In March, Singapore was credited with having a model response to the coronavirus pandemic. Two months later, despite access to a premier healthcare system and a variety of resources, Singapore’s confirmed cases grew from a mere 266 to more than 21,000. So, what went wrong?
Singapore sucessfully contained the first wave of the virus by implementing quarantine orders for people who had recently traveled internationally and by contact tracing — tracking the people that coronavirus patients had close contact with before testing positive for the virus.
However, these mechanisms proved ineffective against a surge in coronavirus cases within migrant dormitories in mid-March. Out of Singapore’s population of 5.7 million people, more than 300,000 are migrant workers from poorer South Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
These workers are critical to the Singaporean economy, but they are paid next to nothing and live in desolate conditions, making them particularly vulnerable to the virus. Currently, migrant workers make up nearly 90% of Singapore’s cases.
As the number of cases in dorms increases, the Singaporean government has faced increased criticism for overlooking the risk that the coronavirus presents to migrant workers. Workers are required by law to reside in dormitories, where conditions are substandard. These dorm facilities house 10 to 20 workers per room, who share a bathroom and a kitchen. Spreading the virus is easy.
On April 3, in response to the rising cases in dormitories, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that Singapore would be undergoing a “circuit breaker” — all non-essential workplaces would close until June 1 in an attempt to flatten the curve.
In addition, the Singaporean government has offered coronavirus testing to migrant workers, isolated the dormitories, and moved infected asymptomatic workers to quarantine facilities. Some dormitories have also been stocked with face masks, hand sanitizer, Wi-Fi, and phone cards to provide relief for migrant workers quarantined in poor conditions.
Moreover, the Singaporean government has continued to demonstrate a united front, prohibiting citizens from spreading unnecessary panic or violating social distancing measures. Should they do so, citizens are subject to severe repercussions. For instance, on April 23, a civil servant was arrested for leaking information about the rise in coronavirus cases prior to the release of the official report.
The trend Singapore has witnessed is a troubling one. The reemergence of the coronavirus suggests the presence of a second wave, which many experts have theorized isn’t specific to just Singapore.
In fact, experts believe that all countries are bound to face a spike in cases soon. If so, it is of the utmost importance that countries around the world brace for economic fallout and loss of life. Singapore may have been able to contain the spread of the virus through draconian policies and harsh enforcement, but for countries with fewer resources, this may not be an option.
