Singapore could enter into phase three at the end of the year, says the city-state’s multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 yesterday (20 October). However, the exact date is yet to be announced and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who co-chairs the task force, says it depends on whether community transmission rates remain low. Singapore, which has been in phase two since June 19, has seen its rate of locally transmitted cases drop to a low and steady rate in the past few weeks.
Gan also stresses that phase three does not signal a return to pre-Covid days. Safeguards will still have to be in place, and he urges residents not to let their guard down and let the efforts of the last few months go to waste.
Fellow co-chair and Minister for Education Lawrence Wong adds that if new clusters emerge, the timeline may have to be pushed back, stressing that the fight is far from over. “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 adds.
“We need to gird ourselves for a long fight. This is not something we can overcome within one or two months. We 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.”
Here’s what you need to know about phase three in Singapore.
1. Increase in group sizes
The number of people allowed to gather outdoors could be increased from the current number of five to eight. The maximum number of visitors allowed to homes would also increase from five to eight. “If we continue to be quite vigilant in our safe distancing measures, and we are quite mindful and quite serious in protecting ourselves, I think we can afford to increase the number as we progress towards phase three,” says Gan.
2. Increase in capacity limits
Venues such as museums, places of worship and wedding receptions may increase their capacity, and multiple zones of 50 people could be allowed. However, for higher-risk activities such as wedding receptions where people are gathered for a meal, the expansion in the number of attendees would require additional safety measures. For instance, all the guests would have to go through a pre-event antigen rapid test. This could be the case for live performances, business conferences and sports events as well. Also, there will still be no intermingling between groups of the larger proposed sizes, and measures such as safe distancing and mandatory wearing of masks must continue to be observed.
3. Nightlife remains status quo
For nightlife settings that are deemed as higher risk, such as bars, karaoke lounges and nightclubs, these are likely to remain closed even at the start of phase three. However, The Straits Times say the authorities are considering limited pilot programmes to help the nightlife industry reopen safely, such as pilots with much more stringent safe management measures in place. This could include pre-entry testing done using antigen rapid tests.
4. Greater emphasis on TraceTogether check ins
Wong says the authorities are looking at deploying more TraceTogether-only SafeEntry checks in a bid to strengthen Singapore’s contact tracing regime. This means SafeEntry is done either through either the TraceTogether app or token, and SafeEntry QR codes, Singpass mobile app or identification cards will no longer be allowed for entry. This has already begun for cinemas, where it will be compulsory for moviegoers to use either the TraceTogether app or token to enter cinemas from 16 November. It is expected to be mandatory for other popular venues such as restaurants, shopping malls, workplaces and schools by the end of December.
5. Phase three might last for a while
The Ministry of Health (MOH) says in a statement that people have to be prepared to remain in phase three for a “prolonged period” of potentially more than a year. “It will entail new ways of working and living, until the world has the virus under tight control,” it adds. “Phase three will also not be static. If we can put in place more enablers, there is scope for further reopening and scaling up of activities even within phase three.”
6. Subsidised Covid-19 treatment
Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who travelled out of Singapore on or after March 27 can now tap on government subsidies and insurance for treatment if they are found to be infected with the Covid-19 virus, as the country looks to progressively open up its borders. “Unlike larger countries which can keep their borders closed, our livelihoods and economic survival depend heavily on Singapore being open to the world and being a key international and travel hub,” says MOH. “It is therefore not possible for Singapore to keep our borders closed indefinitely. We will have to gradually allow more travel to resume in a safe manner.” The ministry also says it will look into more frequent testing and other safeguards to enable more travellers to enter without having to be quarantined.
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