Singapore appointed 2 idiots to lead the task force.

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Investment in science and innovation, growing talent pool vital to S’pore’s economic growth: Gan Kim Yong​

SINGAPORE - Continued investment in science and innovation, as well as growing a strong pool of talented scientists, will enable the country's next stage of economic growth beyond Covid-19, said Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong on Wednesday (Aug 4).

"To develop a globally competitive R&D talent pool, we must continue to build and nurture an agile local talent base, support research work on challenging problems of global importance, and remain open to international talent and ideas," said Mr Gan.

He added: "Science, technology and innovation will continue to be critical in ensuring Singapore's resilience and economic transformation, especially as we emerge from Covid-19."

Mr Gan was speaking at the annual scholarship award ceremony by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), which was held online.

This year marks the scholarship's 20th anniversary, with 69 aspiring scientists receiving scholarships and fellowships. Since 2001, the scholarship programme has developed more than 1,700 PhD holders and postdoctoral talent.

A*Star is also commemorating its 30th anniversary, and Mr Gan noted that the agency is currently focusing on developing a talent pool that can bolster the country's food security through innovations in alternative foods.

He also highlighted the innovation and research work of A*Star scientists in combating the pandemic.

"Our strong capabilities in biomedical sciences and engineering enabled the speedy development of innovative solutions to support our fight against Covid-19."

One innovation is cPass, a test kit used to detect antibodies that defend cells from viruses in coronavirus patients.

cPass was the first Covid-19 antibody test kit to get the United States Food and Drug Administration's approval.

A*Star's bioinformatics team also helped to curate and analyse the Sars-CoV-2 genome sequences shared on global data-sharing platform Gisaid.

"The platform has been recognised as a game changer in the fight against the pandemic, serving as the primary source of Covid-19 genomic data that has contributed to the rapid development of diagnostic kits and vaccines," said Mr Gan.

In view of the scholarship's 20th year, Mr Gan also acknowledged a few veteran scholars who have become leaders in their field.

One of them is ophthalmologist Su Xinyi, who developed a biodegradable thermogel that can replace the natural fluid in patients' eyeballs after eye surgery.

Another veteran scholar is Dr Gurpreet Singh, founder of an A*Star spin-off medical device company that has developed a wearable device to monitor the vitals of patients - including Covid-19 patients - using AI analytics. The device enables healthcare workers to monitor patients' health remotely.

Mr Gan added that the scholarships will nurture the next generation of scientists "who will contribute to fields such as artificial intelligence and urban and green technology, which have highly relevant applications for industries of the future".

 

[jw5]

Lawrence catches up with OECD Secretary-General.

Lawrence Wong​

11 hrs ·
Had a good catch-up with OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann yesterday. I first met him in 2016, and again recently in Venice for the G20 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting.
Singapore has a good working relationship with the OECD on areas like the digital economy, trade and climate change. Many will also be familiar with the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (or PISA) scores.
Singapore is a member of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (IF), and has been actively involved in the discussions to revise international tax rules as part of the IF. We have always supported a consensus-based multilateral solution, and we have spoken about the need for the solution to recognise substantial economic activity, encourage growth and innovation, while providing a level playing field for all economies, big and small.
We will continue to work constructively with the IF to resolve the important remaining design elements for a consensus-based outcome.

 

[jw5]

Lawrence is appreciative of frontline workers.

Lawrence Wong​

9 hrs ·
The work of our frontline workers touches many aspects of our lives. Their labour has brought us this far, and through our collective efforts, we have been able to continue marching towards our reopening.
I am also deeply appreciative of the hard work of our businesses, including F&B establishments, gyms and many more. Thanks for your diligence and adjustment to the safe management measures.
We continue to keep a close watch on the Covid-19 situation, and will consider easing measures further if the situation is stable. We are also expanding our 'Vaccinate or Regular Test' regime to other key sectors that interact more frequently with the public, come 1 October. These include retail mall workers, workers in supermarket outlets and more.
Let's continue adhering to the safe management measures, and support and cheer each other on.

