EDITORIAL-SG: The Straits Times says: How to beat the virus: Stay at home

The Straits Times

Significantly stricter measures were announced yesterday to stem a surge in infected cases, as the total number of infected here climbed past 1,100. Most workplaces will be shuttered for one month from next Tuesday, except for key sectors and essential services such as clinics, public transport and banks. Students in all schools and institutes of higher learning will shift to full home-based learning from next Wednesday. Singaporeans should now stay home as far as possible, avoid socialising with others beyond those in their immediate household, and go out only when necessary, such as to shop, buy food and exercise.

This comes on top of earlier controls that were steadily tightened over a period of weeks: closing borders to certain visitors, safe distancing in public, closing bars and entertainment outlets and suspending tuition centre classes, among others. Stop-work orders were issued to workplaces that did not follow safe-distancing measures, and the passport of a Singaporean who flouted stay-home rules was even cancelled – illustrating the severe penalties for those who deliberately flout the law.

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The latest nationwide circuit breaker will have massive bite. But it is designed to keep most people indoors while allowing essential activities to carry on. Singaporeans should continue to play their part – washing hands, using hand sanitisers diligently, wearing a mask and practising social distancing when outdoors, and staying home if feeling unwell. While many new cases here were initially imported from overseas, the number of unlinked local cases has continued to rise. These now make up nearly half the total local cases each day. This worrying sign, which suggests there could be even more undetected cases in the community, prompted yesterday’s broad swathe of measures and effectively places everyone in the community on the front line in the fight against Covid-19. To control community spread, Singaporeans must minimise their time spent outside the home. It is not just about following rules, but asking themselves if they really need to put themselves and their families at risk by going out.

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There is no denying that these are tough times for everyone. Businesses suffering from a lack of footfall were already taking to online orders and deliveries. The self-employed may still worry about incomes; but with schools moving to home-based learning and with work from home becoming the default business, there will hopefully be less of a scramble by parents to make arrangements for their care. The latest steps must be accompanied on the ground by people being more socially responsible. They need to be especially careful to maintain a safe distance and not endanger the health of the very young, the elderly and immuno-compromised. At this critical juncture, the consequences of failing to beat the outbreak could be unimaginable.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 04, 2020, with the headline ‘How to beat the virus: Stay at home’.
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