If you compare certain images of the celebrations during 2015 General Election polling day night and 2020 General Election polling day night, I won’t blame you if you think there’s a haze during GE2020.
People were wearing masks while celebrating the victory of their leaders, but they were so close to each other, you’d have thought that they were also catching Pokemon.
Here, this video speaks a million words:
The authorities haven’t spoken about it, and so, someone asked about it instead.
Ministers’ Responses to Large Gathering During Election Night; Said There Would Be Potential Consequences
During the latest virtual multi-ministry task force press conference, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who didn’t appear to have a large crowd of overzealous people crowding and cheering for him in Woodlands after his election victory, was faced with the question:
“Aside from the queuing, we also saw a lot of people gathering as results were being announced with absolutely no social distancing all over Singapore. Is it fair to say that we should expect a pick up in the number of infections and is the task force itself bracing itself for an optic (optics?) in cases, and if you are, are you rolling out any preventive measures of any kind to either avoid or try to minimise this potential increase?”
Mr Wong answered with an Ivan-Lim smile…
…and we finally get the response.
The short answer is that there is indeed a lapse, and there are lapses happening everywhere as well, so we should really do our best to avoid lapse.
And here’s the long answer, as said by the man himself: “Well, there were these scenes of people coming together to celebrate. Ideally, they would have practised safe distancing. The people who were there, they know who they are (laughs). But I think the moment got the better of them, and they perhaps forgot about some of these requirements.
“But from the pictures I’ve seen, all of them were wearing masks. They may not have kept to the rule of five, and if we can find out who they are, and we have a means to, we might be able to identify and take them to task.
“I think if you look at the numbers, there are quite a number of them, but if you look at the contact that they had, I’m not sure that they were in close contact for a very long time.
“But in any case, whether it’s that particular moment in time, one night, or whether it is, as I’ve said, other lapses that may happen outside of that moment, it can happen in the community, it can happen anywhere in Singapore. I think it comes down to the basic point, by any individual, there would be a consequence, potentially
“And all of us just need to remember that point; it’s very basic. Any time anyone decides to abandon caution, thinks that, ‘It’s okay, I do not need to abide by the safe distancing measures,’ they put themselves, and they put the whole country at risk.
“Unfortunately, this appears to have happened in that particular incident, and I would imagine it would not be the end of it. There will be many other incidents where lapses do occur. So once again, we appeal to everyone to remember the basic fundamentals. Remember: COVID-19 is not over. Do not be complacent.”
Would Mr Wong Still Be the Face of the Fight With a Cabinet Reshuffle?
After an election, there would usually be a Cabinet reshuffle shortly, and we’re not talking about your bae moving your favourite shoes from the top to the bottom of the shoe cabinet. Instead, the ministers we’re so used to seeing might change, and some new ministers might be introduced.
With the election ending just a week ago, it’d be a matter of time before the next Cabinet reshuffle is confirmed. In GE2015, the new Cabinet was announced 17 days after the election.
So, what if Mr Gan is no longer the Health Minister but the Transport Minister? What if DPM Heng is the National Development Minister? What if Josephine Teo is the Health Minister?