 

[jw5]

Condolences to Lawrence.

Lawrence Wong​

6 hrs ·
I bade my final farewell to my dad today, which coincidentally happens to be his 86th birthday.
Dad belonged to the generation of pioneers who persevered against tough odds with determination and grit. In the late 1940s, he came from Hainan island as a teenager to help his father who was then working as a chef on the Malayan railways. The family was poor, but dad managed to complete his secondary education in Ipoh. He used to say he was O-C-B-C (Orang Cina Bukan Cina) - because he grew up learning and speaking Malay rather than Mandarin. But he continued to maintain close links with relatives in Hainan and his ancestral roots.
He worked for decades as a sales/marketing manager in building materials, but he was most passionate about the English language and literature. Growing up, we were surrounded by books and never-ending quotes from Shakespeare. He was an active Toastmaster and enjoyed public speaking. After he retired, he would attend company AGMs regularly. But instead of asking questions about the company’s performance, he would highlight spelling and grammatical errors in their annual reports!
Dad was larger than life in many ways, and never failed to leave an impression on the people he met. He enjoyed music and introduced me to the guitar at a young age. He also played active roles in the community, and inspired me in my own journey of public service.
We are very sad to see him go. But we continue to find peace and comfort in our memories of him, and in the certainty that he has fought the good fight, finished the race and kept the faith.
RIP Dad. You will be sorely missed.

 

[ginfreely]

You GUTLESS SELF ADMIT CANTONESE @Cottonmouth aka @glockman self admitted JEREMY QUEK ASIAN TURTLE SON OF WHORE hiding in rat hole act garang scam my family good name Knnbccb. Go to my facebook to scam my GOOD name to churn evil filthy lies of me a virgin as a fake virgin and dirty toilet bowl cheap cock sucker slut whore mistress and a dirty whore with millions of Indian customers and gula Melaka nipples and insult me pig and to harass me with porn photos AND TO ISSUE VIOLENT THREATS to win ok you dirty coward criminal?

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Singapore to watch for rising Covid-19 infections as it gears up to reopen borders: Gan Kim Yong​

SINGAPORE - As Singapore works to reopen its borders for business and leisure travel, it expects the number of Covid-19 infections to rise, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Wednesday (Aug 18).

The country will keep a close eye on the situation to ensure that healthcare facilities are not overwhelmed, he added.

"We will have to continue to put in place reasonable basic safe management measures domestically to ensure that infections can be kept under control even with more travellers coming in," Mr Gan wrote in a LinkedIn post summing up an interview with Bloomberg News.

"Any further relaxation of safe management measures in the community will also depend on how well we manage the reopening of our borders and whether we are able to ensure there isn't a huge increase in infections."

He told Bloomberg that Singapore is looking to let in vaccinated business travellers from Australia, Canada, Germany and South Korea, as part of pilot arrangements to progressively reopen borders.

The aim is to get 80 per cent of the population vaccinated by early September, following which more pandemic restrictions can be eased, he said.

Singapore is also looking at how to facilitate leisure travel with a controlled itinerary, the minister added.

"We are working closely with a number of countries and will look at factors such as infection numbers, vaccination rates and the ability to control outbreaks in our discussions with them," he said in his post.

Mr Gan elaborated on these points in his interview with Bloomberg, where he also discussed Singapore's economic growth and United States Vice-President Kamala Harris' upcoming visit.

Asked under what circumstances the country would tighten restrictions again, he replied that it depends on factors such as the number of severe Covid-19 cases requiring hospitalisation.

If Singapore sees an exponential growth in such cases, it will likely face problems with hospital capacity, he said. But if the country can slow the growth rate of such cases, it will be able to grow its hospital capacity as it goes along.

"We have sufficient (hospital) capacity at the moment, but we should not take that for granted," he added. "All over the world, when a new wave comes about, we see cases rise exponentially. And that is what we are trying to avoid."

On the topic of travel, Mr Gan said Singapore is in discussions with "quite a number of countries", and is keeping its options open. It will be looking to work with countries that are able to keep infections under control and have high vaccination rates.

