Liang Eng Hwa on Singapore’s COVID-19 response
In light of the mask shortage that Singapore had to grapple with early in the COVID-19 pandemic, medical masks should be designated as a critical supply item that requires some local production capability, said MP Liang Eng Hwa. However, for this to be viable, it would require some domestic anchor orders or offtake from the Government so that there is a base-level production volume to work with. To support this, Singaporeans should be encouraged to continue to wear masks, especially when unwell, in very crowded areas and in healthcare settings. The Government or Temasek Foundation could also continue the practice of distributing face masks to all households each year. On the COVID-19 outbreaks in migrant worker dormitories, Mr Liang said more defensive measures must be prepared, such as self-segregating features and contingency plans for quarantine arrangements. He added that the outbreaks were a reminder that there is a limit to how much Singapore can grow its migrant worker workforce and that it must review and weigh the trade-offs of its dependency. Finally, Mr Liang brought up two factors that underpinned Singapore’s ability to achieve key successes in tackling the pandemic - namely, the country’s financial strength and its capable leadership. He spoke in Parliament on Monday (Mar 20).
In light of the mask shortage that Singapore had to grapple with early in the COVID-19 pandemic, medical masks should be designated as a critical supply item that requires some local production capability, said MP Liang Eng Hwa. However, for this to be viable, it would require some domestic anchor orders or offtake from the Government so that there is a base-level production volume to work with. To support this, Singaporeans should be encouraged to continue to wear masks, especially when unwell, in very crowded areas and in healthcare settings. The Government or Temasek Foundation could also continue the practice of distributing face masks to all households each year. On the COVID-19 outbreaks in migrant worker dormitories, Mr Liang said more defensive measures must be prepared, such as self-segregating features and contingency plans for quarantine arrangements. He added that the outbreaks were a reminder that there is a limit to how much Singapore can grow its migrant worker workforce and that it must review and weigh the trade-offs of its dependency. Finally, Mr Liang brought up two factors that underpinned Singapore’s ability to achieve key successes in tackling the pandemic - namely, the country’s financial strength and its capable leadership. He spoke in Parliament on Monday (Mar 20).
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