A potential second wave of coronavirus infections has started emerging in several countries that have eased their lockdowns, putting governments around the world on tenterhooks as they chart plans to reopen their badly dented economies.
Govts cautious after some countries that have relaxed lockdowns see rise in cases:
- In China - where the virus has been largely brought under control - a cluster of new cases surfaced in the central city of Wuhan over the weekend, marking its biggest increase since March 11. A 76-day lockdown of the city, where the first coronavirus cases were detected late last year, had been lifted only a month ago. Another local nest of infections was reported in the north-eastern city of Shulan near the North Korean border, accounting for 17 new infections in China within a day.
- South Korea - which has been lauded as a global model in how to curb the virus - saw 35 new infections, the highest number in more than a month, driven by a cluster in a Seoul nightlife district that surfaced just as the country eased its social distancing restrictions. The capital, as well as neighbouring Gyeonggi province and the nearby city of Incheon, closed all clubs and bars over the weekend.
- In Germany, new cases were growing again after restrictions were rapidly loosened across the country, with each sick person now infecting more than one other person.
- In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday set out a "cautious road map" to get the country back to work, including advice on wearing homemade face coverings, though his efforts to lift the lockdown had been criticised for a lack of clarity that has caused considerable confusion. The government issued a 51-page plan detailing how it would ease restrictions, including rules now limiting people to meeting only one person from outside their household.
- These warnings come amid a cautious loosening of some of the strictest measures that have been in place in Singapore since April 22, when businesses such as cake shops, hairdressing services and traditional Chinese medicine halls were told to close to contain the spread of Covid-19. These businesses are being allowed to reopen today if they follow strict guidelines and restrictions, such as the use of a digital check-in system called SafeEntry to record all entries and exits, including those of employees and visitors, for digital contact tracing.
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Second Waves Are Plaguing Asia’s Virus Recovery
After containing their outbreaks through measures from strict lockdowns to rapid testing regimes, the Asian economies that have seen some of the most success quelling the coronavirus -- Hong Kong, South Korea and China -- are now facing resurgences that underscore how it may be nearly impossible to eradicate it.
It’s a painful reminder that as countries open up again and people resume normal life, untraceable flare-ups are likely -- even after an extended lull in cases. Scientists have warned that the disease may never go away, because it lurks in some people without causing any outward signs of sickness:
- In Hong Kong, a 66-year-old patient with no recent travel history ended the city’s much-envied 23-day streak of zero local cases this week. Some of her family members have now been confirmed to be infected as well, and fears are growing that the woman may have seeded more infections as she moved around Hong Kong’s dense city streets before being detected.
- On the Chinese mainland, an outbreak of more than 20 new infections in northeastern China has forced authorities to impose movement restrictions in two cities reminiscent of the lockdown placed on Wuhan, the city where the deadly virus first emerged. Schools that had just re-opened to students were closed again in three Chinese cities with a total population of 13 million people.
- Not far away from China’s fresh outbreak, South Korea has identified more than 100 new cases from several nightclubs frequented by gay customers. Health officials are trying to test more than 5,500 people who visited the clubs since late April, but some fear coming forward given the country’s lingering homophobia. The outbreak threatens to test a virus strategy that has gained praise around the world for containing the virus without strict lockdown measures or disruption.
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Fears of second wave go up a notch in S. Korea and China
Fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections went up a notch in both China and Korea yesterday.
South Korea reported 35 new infections yesterday, the second consecutive day of new cases of that magnitude and the highest numbers in more than a month.
And China reported a new cluster of five infected people in Wuhan yesterday after a month without fresh infections there.
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Hong Kong reports first locally transmitted cases in weeks, fears new cluster
Hong Kong’s 23-day streak without a case of local coronavirus transmission has come to an end, reflecting the challenge of eradicating a virus that can spread undetected through carriers with no symptoms.
The case of a 66-year-old woman with no recent travel history becoming infected, confirmed by the government in a briefing on Wednesday (May 13), dashes hope that the city had successfully contained the virus after nearly four months of school closures and social distancing measures.
Her five-year-old granddaughter has also been confirmed to be infected, while six other family members have displayed symptoms and are now in isolation in hospital, said Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the health department’s communicable disease branch.