He was also asked about Singapore's position on giving Covid-19 booster shots.

The issue is being studied by the 14-member Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination, which is examining data emerging around the world, Mr Gan replied. "In time to come, we may introduce booster shots, particularly for those who are immunocompromised."

 

[jw5]

Lawrence thanks the cooperation of everyone.

Lawrence Wong​

17 mins ·
Thanks to the cooperation of everyone in Singapore, we’ve been able to keep the infection under control and are now able to continue with our next steps of easing.
From today onwards, more people will be able to return to office for work; event sizes will increase to 1000 attendees if they are all fully vaccinated persons; and capacity limits for malls, attractions, and public venues like museums/libraries will be increased. We are also taking some calibrated and measured steps to reopen our borders for travel.
The path towards a Covid-resilient nation is going to be a hard and long slog. Even with very high vaccination rates, we are not going to reach “herd immunity” where the outbreak just fizzles out. So we cannot afford to open up in a big bang and risk having large clusters that can overwhelm our hospital system. Instead we will move forward in a controlled, step by step manner, feeling the stones as we cross the river.
Our over-riding objective is to get to the end of this pandemic with minimum death and damage as a society, even as we resume as much of our normal lives as possible.

 

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Singapore won't reach COVID herd immunity: Lawrence Wong​

SINGAPORE — Singapore will not reach herd immunity in the pandemic despite its high COVID-19 vaccination rate, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (19 August).

"The path towards being a COVID resilient nation is going to be a long and hard slog. Even with very high vaccination rates, we are not going to reach herd immunity, where the outbreak just fizzles out," Wong warned during a virtual multi-ministry taskforce conference.

Instead, Singapore must be mentally prepared that cases will rise as the country resumes activities and reopen its economy in a controlled manner – "we are feeling the stones as we cross the river”, he added.

In the past 19 months, Singapore has been able to manage the pandemic effectively, keeping its hospital system intact and minimising fatalities, Wong said. The Republic's overall aim is to move towards the end of the pandemic with "minimum death and damage" as a society and a return to normal lives, he added.

In Singapore, 77 per cent of the population have completed their full regimen, or received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with 82 per cent having received at least one dose.

Almost 90 per cent of the eligible population are expected to be fully vaccinated next month.

In a report by Reuters on Tuesday, citing the National University of Singapore (NUS) infectious disease modelling expert Alex Cook, as many as 1,000 may die in the next year or two in Singapore if vaccinations among the elderly do not improve.

Delta variant still a concern​

In response to a question by Yahoo News Singapore, MOH director of medical services Kenneth Mak said that of the nine COVID-19 related deaths in Singapore this month, a number of them were found to be linked to the Delta variant or its minor mutations.

This finding was based on the fatalities who had undergone phylogenetic testing, said Professor Mak, who did not specify the number of such patients.

“They are not all necessarily the same but as a cluster evolves, sometimes you do see minor mutations or minor variations take place, but they are all related to the Delta variant that we have picked up. So these deaths are not...of other variants.”

Almost all recent deaths in the past weeks were linked to some of the latest community clusters, Professor Mak added.

Singapore’s latest and 46th fatality from the pandemic was a 64-year-old Singaporean man who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

Since May, the Delta variant has become the dominant variant circulating in Singapore.

According to the GISAID (global initiative on sharing avian influenza data), the world's largest database of novel coronavirus genome sequences, the first case of the Delta variant in Singapore was detected on 26 February.

The database shows that there were 2,913 cases of the Delta variant here as of 11 August, with all infections here in the previous four weeks attributed to the variant.

There were no cases of the Delta Plus variant from the phylogenetic testing done for all infections here as of 6 August.

The Delta Plus is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant first identified in India, which has been the dominant strain behind recent surges of infections worldwide.

The Plus variant has acquired the spike protein mutation called K417N, which is also found in the Beta variant first identified in South Africa.

 

[jw5]

Lawrence interviewed by BBC.

