by Judy Tan
I refer to the latest announcement made by Lawrence Wong’s COVID-19 task force to suspend religious services, gatherings at public entertainment venues and outlets, including tuition and enrichment centres until 30 April in a bid to stem escalating infection rates here and those returning from abroad.
The task force however, falls short by repeatedly refusing to suspend schools and workplaces which are MAIN epicentres for spreading the virus even as we have witnessed flouting of quarantine orders. We have also ironically seen an infected teacher at the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) own PAP Community Foundation (PCF), which leads us to wonder how many clusters will form from there.
The often utilised excuse by the PAP not to proclaim DORSCON Red (though we’re already in it) is because our economy will suffer as a result of our over reliance on external factors! I remembered not too long ago that Chan Chun Sing mentioned we have been preparing for disasters since the 70s but this COVID-19 pandemic has caught him off guard and obviously called the government’s bluff. It is most evident in the people hoarding essential goods over the past month, eroding trust in the government’s handling of the outbreak and mainstream media (MSM) reportings.
Past measures have proven to be largely futile, thus culminating in the latest suspension order. I continue to ponder on these 7 burning thoughts while the virus ravages on:
- How much longer will the government deny our DORSCON Red status?
- What is the true state of our “rainy” reserves that we do not seem able to withstand the present crisis?
- Will the government continue to gamble on people’s lives and allow schools and commerce to carry on while simultaneously calling an election to secure their own political survival?
- Will red tapes be trimmed to ensure delivery of food and financial aid to those quarantined, retrenched or reduced work as we are seeing more people reaching out to civil activists for desperate help?
- Are our medical facilities which is already struggling to cope during “peace time”, equipped to handle the rate of spike in cases here?
- How much will we, the people, have to pay after this epidemic is over and businesses have been bailed out?
- Will resumption of persecuting civil activists persist in the midst of the virus or will the PAP wake up from the slumber of China’s similar abominations?
It remains to be seen if we will emerge relatively unscathed, and if the untested 4G leaders will continue to put foreign talents and economic considerations first, over the well-being of Singaporeans!
