowns and SMMs. Almost every country has accepted this reality.
Furthermore, even if we manage to keep COVID-19 cases down through stringent SMMs, the virus will spread swiftly again as soon as we ease up. This is especially true in Singapore, precisely because of our “Zero COVID” strategy. The majority of us have never experienced an infection. Or as doctors say, we are COVID-naïve. As a result, our natural (population) immunity is low. Even if we have been vaccinated, we are still at some risk of getting infected. This is why we must be prepared to see quite many COVID-19 cases for some time to come.
Yet Singapore cannot stay locked down and closed off indefinitely. It would not work, and it would be very costly. We would be unable to resume our lives, participate in social activities, open our borders, and revive our economy. Each time we tighten up. Businesses are further disrupted. Workers lose jobs. Children are deprived of a proper childhood and school life. Families are separated for even longer. Especially families with loved ones overseas and extended families who have not been able to come together. All these cause psychological and emotional strain, and mental fatigue. For Singaporeans and for everyone else here with us, including our migrant workers.
Therefore, we concluded a few months ago that a “Zero COVID” strategy was no longer feasible. So we changed strategy, to “Living with COVID-19”.
Living with COVID-19
“Living with COVID-19” has not been a smooth and easy journey. In August, after we reached 80% vaccinations, we eased up the Heightened Alert. We expected cases to go up, as more people resumed activities and interacted with one another, but the numbers went up more sharply than we had anticipated, because the Delta variant was so infectious.
Initially, our healthcare system was still able to cope. But we worried that it would come under significant strain, and it has. So have our medical personnel. As cases grow exponentially, the number of serious cases will also grow in step. And when the number of cases grows very large, even 2% of a very large number will translate to many patients needing hospital and ICU beds. Our healthcare system would rapidly be overwhelmed.
That is why last month we tightened up our restrictions. It was to slow down the growth in cases, so that we can ease the burden on our healthcare workers and stabilise our healthcare system. We are using this time to further expand healthcare capacity and strengthen our case management. So that we can better identify COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to recover at home. And make sure we can care properly for those who fall seriously ill. As well as continue to attend to the many non-COVID-19 patients who also have urgent medical needs.
The Next Steps
We must press on with our strategy of “Living with COVID-19”. What next steps must we now take?
To start with, and most fundamentally, we¬ need to update our mindsets. We should respect COVID-19, but we must not be paralysed by fear. Let us go about our daily activities as normally as possible, taking necessary precautions and complying with SMMs. With vaccinations, COVID-19 has become a treatable, mild disease for most of us. This is especially so if you are young. Or even if you are not so young but fully vaccinated. The threat of COVID-19 is now mainly to seniors: 60 and above if you are not vaccinated, or 80 and above even if you are vaccinated. So for 98% of us, if we catch COVID-19, we can recover by ourselves at home, just as we would if we had the flu.
That is why we are shifting to relying heavily on Home Recovery. It will be the norm for COVID-19 cases. You can get well in a familiar home setting, without the stress and bother of admitting yourself into a care facility. If most of us can recover at home, it will greatly ease the strain on our hospitals, doctors and nurses. It will free up badly needed beds for COVID-19 patients who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill, especially the elderly. Of course, if you have vulnerable family members at home, you can go to an isolation facility to recover. I know many people still have concerns and anxieties about Home Recovery. They are fearful of the disease itself. They fret about the risk to the rest of their household. They also worry whether they will receive adequate care and support at home, should they get worse. I understand your anxieties. Let me assure everyone on Home Recovery that you will get the care and support you need throughout your recovery journey. Earlier, our service delivery fell short. But we have worked hard to fix this, and put things right. If at any point you need to be admitted to hospital or a COVID-19 treatment facility, we will get you there.
Next, since COVID-19 has become a manageable disease, we should now drastically simplify our health protocols. No more complicated flow charts. People must be clear what to do if they test positive, or if they come into contact with someone who is infected.
We also need to know what we can do ourselves. Each one of us needs to take personal and social responsibility. Test ourselves as necessary. Self-isolate if we test positive. Consult a doctor if we have symptoms. Knowing what to do, we will no longer find COVID-19 such a scary disease. Let’s all do our part to keep everyone safe, in particular the vulnerable ones among us.
The group that worries me most is the elderly, especially those who are not yet vaccinated. We have thus far managed to keep our fatalities very low. But sadly, even that has still meant 142 deaths so far. Nearly all were elderly, and with pre-existing medical conditions. They were uncles and aunties in their 60s, 70s and 80s, living in our community. A disproportionate number are unvaccinated seniors. They account for barely 1.5% of the population but they make up two-thirds of those who needed ICU care or died. The remaining one-third were vaccinated seniors. We feel every single loss keenly. My deepest sympathies and condolences to all the families.
With more COVID-19 cases, already most of us have either met someone who has gotten COVID-19, or know someone who does. Sooner or later, every one of us will meet the virus. This means all the elderly will meet the virus too And for them, the risk is very real. As I said earlier, COVID-19 is now mainly a danger to seniors: 60 and above if you are not vaccinated, or 80 and above even if you are vaccinated.
As cases grow, so will the number of elderly cases. If we reach 5,000 COVID-19 cases a day, every day we can expect around 100 to become seriously ill – not a small number.
Our doctors and nurses do their best for every patient. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, not every seriously ill patient will make it through. Sadly, quite a few will succumb. Just like with pneumonia. Every year more than 4,000 people die of pneumonia in Singapore, mostly elderly and with other underlying illnesses. Over the next few weeks and months, we will likely see the number of COVID-19 related deaths continue to go up.