Lawrence Wong​

7 hrs ·
Yesterday, the MTF announced a step forward in our journey towards reopening our economy. It is an important move aimed at maintaining our status as a business hub, and staying connected to the world.
As I shared during my interview with the BBC, despite the challenges last year, Singapore attracted about $17 billion worth of investments – the highest in more than a decade.
Businesses know that they will find good governance here, as well as a strong sense of social solidarity where we rally together to tackle challenges.
The pandemic has undoubtedly exacerbated concerns over job opportunities and inequalities. Governments everywhere are dealing with these concerns, and we are no exception. That’s why we will continue to make adjustments to our policies, to strengthen public trust in globalisation, strengthen the social compact, and bolster support for an open and dynamic economy.
We do not take the faith that our people and businesses have in Singapore for granted. We will continue to double down on our connectivity and strengths, enhance our value proposition as a hub, and ensure good jobs and opportunities for all Singaporeans.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

S'pore's reopening focused on retaining business hub status, valuing public health stability: Lawrence Wong​

SINGAPORE - Singapore's reopening is aimed at maintaining its status as a business hub and staying connected to the world, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Aug 20).

And with an underlying philosophy that values stability and security, the Republic has taken a more cautious approach thus far, he added in an interview with BBC.

"We remain welcoming to talent, to investments, and we will continue to do so because that's so essential to Singapore's survival and the ability to thrive as a nation," said Mr Wong. "Being open, staying open... It's existential for Singapore."

The day before, Singapore announced quarantine-free entry from next month for vaccinated travellers from Germany and Brunei, provided they test negative for Covid-19. Border restrictions will also be relaxed for travellers from Hong Kong and Macau, starting this Saturday.

These measures - part of a plan to gradually reopen borders, and a wider road map to becoming a Covid-19-resilient nation - come after Singapore largely stopped accepting new entry applications for work pass holders from most countries in May, owing to a surge in infections globally.

On Friday, in a Facebook post referencing his BBC interview, Mr Wong wrote: "Businesses know that they will find good governance here, as well as a strong sense of social solidarity where we rally together to tackle challenges… We will continue to make adjustments to our policies, to strengthen public trust in globalisation, strengthen the social compact, and bolster support for an open and dynamic economy."

He added: "We do not take the faith that our people and businesses have in Singapore for granted. We will continue to double down on our connectivity and strengths, enhance our value proposition as a hub, and ensure good jobs and opportunities for all Singaporeans."

In the interview with BBC's senior journalist Katie Silver on Friday, Mr Wong stressed that Singapore was "not New York or London" - cities which have chosen to return to business as usual while putting up with thousands of daily cases.

"As much as we want to resume normal life and we are trying as much as we can to do so, we also want to ensure that we keep hospitalisation and ICU cases low, that we continue to ensure that our hospital system is intact, and we get to the end of the pandemic with minimum death and damage to our society," he said.

Hence, a risk-based approach that calibrates measures according to data, evidence and rigorous assessments of the global situation, he added.

Mr Wong said Singapore's move to tighten measures and throttle back some travel flows over the past few months had turned out to be the right decision - which helped to keep fatalities low (46, as at Thursday) and buy time for its vaccination roll-out.

"Now, we are one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world," he noted. "In a few weeks' time, 82 per cent of the entire population would have completed their vaccination. And if you take away the children who are not eligible for vaccination, that comes close to 90 per cent of the eligible population.

"That is a remarkable achievement… with that level of vaccination, I think we will have more confidence that even if clusters were to break out, as long as it does not overwhelm our hospital system, we can continue safely with our reopening plans."

This also puts Singapore in good stead to reconnect with the world, said Mr Wong.

"At some point, the pandemic will pass and travel will resume, and people will be able to once again travel more freely. I think companies and businesses recognise this… That is one of the reasons why last year we attracted $17 billion of investments, which was the highest in more than a decade."

Asked to comment on the challenge presented by remote working to Singapore's position as a global hub, Mr Wong said it was unlikely that employees would stop meeting face to face and rely entirely on virtual, remote connections.

