Opinion | As Singapore heads towards coronavirus tipping point, what would Lee Kuan Yew have done?

The Singapore government’s clear-headed approach to the Covid-19 outbreak has earned it praise, but there is no short-term fix

The former leader would probably have ordered a lockdown and come down hard on those who flout the rules

Reading Time:3 minutes

People sit near the Merlion statue in Singapore. Although the government has won praise for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, a lockdown is looking increasingly likely as cases continue to rise. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 3 Apr 2020Updated: 12:46pm, 3 Apr 2020

In a perverse sort of way, Covid-19 is a godsend for the Singapore government.

Its slow-motion and calibrated approach to cushioning the unimaginable health and economic crisis has earned it respect and praise the world over. Politically, it has raised the stock of the prime minister, who appeared at strategic points to talk to Singaporeans, and the leaders who will run the country after the coming elections.

An analysis of its rule book since the first person tested positive for the virus on January 23 shows a clear-headed government leading from the front with ministerial press conferences being called nearly every day, temperature checks being implemented progressively, border closures being imposed, again progressively, and measures like social distancing and the closure of bars being put in place.

Nothing to shock the system at one go. “We are not like many countries where we’re forced into sudden and dramatic measures,’’ Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said in trying to explain the government’s actions.

Seats are taped up at a food centre in Singapore to encourage social distancing. Photo: Reuters

This kind of a slow and deliberate approach cannot go on for long as the invisible killer virus goes about its job without any regard for geography or demographics. The honeymoon will have to come to an end soon.

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