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Went out without Mum's permission during Lockdown, now she got lockout
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No New COVID-19 Case In Wuhan For 30 Days
There has been no new confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in China’s Hubei province and its capital Wuhan, where the deadly disease originated last December, for the 30th consecutive day, health officials said on Monday. The provincial health commission said that as of Sunday, there were no existing confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hubei, reports Xinhua news agency.
The province still had 654 asymptomatic cases under medical observation, after nine such cases were added and six released from quarantine on Sunday. A total of 282,701 close contacts of COVID-19 patients in the province had been tracked by Sunday, 1,280 of whom were still under medical observation.
As of Sunday, Hubei had reported 68,128 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total, including 50,333 in Wuhan, the provincial capital. Hubei lowered its novel coronavirus emergency response level from the highest to the second-highest starting May 2. As of Monday morning, China has 83,959 coronavirus cases, with 4,637 deaths.
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China says all coronavirus patients in Wuhan have now been discharged
The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began, now has no remaining cases in its hospitals, a health official told reporters on Sunday (April 26).
The novel coronavirus is believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan and first emerged in December before spreading quickly worldwide.
Some 2.83 million people have been reported to be infected globally and 197,872 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
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Tourism springing back to life in Hubei province
Twenty-two major tourist attractions that reopened in Hubei province, the hardest hit region by the Covid-19 contagion in China, had received 520,400 visitors from Friday to Sunday (May 1-3), as people enjoy their first public holiday since the regional lockdown was lifted.
Although numbers were down significantly year-on-year, the tourism market is gradually recovering in the province as pandemic control measures are still in place.
According to the provincial culture and tourism bureau, the number of visitors received was down 83 per cent year-on-year between Friday and Sunday, while tourism revenue plunged 94.5 per cent to 30 million yuan (US$4.2 million).
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Shanghai Disneyland reopens after three-month closure due to COVID-19
Disney reopened its Shanghai Disneyland park on Monday (May 11) to a reduced number of visitors, ending a roughly three-month closure caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
This marks a milestone for Disney and provides a glimpse of how it might recover from the pandemic that has forced it to shut parks in Asia, the United States, and France, as well as operations at its retail stores and cruise ships.
At the Shanghai park, Disney has put in place measures, including social distancing, masks and temperature screenings for visitors and employees, and is for now keeping visitor numbers "far below" 24,000 people, or 30 per cent of the daily capacity, a level requested by the Chinese government.
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Students in China's virus epicentre Wuhan return to school
School rules: students must stay a metre apart and walk past thermal scanners as they arrive AFP/STR
Youngsters in China's virus epicentre of Wuhan filed back to class on Wednesday (May 6), wearing masks and walking in single file past thermal scanners.
Senior school students in 121 institutions were back in front of chalkboards and digital displays for the first time since their city - the ground zero of the COVID-19 pandemic - shut down in January.
"School is finally reopening!" posted one user of Weibo, China's Twitter-like short messaging platform.
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Students in China's coronavirus epicentre Wuhan return to school
Youngsters in China's coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan filed back to class on Wednesday (May 6), wearing masks and walking in single file past thermal scanners.
Senior school students in 121 institutions were back in front of chalk boards and digital displays for the first time since their city - the ground zero of the coronavirus pandemic - shut down in January.
"School is finally reopening!" posted one user of Weibo, China's Twitter-like short messaging platform.
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Wuhan Welcomes 57,000 Students Back To School For The First Time Since Lockdown Ended
Some 57,000 students in Wuhan, the Chinese city where COVID-19 was first reported, are returning to school today for the first time since a strict 76-day lockdown in the city was lifted. Not all students are back in the classroom—just senior students preparing for the national college entrance exam. It is not known when junior and middle school students will return. Images show students observing social distancing measures and queueing up to enter the classroom while wearing facemasks.
The move is the latest sign that life in the hardest-hit Chinese city is returning to some semblance of normal life. Still, authorities appear to be taking precautions, as start times have been staggered, desks have been spaced out, class sizes are smaller and students are temperature checked on their way in, according to AFP.