"There may well be a scaling back to more hybrid models. But if you ask companies around the world and businesses around the world, they will tell you that the fundamentals for Asia's medium to longer-term growth prospects remain strong, remain intact, and they would want to invest in Asia," he said.

"And to invest in Asia… You cannot do it without physical presence. And in order to have physical presence, you have to decide on somewhere in Asia. We would want Singapore to be first in the list."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

PM Lee's National Day Rally to look at lifting incomes, fair hiring: Lawrence Wong​

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally next Sunday (Aug 29) will look at the full range of measures to continue uplifting the incomes of Singaporeans, especially those at the lower end, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

He said ways to ensure fair hiring and human resource practices - so both the Singaporean core and foreign professionals complement one another - will also be explored in the speech.

"We want to assemble the best team in Singapore in order to ensure that we can survive and thrive as a nation for many more years to come," said Mr Wong.

He was speaking during an interview on Friday with the BBC, and was asked for a preview of possible announcements from the rally speech with regard to foreign workers in Singapore.

The rally - called off in 2020 due to Covid-19 - is seen as the most important political speech of the year and traditionally involves policy changes and a charting of Singapore's future direction.

Mr Wong noted that many countries - including Singapore - were dealing with broader adjustments to their social contract, especially with issues around globalisation.

"Countries everywhere face these same concerns about whether foreigners are taking over jobs and opportunities for locals, whether it might result in higher income and wealth inequalities, whether there will be unfair hiring practices," he said.

"These are not unique to Singapore."

These concerns have been accelerated and amplified by the pandemic, Mr Wong observed.

"That's why we have been reviewing our policies over the years," he said.

"There is a whole range of policy levers that can be reviewed, adjusted and tweaked. It is not as though these have been static over the years. If you look over the past 10 years, they have continually been updated, and we will continue to do so."

 

[jw5]

Lawrence enjoyed the performance of the National Day theme song.

Lawrence Wong​

53 mins ·
Unlike previous years, the #NDP2021 performers had to adapt to extraordinary circumstances amidst the Covid-19 situation to put up today’s show. This reflects their resilience and adaptability - a big thank you to all the groups involved, especially Ministry of Defence, Singapore (MINDEF)’s NDP Executive Committee.
Particularly enjoyed the performance of this year’s theme song “The Road Ahead” by Linying, Sezairi , Shabir and Shye. I caught up with songwriters Linying and Evan last evening and was looking forward to hearing the song at the parade.
“Come whatever, on the road ahead. We did it before, and we will do it again.”
Majulah Singapura!

#TogetherOurSGSpirit

 

[jw5]

Lawrence met Kamala.

Lawrence Wong​

23 hrs ·
Glad to have met United States Vice President Kamala Harris and her delegation this morning during her visit to Singapore.
Singapore and the US enjoy a robust and enduring partnership. VP Harris’ visit emphasises the US administration’s commitment to the region, and shows that it has strategic and economic stakes here.
As we mark 55 years of diplomatic ties with the US this year, we are expanding our collaboration in new areas - strengthening pandemic preparedness, dealing with the climate crisis and green financing, and even in the field of space.
I look forward to seeing our multi-faceted relationship strengthen year by year.
(

: MCI)

 

[jw5]

Lawrence will be speaking at Singapore Management University 's virtual commencement ceremony.

Lawrence Wong​

2 hrs ·
Recording my message for Singapore Management University 's virtual commencement ceremony this year, I reflected on how Covid-19 has been a huge test of our resolve and solidarity. But we have continued to hold together as one people, and look out for one another.
In particular, our students have endured; they have overcome; and they have emerged stronger. So to the class of 2021, continue to keep that spirit strong. Congratulations, and all the best for your future endeavours!

 

[jw5]

Lawrence is proud of Singapore's Paralympians.

