[BREAKING] Singapore could enter phase 3 by end of the year

[zero90]

Gov cautious. Too scared of having 2nd wave like in msia..

 

[swageat]

In before another hindsight statement of If I had known statement should things does not goes as planned

SINGAPORE - Singapore may enter Phase Three of its reopening by the end of this year, should community cases remain low as the country intensifies testing and contact tracing, said the multi-ministry task force handling Covid-19.

As part of Phase Three, gatherings outside homes could be increased from five to eight people. Similarly, eight visitors could be allowed on home visits, allowing larger families to congregate.

In addition, capacity limits in venues such as museums, places of worship and wedding receptions may be increased, with multiple zones of 50 persons permitted.


But to enter Phase Three, Singapore will have to keep its guard up and meet several key conditions, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (Oct 20) as he laid out the country's road map to the final phase of its reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Firstly, Singaporeans will still have to stick to safe management measures, including small group sizes, safe distancing, and exercising social responsibility.

Next, testing will be carried out on a larger scale to allow more activities to resume. For starters, a pilot scheme will see people tested for Covid-19 before they are allowed to attend events. Rapid tests with lower accuracy will be used for these events, meaning that safe-management measures are still needed and false positives could result.


This pilot programme will be fine-tuned and expanded if they prove successful.

Lastly, more venues will require people to check in to SafeEntry using the TraceTogether app or tokens, in a bid to strengthen Singapore's contact tracing regime.

All these measures will be implemented progressively, depending on the situation both domestically and globally, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.

However, nightlife settings deemed as higher-risk - such as bars, karaoke lounges and nightclubs - are likely to remain closed even at the start of Phase Three.


The Health Ministry added in a separate statement that Phase Three will not mean a return to the pre-coronavirus world.

"It will entail new ways of working and living, until the world has the virus under tight control," it said, adding that Singaporeans have to be prepared to stay in Phase Three for a prolonged period, potentially more than a year.

Phase Three will also not be static, it said. If more enablers can be put in place, there is scope for further reopening and scaling up of activities during that phase.

Mr Wong, who along with Mr Gan co-chairs the multi-minsterial task force tackling Covid-19 in Singapore, compared the local situation to a fire which has been reduced to embers, but not completely extinguished.

Each relaxation of the rules adds fuel to these embers, he said, with the risk that the fire may flare up again.

The key is to combine further relaxation of measures with additional safeguards, such as scaled up testing and tracking, he said.

"When can these measures take place? That's the big question. The answer is (that) it really depends on all of us," Mr Wong said.

If Singaporeans cooperate with existing measures and keep the transmission rate low, there is a chance that Singapore can enter Phase Three before the end of this year. But if new clusters emerge, the timeline may have to be pushed back, he said.

He stressed that the fight is far from over, with countries all around the world experiencing spikes in the number of virus cases.

"The hope for a vaccine is there; there are promising candidates, but the journey to distributing a safe and effective vaccine to billions of people around the world will take a long time," he added.

"We need to gird ourselves for a long fight. This is not something we can overcome within one or two months. We have really have to be prepared for the long haul and to continue with our vigilant, disciplined approach to allow us to progressively reopen and resume activities safely."

Even when Singapore does enter Phase Three, they must continue to keep their guard up, Mr Gan stressed.

"Phase 3 is not a declaration of victory, and all of us should go around celebrating and forget about the measures," he said. "It's a milestone, that we are saying we have now put in place reasonable measures and safeguards, and we should continue to retain these safeguards."

 

[Shinji.Ikari]

swab test n prebooking before enter club or ktv.

 

[GundamG]

open door to malaysia and phase 3 come together will be doom for sg. hindsight again.

 

[cubana]

can they stop importing so many cases n let us enjoy no mask? CCB because of so many import cases putting hotels n airport at risk we have to wear

 

[cloudnim]

How to wear mask sing in karaoke. Best that accept booking from family members only

 

[kiryu86]

Singapore is ultra money driven, more so than other money-driven places on earth.