Wuhan, the first major coronavirus cluster, lifted its stringent lockdown of 11 million people on April 8, after 76 days, meaning internal travel restrictions were eased and healthy residents could now leave the city, which is the capital of Hubei province. Hubei lifted its lockdown of nearly 60 million people around two weeks earlier.
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How China, South Korea and Taiwan are using tech to curb coronavirus outbreak
Various apps have been created in China, South Korea and Taiwan to exploit smartphone technologies for everything from contact tracing to enforcing quarantines that require people who have been exposed to the coronavirus to stay at home.
In China's capital Beijing, for instance, two applets "Beijing Cares" and "Beijing Health Buddy" have been integrated into the ubiquitous WeChat app.
Each city or municipality has its own version of the applet.
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South Korea returns largely to normal as coronavirus outbreak controlled
South Korea returned largely to normal Wednesday (May 6) as workers went back to offices, and museums and libraries reopened under eased social distancing rules after new coronavirus cases dropped to a trickle.
The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China and while it never imposed a compulsory lockdown, strict social distancing had been widely observed since March.
Employees were urged to work from home where possible while the new school term was postponed from its March start.
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South Korea returns largely to normal as COVID-19 outbreak controlled
South Korea returned largely to normal Wednesday (May 6) as workers went back to offices, and museums and libraries reopened under eased social distancing rules after new coronavirus cases dropped to a trickle.
The South endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China and while it never imposed a compulsory lockdown, strict social distancing had been widely observed since March.
Employees were urged to work from home where possible while the new school term was postponed from its March start.
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South Korea returning to normal
Visitors enter an exhibition hall at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. (AFP photo)
South Korea returned largely to normal as workers went back to offices, and museums and libraries reopened under eased social distancing rules after new coronavirus cases dropped to a trickle.
The country endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China and while it never imposed a compulsory lockdown, strict social distancing had been widely observed since March.
Most equities rose again as investors grew increasingly, but cautiously, hopeful that the worst of the coronavirus has passed and as countries begin to slowly open up from lockdown.
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HK wins accolades with no cases for 14 days
Hong Kong, which has recorded no new virus cases for 14 days, is still taking no chances as it prepares to relax social-distancing rules and gradually reopen its border with mainland China. The city’s government is reported to have secured about 10 million reusable masks to be disbursed to all its residents within a week or two, which will come with replaceable fabric and filters and can be disinfected for reuse up to 60 times.
Officials who have been working hard throughout the past few months and scouring the world for reliable supplies of masks are realizing that the new consignments of facial coverings are no longer urgently needed in their city. Hong Kong’s government has done an extraordinary job in arresting the spread of Covid-19, defying all the odds that impede its efforts in a teeming city that sits on the verge of mainland China, where the novel coronavirus first struck down people in Wuhan in December.
Hong Kong’s total number of infections was 1,040, with only four fatalities. The city fares well globally and has become one of a few “clean spots” whose streak of no fresh cases has lasted beyond a fortnight, indicating the local spread is receding. The city also compares favorably with other territories of similar size and population density like Singapore, whose tally has broken the 20,000 mark with 20 deaths.
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HK virus containment seen as model to emulate
Hong Kong's success in surviving multiple waves of the coronavirus provides hard earned lessons to other cities around the world now looking to relax restrictions, US cable network, CNN reports. The Chief Executive Carrie Lam told a briefing yesterday, Hong Kong adopted and advocated a “suppress and lift” strategy. She said: "Many renowned experts are now trying to study our situation, why do Hong Kong succeed in keeping the confirmed cases at a low level without drastic measures like the complete city lockdown, and I do think that it is a very interesting topic for further research.''
In total, Hong Kong has recorded only 15 new cases since April 20, all of which were people with recent travel history. That brings the city's total to 1,041 cases and four deaths. Of those total cases, 900 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital. The coronavirus first emerged in mainland China in December, and jumped the border into Hong Kong on January 24. By then, it had already made its way to several other countries, CNN says.
Hong Kong closed borders and began social distancing just a week or so after recording its first case. But this three-month stretch of working from home, business closures and service suspensions has dealt a massive blow to both the city's economy and the mental health and wellbeing of residents. Now, with the second wave mostly contained, many are itching to get back to pre-pandemic life.