There are several things we can do, and the elderly can do themselves, to protect them and reduce the numbers falling seriously ill. For the unvaccinated elderly, we will continue trying hard to persuade and vaccinate you. If you are above 60 and not yet vaccinated, you are at very high risk – please get your jabs now! For the elderly who are already vaccinated, please get booster shots to strengthen your immunity. Vaccination has already lowered your risk substantially, but your risk is still much higher than someone younger. A booster shot will reduce your risk further. If you are a vaccinated senior, taking the booster reduces your risk of severe infection by more than 10 times. Or to put it in another way, to the virus, the booster shot makes a vaccinated 80-year old look like a much younger vaccinated 50-plus year old! This is why I am happy to see many seniors walking in for boosters as soon as you are eligible, even before receiving your SMS invitations. Seniors themselves should take extra precautions. By all means go out to exercise and get fresh air but please cut back on makan, kopi and beer sessions with your friends and kakis. This will lower your exposure to the virus. We want you to stay well! Younger people living with seniors can also help to protect them. For instance, you can cut down your own social interactions for now. And test yourself regularly to check that you are not bringing the virus home.
Another group that parents are concerned about is children under 12. Vaccines have not yet been approved for such young children. As cases grow, parents are understandably anxious about their children catching the virus. Though the data shows that children with COVID-19 seldom get seriously ill, parents are still worried. We are closely tracking the progress of vaccine trials on children in the US. We will start vaccinating children as soon as vaccines are approved for them, and our experts are satisfied that they are safe. This will likely be early next year.
Meanwhile, we will build up our healthcare facilities to be able to provide those seriously ill the medical care they need, especially oxygen support and ICU care. However, there is a limit to how much we can expand. We can build new care facilities and purchase new equipment, and we are doing so. But we cannot easily find more and more doctors and nurses to staff them. That is why we have to moderate the surge in COVID-19 cases.
At the same time, as part of living with COVID-19, we must also connect ourselves back to the world. In particular, we must continue to re-open our borders safely. Companies and investors need to carry out regional and global business from Singapore. People working for them need to travel to earn a living. Students need to go on overseas attachments and internships without having to SHN each time. Families and friends will once in a while want to spend time together, overseas.
We have started Vaccinated Travel Lanes with Germany and Brunei, and just announced another with South Korea. These pilot projects have shown it is possible for vaccinated persons to travel safely, while letting in very few COVID-19 positive cases. We are implementing more such arrangements, especially with countries whose COVID-19 situations are stable. This will keep us connected to global supply chains and help to preserve Singapore’s hub status .
The Next Few Months
The next few months will be trying. I expect daily cases to continue rising for some weeks. Our healthcare system will still be under pressure. We can slow, but we cannot stop the Delta variant.
At some point, the surge will level off, and cases will start to decline. We don’t know exactly when, but from the experience of other countries, hopefully within a month or so. As pressure eases off on the healthcare system, we can relax our restrictions. But we will have to do so cautiously, to avoid starting a new wave again.
We must protect our healthcare system and workers at all costs, in order to get through the pandemic safely. Let me say this to all our healthcare workers. I know the enormous stress you are under, and the heavy load that you bear. You have been fighting so hard, for so long. Now we are going through perhaps the most difficult phase of our journey. But it will not last indefinitely. After this surge peaks, things should get better. We are doing all we can to protect you and the healthcare system as we go through this wave. If we don’t protect you, you can’t protect us. On behalf of all Singaporeans, I thank you all. We are with you, and will give you our fullest support.
And to all Singaporeans, we need your support too. Hospitals and healthcare workers are our last line of defence. Help us to protect them. Let each of us be the first line of defence. Continue to abide by prevailing SMMs, and cut back on social activities, to slow the spread of the virus. Get vaccinated if you have not already done so – this will minimise your chances of falling seriously ill and go for your booster shot when your turn comes. Self-test regularly, to avoid infecting others, especially seniors around you. If you are infected, take up Home Recovery, unless you have serious illness, or vulnerable family members. Please don’t rush to the A&E with mild symptoms. Let us reserve hospital capacity for those who need it most – serious COVID-19 cases as well as others with serious illnesses.
The Path Beyond
It has been a long campaign against COVID-19. The war continues but we are in a much better position now, than a year or even six months ago. Sometimes it may not feel like it, but we are making steady progress towards the new normal.
After this surge stabilises, we may still see future surges, especially if new variants emerge. We may have to tap on the brakes if cases again grow too fast, to protect our healthcare system and healthcare workers. But we will be better able to cope with future surges. Our capacity and processes continue to improve. As more people are exposed to the virus and recover, our immunity levels will increase. COVID-19 will spread less quickly among us. With each passing day, we are getting stronger and more resilient. And we are more ready to live with the virus in our midst.
How will we know when we have arrived at the new normal? It will be when we can ease off restrictions, have just light SMMs in place, and cases remain stable – perhaps hundreds a day, but not growing. When our hospitals can go back to business as usual. When we can resume doing the things we used to do, and see crowds again without getting worried or feeling strange. A few countries have reached this state, e.g. in Europe but they have paid for it dearly, losing many lives along the way. It will take us at least three months, and perhaps as long as six months to get to this new normal. COVID-19 has surprised us many times before, and may yet surprise us again. But get there, we will. In a careful and safe manner, with no one left behind to fend for themselves and with as few casualties as possible along the way.
Conclusion
With everyone’s cooperation, we will put the pandemic behind us, hopefully soon. We have the resources, the determination, and the courage to get through this crisis. The pandemic has brought out the best in Singaporeans. We have stayed united and resolute despite the difficulties. Let us keep that up, and continue working together to complete the journey towards COVID-resilience.
Thank you.
