Watching how Singapore is handling COVID from halfway across the world...
I feel it's concerning. How reactive the SG Gov is.
You see, in the US, COVID is pretty much... "over".
That's not to say people aren't getting sick. They are getting sick and some die.
It's part and parcel of all illnesses.
All illnesses have a death rate and the US has decided that it will live with it.
There is still a bit of wrangling about masks in schools, etc... but by and large, the direction is that COVID will be handled at the medical layer.
If people get COVID, they see a doctor, if they have mild symptoms, they stay at home and they get well.
If it turns serious, or if oxygen levels drop, they go to a hospital.
People expect to get well from COVID. it's not like some scary disease.
Just like people expect to get well from dengue, flu, chicken pox, etc.
It's no longer headline news.
When was the last time Singaporeans were concerned about dengue deaths?
How many dengue deaths are there in a day in SG?
How about flu?
The media never reports it. The data is available from MOH, but it's not reported.
Singaporeans don't care and don't need to be updated regularly.
When I hear friends/family say... "Oh so scary." or "I'm afraid to get COVID."
When was the last time you were afraid to get the flu or chicken pox?
I completed my vaccination in May 2021.
Since then, I haven't worn a mask when going out. Unless it's mandated by the location.
Since then, I've travelled to New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Grand Canyon, Orlando, Miami.
COVID really isn't some mass apocalypse event that people need to be afraid of.
And the Western world acknowledges this. Life needs to go on.
Base on my interactions with friends and family.
My data suggests that 70% of them are afraid, concerned or "very scary".
Of course no one wants to get COVID.
I don't even want to get flu, or dengue or chicken pox.
But since when were we afraid to get illnesses where the survival rate is 99+%?
From my view, I see the current task force as indecisive and reactive.
Do something, wait and see, then turn around and do something else.
It was months ago that Singapore decided to "live with the virus".
They aren't giving Singaporeans confidence to "live with the virus".
Not happening. Multiple restrictions are still in place to "protect the 200,000 unvaccinated".
Imagine, putting restrictions on 5 million people to protect the 200,000 willfully unvaccinated.
Punishing those who listened to the Gov, to protect those who didn't.
Now... In my opinion, this will pass. Be it 2 years or 5 years. It will pass.
BUT... where will Singapore be by then?
Will we be irrelevant to the world? Business needs to keep moving, the economy needs to keep moving. That's how this world functions. Singapore, as a small country, cannot be lagging behind. I've written about this before.
Singapore has an 82% vaccination rate, one of the highest in the world. Higher than all in the Asia region. We have a huge advantage to open up and push into the future. And I hope we do it soon. Else, we are no different from the other countries with low vaccination rates.
Next, comes to what I feel about the task force.
We're probably looking at one of the task force leaders as the future PM.
The current situation gives a picture of what they will be doing when in leadership position.
Do they give you confidence that Singapore will be ready for the future? Confidence that they know the way and will lead the country forward into the unknown?
Or do they give you the feeling that they also don't know what they are doing and are just as clueless as everyone else?
Now. I'm not saying they are clueless or don't know what they are going. Maybe they have lots of plans and data and statistics.
But politics and leadership is about presentation and impression. The people need to look towards their leader or future leader and feel confident that the leader knows what they are doing.
And truthfully, I'm not feeling it.
I'm thinking of 2 scenarios.
1. Singapore opens up. Business returns to a new normal. Less reporting of COVID. People get sick, most get well, some die, most Singaporeans won't know the numbers. Life goes on, 3 years later, most Singaporeans forget about COVID. Since life is back to normal, people continue to vote for the current Government.
2. Singapore remains closed, many restrictions are in place, normal life is disrupted. Continued reporting of COVID. People get sick, most get well, some die, but Singaporeans continue to know the numbers. Even though the numbers are low, Singaporeans feel afraid cos it's always a constant reminder in the media. 3 years later life has not gotten back to any form of new normal, COVID is still headline news. People are still wondering "what the hell is happening". I'm pretty sure the Gov will lose votes.
The sooner the Gov can create a new normal in relation to the next election, the more votes the Gov will retain. If they create a new normal now, and remove media coverage of COVID, people will forget about COVID by 2025.
If they drag this on and maybe create a new normal in 2024, then people will still remember about how long they had to live under restrictions and vote accordingly in 2025.
Nevertheless, I look forward to going home later this year and hopefully there will be some semblance of the Singapore that I left 2 years ago.