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Hong Kong Has Not Had Any Local COVID-19 Cases Since Lifting Lockdown: Here's How They Did It
Hong Kong has not had any case of local transmission of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for over two weeks, with the city resuming back to pre-pandemic times. The city "has recorded only 15 new cases since April 20, all of which were people with recent travel history. That brings the city's total to 1,041 cases and four deaths," according to CNN. "Of those total cases, 900 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital," it added. Meanwhile, worldwide confirmed cases are over 3.5 million, while recoveries and fatalities are at 1.17 million and 252,000, respectively.
COVID-19 originated in mainland China in December, then reached Hong Kong on January 24. By that time, the virus was already present in different countries around the world. After the virus spread to other countries, students and residents started returning to Hong Kong in waves. At the end of the month, confirmed cases in the city exceeded 700. Hong Kong was able to contain its second wave of infections, but public panic peaked. Crowds hoarded toilet paper, face masks, and supplies until supermarket aisles throughout the city were empty.
To bring back control to the city, the Hong Kong government adopted strict policies. Some of the things the government did to lessen the impact of the second wave include "[barring] non-residents from entering the city, [stopping] travelers from transiting through the city's airport, and [implementing] strict quarantine and testing measures on all arrivals to the city, regardless of origin." Everyone under home quarantine had electronic bracelets to track their location, while there was a liquor ban. All gyms, sports facilities, and most cafes and restaurants were closed.
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Hong Kong reports zero new coronavirus cases for 1st time since early March
Hong Kong recorded zero new coronavirus cases on Monday for the first time since early March, health authorities said, though they urged residents to maintain strict hygiene and social distancing practices and avoid unnecessary travel.
The Chinese-ruled city, which has avoided the exponential increases seen in other parts of the world, has confirmed 1,025 total cases and four deaths since the outbreak began in January. The previous day with no recorded cases was March 5. While schools remain closed, many people are working from home and shopping malls and restaurants are less busy, Hong Kong has stopped short of a full lockdown like those imposed in other cities such as London and New York.
Almost all Hong Kongers wear masks, office buildings, commercial centres and public institutions run temperature checks, and free sanitizer dispensers are widely available. Hong Kong banned public gatherings of more than four people for 14 days from March 29 and later extended that restriction until April 23. Game centres, gyms, cinemas and other places of amusement and public entertainment are also closed and foreign arrivals at the airport are suspended indefinitely.
Hong Kong to Give Free Masks to Every Family As It Prepares to Reopen Economy
Hong Kong’s government announced a plan to give every family at least 10 free face masks as it prepares to reopen large parts of society later this week. The region of 7 million people has experienced 14 full days without any community transmission of the new coronavirus, setting the stage for local politicians to roll back some restrictions and reopen certain aspects of the economy.
Every family in Hong Kong will receive 10 cloth masks, and a reusable mask developed locally called a “CU mask.” The CU mask contains copper, according to multiple news reports, and residents can register for one online starting May 6. Unlike the CU mask, the 10 cloth masks will arrive to every residence through the mail without any need for registration.
Gyms, movie theaters, and beauty salons in Hong Kong will be allowed to reopen on Friday. Restaurants are allowed to open as long as they space tables out by 1.5 meters and limit the number of people at any given table to eight, according to the Hong Kong Free Press.
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Two weeks of zero local infections: How Hong Kong contained its second wave of Covid-19
People at a beach in Hong Kong on April 19
Hong Kong had just begun letting its guard down in late February when it was hit by a second wave of the novel coronavirus. After a brief period of low case numbers, new infections spiked dramatically, prompting a series of additional stringent restrictions.
That second wave now appears to have largely passed. Hong Kong hasn't had a case of local transmission in more than two weeks. Hong Kong's success in surviving multiple waves of the virus provides hard earned lessons to other cities around the world now looking to relax restrictions.
In total, Hong Kong has recorded only 15 new cases since April 20, all of which were people with recent travel history. That brings the city's total to 1,041 cases and four deaths. Of those total cases, 900 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.
