A Sense of Perspective Indeed

I have had so many friends and colleagues from abroad asking about the status of the Coronavirus infections in Singapore. They are obviously concerned with our safety and the sheer number of daily infections does not help in painting the full picture.

Choosing to do what we did is not easy and the battle is definitely not won yet. The cost for the decision made will inevitably be huge and I will bet my last dollar that more pressing questions will be asked. We are bracing for the circuit breaker, aka partial lockdown to be extended beyond 1st June 2020 albeit I opine, this is the right judgement call taken. It has to be a case of NO MAN LEFT BEHIND, local or otherwise.

Below is a write up from 'Singapore Matters' that sums up our perspectives.

Are we embarrassed by Singapore having the highest number of known COVID-19 cases in SE Asia? Are we embarrassed by the foreign worker situation? Are we asking why didn’t we put in place all the current measures earlier? If your answers are yes to all the above, then read on.

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Having the highest number of known cases in SEA does not tell us whether Singapore has lost or won the fight. This is not the first time that Singapore has the highest number of known cases in Southeast Asia for this long COVID-19 battle. It may also not be the last. There is a sure way to bring down the number of known cases. Test less. But the correct way is still to test, track and treat. Test those at risk. Test those suspect. Never mind if the numbers look bad. The ultimate statistic that matters is only one - how many deaths. The more we test, the earlier we pick up the cases, the faster we track down the suspect asymptomatic cases, isolate them and treat them, the better our chances to save lives. High detection, low fatality must certainly be better than low detection and high fatality. Low detection does not equate to low incidences.

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What is the ultimate test if we have taken care of our FWs? It is not about whether we have lived up to someone’s expectations of what their standard of living should be. Neither is it how far or close they are to our living standards. The ultimate vote belongs to our FWs themselves. Would they rather be here or somewhere else? Would they recommend their friends to work here?

The singular achievement by MOM that has gone unnoticed is that when the orders came for 300k FWs to be isolated in their dorms, riots did not erupt on our streets. Instead, overnight, FWs still got paid, fed, access to medical and even entertainment. How many countries have taken responsibility for the well-being of their foreign workers? 300k FWs is equivalent to 2 Ang Mo Kio GRCs. Putting in place a new system to feed them, space them out and provide medical care within a few days cannot be done if the whole country’s resources have not been mobilised through a well oiled machinery.

Yes, the measures are abrupt. Some employers are upset. Yes, the execution may not be the smoothest and most coordinated. Yes, the food could be better. But let us make no mistake what the first order issues are. If those first order issues of wages, food, medical and security have not been settled quickly and properly, we won’t be here today discussing issues of quality and standards. Now we have the basis to keep improving.

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Should we have lock-downed everything earlier and in one decisive act? Closing down the economy is not a trifling matter. People lose their jobs and livelihoods with real implications on their survival. Shutting everything, even for weeks or months, affect the socio-psychological wellbeing of our people. Doing things in a rush without preparing our people progressively risk mass panic. When panic reigns, rationality and trust go out of the window. What many do not realise is that today we can talk about taking tighter measures because we have made progressive psychological adjustments and put in place systems to keep our economy and supply lines going without collapsing our society through panic. If we had timed the lock-down too early, it would not have been effective medically or sustainable. Neither would our system nor people be adequately prepared.

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When the tide is with us, prepare for the worst. When the tide is against us, do not be discouraged. The tide will rise and ebb. The ultimate victor will be the one who stand firm and true regardless.