I would say Singapore is number 1 money-driven country on the map.

This covid-19 even if it continue with its daily 300+ new cases, Singapore will still open up. Even if daily cases jump to 1000+, Singapore will still open up. Do Singapore have a choice?

China, India and USA can afford to lock down whole country for years. Singapore simply can't.

Money is simply pointing middle finger at covid-19 in Singapore. Money talks, Covid-19 walks.

For those of you who scared this and that, keep talk about fxxking wear masks, lets have the conversation again when you lose your job and all sources of income.

The fear for covid-19 is an illusion, but the fear for proverty is real.

HUMJI KIA SPOTTED

real man find solution to survive day to day basis,

wussy find a reason to whine about scare of losing job and become a poverty.

i have many colleague whom lose their job last month, and they are OLD with no much savings, and what they do? they turn into grab delivery, join temperature taking , join logistics delivery company like qexpress.

instead of whining and kpkb about lose of income, live with what u have n what u earn accordingly

and they are more afraid of losing their health to covid and become a heavy burden onto their children


get real wussy, u wan to see ur family members queue up infront of u n get hospitalized or cremated infront u one by one then u will start to wake up ur idea?

 

[rootz]

End of day, luckily we all still recognised the fact that gah men is trying it's best to minimise spread.

But why it allows flights in with many cases, that's another question mask.

 

[Tangy86]

Guess Singapore will resume normalcy when the safe distancing ambassador 1 year contract is up

 

[Wilberttt]

They are desperate to open up. Nothing will stop them and unless the number of infected cases sky rocket up very fast, i doubt it will delay phase 3 from starting.

Less testing, less reporting, recategorisation of cases etc might be the strategy.

complacent. pressure to let business open up.

if no vaccine, still want to fully open up... just be prepared anytime can suddenly got mess community outbreak, or dorm outbreak, then back to square one lor.

singapore if kena one more time ** like APR really is hong gan liao....

 

[Wilberttt]

open door to malaysia and phase 3 come together will be doom for sg. hindsight again.

They wont give a damn.

 

[Wilberttt]

Has to happen before Xmas. Can't have sinkies celebrate Xmas, NY and cny under lockdown.

Our index cases spread through Chinese New Year lunch gathering at Safra and in church service gatherings.

The only difference is back then, no one wore masks. But no one wears masks when eating so the setting is the same for CNY gatherings, reunion meals and Christmas dinners.

 

[jt6118]

Don't understand.
Countries like China can test their entire Qingdao city of 11million in 5 days why we cannot try to do similar.

Yet still want to open up.

 

[poingyo]

govt very double standard..

ask sinkie to not gather and treat us like dog by wearing dog tag...

another hand open the leg wide wide to other countries to come over.. especially CECA..

 

[XiaoJinLing]

Ccs like make announcements so many times asking to open up... some more like encourage us to go out of Singapore to 送死... later still like got offers if tio can use medisave, insurance claim... where got which country in the world like this asking please to still go travel at this time? I really dunno

 

[Wilberttt]

But but but... Many sinkies are desperate to travel and are praying for holiday travel ban to drop.

They're praying for 送死。

Ccs like make announcements so many times asking to open up... some more like encourage us to go out of Singapore to 送死... later still like got offers if tio can use medisave, insurance claim... where got which country in the world like this asking please to still go travel at this time? I really dunno

 

[zzangiefzz]

now 1 to 2 case too low, can open leg to economy more, FW 500per day is the breaking point

 

[slashershot]

Whens phrase 4?

 

[defnull]

they want us to do so, because economy is gg and they got no more money

if u die, they get to take ur cpf......... ya, pass to relatives, if those no relatives one also go and tio then all taken by hospital and the govt lor

 

[cubana]

Don't understand.
Countries like China can test their entire Qingdao city of 11million in 5 days why we cannot try to do similar.

Yet still want to open up.

agree. as a result there are still asymptomatic cases thats why we can't stay at zero cases