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After Beating Back Coronavirus, Hong Kong Looks to Revive Its Economy Without a Relapse
Hong Kong passed a crucial milestone of two weeks, or one full quarantine period, without recording any new, locally transmitted coronavirus infections, as it charts a course out of its deepest economic slump on record.
The city is beginning to ease restrictions after two weeks of no new, locally transmitted coronavirus infections.
Health experts say the city’s success in containing the pandemic, at least for now, without locking citizens down has been won with responses such as near-universal mask-wearing, vigilance from the local population, tracing contacts of virus carriers and strict quarantining.
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Coronavirus: no new cases of Covid-19 as Hong Kong eases social-distancing measures
Hong Kong recorded no new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday as officials announced guidelines allowing the city to return to some semblance of normality, as part of the relaxing of restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus.
It was the 17th day in a row of no locally transmitted cases, with only a handful of imported infections over that period taking the city’s total to 1,040, with four related deaths.
The easing of social-distancing rules paves the way for bigger weddings and larger public gatherings, while some businesses can reopen from Friday, the Food and Health Bureau said, but there were conditions attached.
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Hong Kong to reopen schools, gyms, cinemas as coronavirus rules ease
The Hong Kong government will reopen schools and relax the various social distancing measures, most of which expire on Thursday (May 7), as the number of new coronavirus infections in the city stabilises.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday afternoon, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the current limit on public gatherings of groups of up to four persons will be raised to eight from Friday.
Venues such as gyms, cinemas, gaming centres, mahjong, massage and beauty parlours will reopen from Friday, although some restrictions on their operations will remain in place until May 21.
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Hong Kong to relax some restrictions as new COVID-19 cases dwindle
Hong Kong's government said on Tuesday (May 5) it will relax restrictions on public gatherings and allow gyms, cinemas and beauty parlours to reopen later this week as only a handful of new coronavirus cases have been reported in recent weeks.
The city has not reported any local transmissions for more than two weeks and recorded zero cases for seven of the past 10 days. It discovered one new imported case on Monday, which took the total to 1,041 patients, four of whom have died.
A ban on gatherings of more than four people was announced at the end of March, when there was a spike in cases as a result of people returning from Europe, North America and the Middle East to escape outbreaks there. The government will allow gatherings of eight from May 8. That's also when game centres, gyms, cinemas and other places of amusement and public entertainment, which have been closed for more than a month, will be allowed to re-open.
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Coronavirus: masks, lost progress and summer break among questions facing Hong Kong schools ahead of campus return
Students may see their summer holidays shortened by up to three weeks – but be spared exams – under plans being fashioned at some Hong Kong schools preparing for the resumption of classes later this month.
Schools are rescheduling teaching timetables to allow students to catch up with their studies following a four-month suspension of face-to-face lessons that saw most of the city’s 900,000 kindergarten, primary and secondary pupils switch to online learning in February amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Education minister Kevin Yeung Yun-hung announced on Tuesday that senior secondary school students would be the first to return to public school campuses on May 27, followed by younger secondary and older primary school pupils on June 8.
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No new coronavirus cases in Hong Kong, Taiwan
Hong Kong to resume public services, ease travel restrictions, Taiwan shares experience with US
No new coronavirus cases or deaths were reported in Hong Kong and Taiwan on Tuesday. This marked the third straight day of no new cases in Hong Kong and the government has unveiled plans to ease restrictions over the coming days, the South China Morning Post reported.
Carrie Lam, the leader of the Chinese special administrative region, announced that public services will return to normal next Monday and civil servants will be back at work. “The government has decided internally that we will resume public services next Monday. Public services are already slowly resuming, and will resume to normal operation next week,” she said. Lam said museums, libraries, and outdoor public facilities such as sports grounds will also reopen next week. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said quarantine requirements for people coming from the mainland China will be eased, with exemptions for students and business people. She told a news conference the Hong Kong government was satisfied that the COVID-19 crisis on the mainland was “more or less under control.”
With no new case or fatality reported on Tuesday, the overall count in Taiwan remains at 429 and the death toll is still six. The island nation, which China claims as a breakaway province, has been successful in restricting the spread of the coronavirus without a complete lockdown. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung shared the government’s experience with US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on Monday, the daily Taiwan Today reported.