Lawrence Wong​

5 hrs ·
The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games kicked off yesterday. This morning, I watched with pride as Yip Pin Xiu came in first in her 100m backstroke S2 heat to qualify for the final!
Our Paralympians have put in hard work and sacrifices in the pursuit of their Paralympic dreams. They have pushed personal boundaries to become exceptional, and they are now at the top of their game. Like many of you, I’m proud of how far they have come and I’m excited to see how our Singapore spirit will continue to shine through them in Tokyo.
Let’s continue to root for our #OneTeamSG virtually here in Singapore. Thank you for flying our Singapore flag high!

#OneTeamSG
#OneDaySG
#Tokyo2020

: AFP

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

S'pore's reopening focused on retaining business hub status, valuing public health stability: Lawrence Wong​

SINGAPORE - Singapore's reopening is aimed at maintaining its status as a business hub and staying connected to the world, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Aug 20).

And with an underlying philosophy that values stability and security, the Republic has taken a more cautious approach thus far, he added in an interview with BBC.

"We remain welcoming to talent, to investments, and we will continue to do so because that's so essential to Singapore's survival and the ability to thrive as a nation," said Mr Wong. "Being open, staying open... It's existential for Singapore."

The day before, Singapore announced quarantine-free entry from next month for vaccinated travellers from Germany and Brunei, provided they test negative for Covid-19. Border restrictions will also be relaxed for travellers from Hong Kong and Macau, starting this Saturday.

These measures - part of a plan to gradually reopen borders, and a wider road map to becoming a Covid-19-resilient nation - come after Singapore largely stopped accepting new entry applications for work pass holders from most countries in May, owing to a surge in infections globally.

On Friday, in a Facebook post referencing his BBC interview, Mr Wong wrote: "Businesses know that they will find good governance here, as well as a strong sense of social solidarity where we rally together to tackle challenges… We will continue to make adjustments to our policies, to strengthen public trust in globalisation, strengthen the social compact, and bolster support for an open and dynamic economy."

He added: "We do not take the faith that our people and businesses have in Singapore for granted. We will continue to double down on our connectivity and strengths, enhance our value proposition as a hub, and ensure good jobs and opportunities for all Singaporeans."

In the interview with BBC's senior journalist Katie Silver on Friday, Mr Wong stressed that Singapore was "not New York or London" - cities which have chosen to return to business as usual while putting up with thousands of daily cases.

"As much as we want to resume normal life and we are trying as much as we can to do so, we also want to ensure that we keep hospitalisation and ICU cases low, that we continue to ensure that our hospital system is intact, and we get to the end of the pandemic with minimum death and damage to our society," he said.

Hence, a risk-based approach that calibrates measures according to data, evidence and rigorous assessments of the global situation, he added.

Mr Wong said Singapore's move to tighten measures and throttle back some travel flows over the past few months had turned out to be the right decision - which helped to keep fatalities low (46, as at Thursday) and buy time for its vaccination roll-out.

"Now, we are one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world," he noted. "In a few weeks' time, 82 per cent of the entire population would have completed their vaccination. And if you take away the children who are not eligible for vaccination, that comes close to 90 per cent of the eligible population.

"That is a remarkable achievement… with that level of vaccination, I think we will have more confidence that even if clusters were to break out, as long as it does not overwhelm our hospital system, we can continue safely with our reopening plans."

This also puts Singapore in good stead to reconnect with the world, said Mr Wong.

"At some point, the pandemic will pass and travel will resume, and people will be able to once again travel more freely. I think companies and businesses recognise this… That is one of the reasons why last year we attracted $17 billion of investments, which was the highest in more than a decade."

Asked to comment on the challenge presented by remote working to Singapore's position as a global hub, Mr Wong said it was unlikely that employees would stop meeting face to face and rely entirely on virtual, remote connections.

"There may well be a scaling back to more hybrid models. But if you ask companies around the world and businesses around the world, they will tell you that the fundamentals for Asia's medium to longer-term growth prospects remain strong, remain intact, and they would want to invest in Asia," he said.

