If you’ve been looking forward to a loud Chinese New Year because the COVID-19 vaccine has landed on our shores, you might be disappointed.
Today (21 Jan), the two ministers who’ve been the faces of the fight against COVID-19 gave an interview (note: it’s an interview and not a press conference with updates) about the battle against the virus: Education Minister Lawrence and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.
While the interview focuses mostly on the challenges they face in the one-year battle, Minister Wong said something that some of us hate to hear and yet some love to hear.
Reader Bao: Circuit breaker?
No. Additional measures.
Reader Bao: Oh. Does that mean I won’t need to go to my nosy aunties’ house?
That depends.
Minister: S’pore Might Have Additional Restrictions Before CNY Which Include House Visits
In the interview, the two ministers spoke about what went through their mind as they fought the pandemic which was then relatively unknown.
And as for what’s next, Minister Wong once again urged us to take the COVID-19 vaccine once it’s available, and spoke about the current situation now.
He said, “We are concerned that if we continue in the same sort of situation, (if) we don’t do something more, then this continued creep in the cases may end up in new clusters emerging, that may be beyond our control later.”
Lest you’re not aware, Singapore now has 3 clusters as of time of writing; with 4 community cases reported this afternoon, I won’t be surprised if there are 4 clusters as you’re reading this now.
He added, “So, we are considering very carefully now whether additional measures may be necessary.
“Exactly what these are – whether they pertain to house visitations, what kind of measures – we are still studying. And when we are ready we will highlight them.”
Currently, in Phase Three, 8 people can visit a household, and the maximum diners in a table at any eatery is also capped at 8. Restaurants have started taking in bookings for reunion dinners for 8, too.
Writing is in the Wall
If you’re shocked at this news, you’re probably a Facebook user who reads anything that Facebook algorithm suggests to you, so you should know more about very important news like a cat spotted in Tampines with a Hawaiian shirt.
To avoid having important and Facebook-algorithm-loving news like cats chilling shoved to you and receive other news like the number of local COVID-19 clusters instead, you might want to download our app since we don’t know how to code an algorithm, so you’d read all news and we can make more money.
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Nevertheless, what happened is that on 18 Jan, the first local COVID-19 cluster was formed, and Minister Wong warned of additional measures.
In less than 24 hours, the authorities announced that the pilot programme to reopen KTV studios and nightclubs was cancelled.
With 3 clusters now, do you honestly think our dear ministers are going to do nothing?
You can read more about the latest cluster here.
Or heck, by the time you read this, that might not be the latest cluster le.
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Featured Image: Screengrab from Interview