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‘Taiwan’s SARS experience helped it beat COVID-19’
Dr Sue Sung-How
It has been 24 days since the last case of local transmission of COVID-19 was reported in Taiwan. To date, only 439 COVID-19 cases and six deaths have been reported on the island of 23 million, which China claims as a breakaway province.
Of these, 347 were people who arrived from abroad and just 55 were cases of local transmission -- figures that are a testament to the exemplary containment measures implemented by Taipei. The secret of Taiwan’s success lies in the painful memories of the 2002 outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, known as SARS. Also caused by a type of coronavirus, the disease was a direct predecessor of COVID-19.
Even the name of the current coronavirus that has wreaked havoc across the globe -- SARS-CoV-2 -- is derived from SARS-CoV, the coronavirus identified in 2003 as the cause of SARS. “Taiwan has been able to draw from its experience of the SARS epidemic of 2002, when the mortality rate was much higher,” Sue Sung-How, a doctor in Taipei, told Anadolu Agency.
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Taiwan’s successful coronavirus response is likely to boost its retail, hotel segments
Taiwan’s successful response to the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to boost interest in its retail and hotel segments, as its property market is tipped to be one of the quickest to bounce back once the coronavirus recedes.
As of Thursday, April 16, its Covid-19 tally stood at 395 cases and six deaths, one of the lowest in the world despite its proximity to mainland China, where the disease was first detected. The decisive actions taken by Taipei to stem the spread of the virus have earned it accolades and recognition as one of the best responses worldwide.
“Taiwan’s success in Covid-19 containment gives its retail and hotel businesses more chances of surviving the pandemic,” said Erin Ting, research director at Savills Taiwan.
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Taiwan announces zero new coronavirus cases
Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Tuesday (May 5) announced that there were zero new cases of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) but that nine Taiwanese returnees from India are exhibiting potential symptoms of the disease.
During his daily press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Chen announced no new cases of the virus, leaving the total at 438. Chen also announced that of the 129 Taiwanese nationals who arrived on a charter plane from India on Monday evening (May 4), nine have suspicious symptoms and have been sent to a quarantine center following medical examinations.
The CECC announced that they received 530 reports of people with suspected symptoms on Monday. Since the outbreak began, Taiwan has carried out 64,958 tests for COVID-19, with 63,587 coming back negative.
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Could Taiwan have saved the world from Covid-19?
Many people in the West – apparently led on by the US government – believe that the Chinese government covered up information regarding the initial extent of the Covid-19 epidemic in China. Some asserted that the death toll in China was actually orders of magnitude higher.
When that could not be proved, some took to the notion that China kept data regarding human-to-human transmission from the world. The supposed evidence? An e-mail Taiwanese authorities sent to the World Health Organization on December 31.
This e-mail has often been presented as evidence that Taiwan learned of and warned the WHO about human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, but that the WHO ignored it. But as it turns out, the e-mail did not make any such assertion. No one has been able to present evidence of an e-mail from Taiwan to the WHO reporting any information about human-to-human transmission.
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Total cases in Singapore could hit 40,000 this month, say experts
Singapore flags put up at Marsiling Lane Market and Cooked Food Centre. Further easing of circuit breaker measures will begin on Tuesday.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The total number of coronavirus cases here could hit 30,000 or 40,000 this month, but containment measures will help to keep the situation from spiralling out of control, experts said.
Associate Professor Alex Cook, vice-dean of research at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, noted that while the total case counts have continued to rise, the numbers have recently started to stabilise.
"This is what we'd see if we were successfully flattening the curve - case counts rising but in a more controlled manner," said Prof Cook, an expert in infectious disease modelling who had earlier predicted that infections could reach 10,000 or 20,000 by the end of April.
Fighting Covid-19 is ‘a marathon’: Lawrence Wong
Singapore must dig in for a long battle against the coronavirus outbreak but will consider further easing the circuit breaker measures in a month's time, if the situation improves, Parliament was told yesterday.
"The fight is far from over. This battle against the virus is not a sprint; it is a marathon, and we are not even at the half-way mark," said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong.
He was one of three ministers who delivered statements on Singapore's response to the outbreak in Parliament yesterday, where all MPs donned face masks for the first time.
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