"And to invest in Asia… You cannot do it without physical presence. And in order to have physical presence, you have to decide on somewhere in Asia. We would want Singapore to be first in the list."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

S'pore must chart own path in reopening, living with Covid-19: Lawrence Wong​

SINGAPORE - In reopening and endeavouring to resume a way of life that is as close as possible to pre-pandemic days, Singapore must find its own path forward based on its own circumstances, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

"We have good vaccination outcomes but we still want them to be better, especially among our seniors, and we do not want to take the risk of having huge outbreaks that will overwhelm our hospital system," he told a forum at the Nanyang Technological University on Tuesday (Aug 24).

"That's why we are taking a step-by-step approach in opening up and controlling the pace of opening."

In his speech, Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19, outlined two opposing views on the pace and extent of Singapore's reopening.

On the one hand, one group sees Singapore as moving too slowly when, given its high vaccination rates, it should be opening up more aggressively like in the United States, Britain and other European countries.

The other camp thinks Singapore is moving too fast, and with multiple community cases daily, it would be safer to adopt more stringent restrictions - as countries like China and New Zealand have done - and try to bring the number of cases down to zero or near-zero before opening up.

Mr Wong said such an approach, involving perpetual lockdowns and isolation from the world, was not feasible.

"It will not be possible to eradicate the virus... We probably have to live with Covid-19 for a long time," he said. "So we have to learn to live with the virus - like how we live with other infectious diseases, including influenza and chickenpox."

Being one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world - with 78 per cent of the population fully vaccinated as at Monday - gives Singapore the confidence, he said, to take steps to reopen safely.

"Vaccinated persons are less likely to fall sick when they catch the virus. So even if daily infections were to rise, we should be able to keep the number of severely ill or ICU (intensive care unit) cases at an acceptable and stable level."

At the same time, Singapore does not want to open up with a "big bang" like what many Western countries have done, said Mr Wong, noting that this may easily cause hospital cases to shoot up. He cited Britain, where more than 25 per cent of the population have been infected, but the vast majority of the population are vaccinated - including up to 95 per cent of seniors above 70 years old.

"Quite unlike us, they have managed to cover a very high proportion of their vulnerable seniors," he noted. As at Monday, 82 per cent of seniors above 70 in Singapore have been fully vaccinated.

Said Mr Wong of Britain: "Because they already have much higher levels of underlying immunity and protection, many of these countries are more prepared to open up fully... They say they have a 'Freedom Day', and they are prepared to let the virus run its course through their population."

But Singapore is in a different position: It is one of the few countries that has been able to manage the outbreak while keeping its hospital system intact and maintaining a low death toll.

This remains the overriding objective, said Mr Wong: "To get to the end of this pandemic with as little death and damage as possible, even as we progressively resume most of our normal lives."

 

[jw5]

Lawrence had a dialogue with NTU students.

Lawrence Wong​

11 hrs ·
Had a fruitful dialogue with university students at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Ministerial Forum on Emerging Stronger: Singapore through Covid-19.
We spoke about many topics including our journey towards a Covid-resilient nation, how our graduates can better prepare for uncertainties, support for mental health, and digitalisation.
Glad to hear that our youths remain hopeful and driven to seize opportunities, as we progressively reopen our economy and resume more of our normal lives.
To all our youths: continue to embrace the challenges ahead with positivity and tenacity. Ultimately it’s our ability to bounce back from setbacks, and to keep on striving for better results that will determine how far we go in life.
Remember that you do not walk this journey alone. We are all in this together and we are part of the same Team Singapore. We are stronger when we stand together!
(Thanks to all our uni students, for dialling in on a Tuesday evening amidst your schoolwork!)
(

: NTUSU - Nanyang Technological University Students' Union )

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Embrace difficult times as crucibles that forge character: Lawrence Wong​

SINGAPORE - In such challenging, extraordinary times brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, young Singaporeans would do well to embrace the most difficult experiences as crucibles that forge character as well as ability to do even better in future.

This was Finance Minister Lawrence Wong's advice at a forum on Tuesday (Aug 24) organised by the Nanyang Technological University's student union.

