Covid-19 crisis Singapore should follow China's approach towards the covid virus
I posted my view that there is no need to panic due to new cases, as they are mild. We only need to be alarmed when these cases need hospital treatment.

My friend disagreed with me. He said that we must deal with every new case through contact tracing and quarantine, so that the covid virus does not spread.

He quoted the example of China. They locked down their cities whenever there is an infected person. By adopting this approach, they are now able to open up their economy fully.

He supported the SG approach of dealing with the infection, as it follows China.

I replied that China has managed the infection well - and are now able to open up their economy. Singapore has managed it poorly, and is now in a mess.

I am stating a fact. After implementing the strict control measures for a year, we are still back into restriction mode.

What is the difference between how Singapore and China approached the crisis?

a) China is a large country. They can close the border and disallow incoming travelers, and still continue with their domestic economy. They can exercise control more effectively.  Singapore is a small country. We cannot close our borders completely. We depend on trade with other countries.

b) We do not know the standard that is adopted in China towards the covid virus. For example, do they differentiate between mild and severe infections? Maybe they only act on severe infections and are not worried about minor infections. 

While we can look towards China as an example, we should also apply a strategy that suits our own circumstances. 

The real test is - does our strategy work? So far, we seem to have spent a lot of money for one year, and continue to be in a mess.

Tan Kin Lian


 

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