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I feel it's concerning. How reactive the SG Gov is.
You see, in the US, COVID is pretty much... "over".
That's not to say people aren't getting sick. They are getting sick and some die.
It's part and parcel of all illnesses.
All illnesses have a death rate and the US has decided that it will live with it.
There is still a bit of wrangling about masks in schools, etc... but by and large, the direction is that COVID will be handled at the medical layer.
If people get COVID, they see a doctor, if they have mild symptoms, they stay at home and they get well.
If it turns serious, or if oxygen levels drop, they go to a hospital.
People expect to get well from COVID. it's not like some scary disease.
Just like people expect to get well from dengue, flu, chicken pox, etc.
It's no longer headline news.
When was the last time Singaporeans were concerned about dengue deaths?
How many dengue deaths are there in a day in SG?
How about flu?
The media never reports it. The data is available from MOH, but it's not reported.
Singaporeans don't care and don't need to be updated regularly.
When I hear friends/family say... "Oh so scary." or "I'm afraid to get COVID."
When was the last time you were afraid to get the flu or chicken pox?
I completed my vaccination in May 2021.
Since then, I haven't worn a mask when going out. Unless it's mandated by the location.
Since then, I've travelled to New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Grand Canyon, Orlando, Miami.
COVID really isn't some mass apocalypse event that people need to be afraid of.
And the Western world acknowledges this. Life needs to go on.
Base on my interactions with friends and family.
My data suggests that 70% of them are afraid, concerned or "very scary".
Of course no one wants to get COVID.
I don't even want to get flu, or dengue or chicken pox.
But since when were we afraid to get illnesses where the survival rate is 99+%?
From my view, I see the current task force as indecisive and reactive.
Do something, wait and see, then turn around and do something else.
It was months ago that Singapore decided to "live with the virus".
They aren't giving Singaporeans confidence to "live with the virus".
Not happening. Multiple restrictions are still in place to "protect the 200,000 unvaccinated".
Imagine, putting restrictions on 5 million people to protect the 200,000 willfully unvaccinated.
Punishing those who listened to the Gov, to protect those who didn't.
Now... In my opinion, this will pass. Be it 2 years or 5 years. It will pass.
BUT... where will Singapore be by then?
Will we be irrelevant to the world? Business needs to keep moving, the economy needs to keep moving. That's how this world functions. Singapore, as a small country, cannot be lagging behind. I've written about this before.
Singapore has an 82% vaccination rate, one of the highest in the world. Higher than all in the Asia region. We have a huge advantage to open up and push into the future. And I hope we do it soon. Else, we are no different from the other countries with low vaccination rates.
Next, comes to what I feel about the task force.
We're probably looking at one of the task force leaders as the future PM.
The current situation gives a picture of what they will be doing when in leadership position.
Do they give you confidence that Singapore will be ready for the future? Confidence that they know the way and will lead the country forward into the unknown?
Or do they give you the feeling that they also don't know what they are doing and are just as clueless as everyone else?
Now. I'm not saying they are clueless or don't know what they are going. Maybe they have lots of plans and data and statistics.
But politics and leadership is about presentation and impression. The people need to look towards their leader or future leader and feel confident that the leader knows what they are doing.
And truthfully, I'm not feeling it.
I'm thinking of 2 scenarios.
1. Singapore opens up. Business returns to a new normal. Less reporting of COVID. People get sick, most get well, some die, most Singaporeans won't know the numbers. Life goes on, 3 years later, most Singaporeans forget about COVID. Since life is back to normal, people continue to vote for the current Government.
2. Singapore remains closed, many restrictions are in place, normal life is disrupted. Continued reporting of COVID. People get sick, most get well, some die, but Singaporeans continue to know the numbers. Even though the numbers are low, Singaporeans feel afraid cos it's always a constant reminder in the media. 3 years later life has not gotten back to any form of new normal, COVID is still headline news. People are still wondering "what the hell is happening". I'm pretty sure the Gov will lose votes.
The sooner the Gov can create a new normal in relation to the next election, the more votes the Gov will retain. If they create a new normal now, and remove media coverage of COVID, people will forget about COVID by 2025.
If they drag this on and maybe create a new normal in 2024, then people will still remember about how long they had to live under restrictions and vote accordingly in 2025.
Nevertheless, I look forward to going home later this year and hopefully there will be some semblance of the Singapore that I left 2 years ago.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "belanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
You may also consider subscribing to receive the articles in your email, link in the column on the right.
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