SINGAPORE EXTENDS ITS LOCKDOWN TILL 1ST JUNE DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE FIRST FEW COUNTRIES THAT COULD CONTROL COVID- 19!

The partial Lockdown in Singapore is set to continue for another four weeks.  Prime Minister Lee Hsein Hoong said on Tuesday that the decision was taken after thousands of new coronavirus cases were reported in the past few days. 

The state reported 1,111 new cases on Tuesday, adding up to the total toll which stands at 9,125 positive cases of COVID- 19. It was the second day when over 1000 new cases were reported within 24 hours. As per the data, foreign workers staying in crowded dormitories account for almost 80% of the infections. 

Prime Minister Lee added that the aggressive testing in dormitories included testing of asymptomatic individuals has helped them in combatting the spread of the virus. Though the viral hotspots in these dorms have been contained, circuit- breaker measures such as shutting down non- essential businesses and schools till June 1, are being taken as precautionary measures. He said that this would enable the government to detect the transmission of virus from the dorms to wider communities, if that is happening. 

“Many will be disappointed by the extension of the circuit breaker, especially our businesses and workers, who are hurting greatly. But I hope you understand that this short- term pain is to stamp out the virus, protect the health and safety of our loved ones and allow us to revive our economy”, he said. 

As per report from The Times of India, Singapore is home to nearly 1.4 million migrant workers, a third of its labour force. Singapore has been praised globally for its rapid response and meticulous tracing measures that has enabled them to detect COVID- 19 positive cases in the early stage of the crisis.