Don’t say no to seniors who wish to lend a hand during Covid-19 crisis
The writer urges organisations and the authorities not to immediately say no to seniors who wish to contribute to society during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I will be 68 in June.
I appreciate that people are concerned about me and other seniors during this Covid-19 pandemic. And I realise that the pandemic may continue to plague us months and years into the future, and that there remains much that we do not understand about the disease.
At the same time, I worry that the public’s generous concern may restrict seniors’ participation in society. For example, I recently volunteered to help with food delivery for migrant workers that was being done by a charity. But I was told that people over 60 were barred from taking part.
Similarly, I read that teams from the NBA, the professional basketball league in the United States, are considering restricting older staff members’ access to games when the league resumes play.
Two requests, please.
First, current statistics suggest that the fatality rate from Covid-19 is much lower for people without pre-existing conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Thus, please do not treat all seniors as the same.
Second, during the circuit breaker, we have learnt a lot about how people can continue to work, but in safer ways, including working from home and keeping a safe distance at workplaces. Hence, please explore other options before saying no to seniors who wish to participate in society.
Singapore already does much for us seniors, such as providing senior activity centres and senior citizen discounts. We have much to contribute to society — and much to gain from contributing.
Therefore, let us do our best to prevent the pandemic from curtailing seniors’ contributions.
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