"Sometimes you hear people lament, 'I can't make it because I'm not as clever, I'm not as talented as the people around me'," he said during a speech on Singapore's response to Covid-19.

"But talent will only get you so far. In fact, talent may sometimes lull a person into complacency.

"More often, it's the application of drive and determination; of grit and willpower that really matters."

Mr Wong, who later engaged university students in a closed-door dialogue, urged those in attendance to be motivated by tough times to work even harder.

"There are indeed many opportunities out there for you," he added. "There's so much that's happening across a whole range of industries, with new opportunities opening up due to technological change or the push for greater sustainability."

Earlier in his speech, he emphasised that Singapore's step-by-step approach to opening up was to avoid the risk of huge outbreaks overwhelming the health system.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19, said the overriding objective was "to get to the end of this pandemic with as little death and damage as possible, even as we progressively resume most of our normal lives".

He acknowledged concerns over how Covid-19 has "closed off some doors" for young undergraduates and job seekers, with overseas trips deferred, industries impacted, fewer opportunities emerging and still more uncertainty to come.

"But it is not all gloom and doom," said Mr Wong, noting the adage of how one could deal with adversity by letting it either define, destroy or strengthen them.

He reminded the audience that Singapore's pioneer generation had lived through the Japanese Occupation and periods of communal and communist strife, and emerged stronger by confronting those challenges head-on.

Mr Wong spoke about how his father, who died last week, had left China's Hainan Island for Ipoh as a young boy, and juggled working in the Malayan railway with his studies. "He completed his secondary education, decided to come to Singapore, married my mum, set up a family here and eventually made good here."

His mother had a similar experience, starting work at the age of nine - helping to wash the neighbour's clothes and look after their babies - while pestering her initially reluctant parents to let her go to school, against the gender bias of the time. She eventually became a teacher and taught for more than 40 years.

"The spirit of our pioneers should motivate us to dig deep and overcome the challenges we face in this pandemic," Mr Wong said. "That never-say-die spirit, that ability to bounce back from setbacks, and that drive to keep on doing better is critical in anything you do.

"For all of us struggling through this pandemic, my hope is that we will emerge from this crisis with a stronger sense of group solidarity; a stronger feeling of duty and responsibility to one another; and a stronger conviction that we stand together as one Singapore," he added.

He stressed that this applied to the relationship between the Government and the people.

Instead of an "us versus them", antagonistic, even confrontational dynamic, Singaporeans must never forget that "we are all on the same side", said Mr Wong.

"It doesn't mean that we will always agree on the same thing. On the contrary, we fully expect and welcome a wide range of diverse views and opinions," he added.

"The Government has to deliberate carefully, and make a decision one way or the other. So each time the Government decides on a new policy, there are bound to be people who disagree or who may even be unhappy about it."

But the decision-making process is improved by getting more ideas and feedback, he said. "We see issues from different perspectives, we learn to better understand one another, to judge less and to listen more."

The bottom line, he said, is that all Singaporeans have to play their part and not just rely on government measures and policies.

Mr Wong encouraged young people to continue being changemakers - whether by championing causes they care about, initiating ground-up projects for the common good, designing innovative solutions or pursuing the next big start-up idea.

"As they say, the best way to predict the future is to create it," he said. "The Government will do our part to support you, and partner you in this exciting journey ahead."

 

[jw5]

Lawrence distributing free test kits.

Lawrence Wong​

1 hr ·
We will be distributing free antigen rapid test-kits (ART) to every household by mail from tomorrow onwards. These test kits are already widely available in all pharmacies. But we are making this nationwide distribution to get everyone used to the idea of regular self-tests.
Some are worried about the thought of having to do a nose swab on their own. But the swabs required for the ARTs are not very deep. So they are easy to do, with very little discomfort. I’ve started to test myself regularly at home too. After a while it has become a habit. It gives me peace of mind and also provides assurance to others when I go out to attend events or meetings.
We are already one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world. We must now step up efforts to be foremost in testing. This is a key part of our strategy to become a Covid-resilient nation.
(

: ST - Kua Chee Siong)