Not holding my breath that we’ll see this level of #data - about cases, contact tracing and emerging clusters - from many other countries. Experiencing #Singapore’s response firsthand has been eye-opening, in all sorts of ways. #COVID 1/n straitstimes.com/multimedia/gra…
1. The swiftness with which theat level systems and emergency preparedness measures kicked in. Yes, it 'helped' that living through SARS resulted in many SOPs and back-up plans being created, and reduced reaction and reflection time. But leadership played a role too. 2/n
2. Communication was key to creating a sense of calm. There was clear guidance from the healthcare authorities. From universities. From primary care providers. Heck, our *landlord* asked for travel declaration forms being signed within days of a few cases being identified. 3/n
3. Educational instituations shifted classes of a certain size and above online within a week or so of the Orange threat level announcement. Others were phased, or had clear instructions for split-team arrangements. Uncertainties and open questions were shared transparently. 4/n
4. After an initial burst of panic buying the evening of the Orange level being raised, things regained a semblance of normalcy. Again, clear communication helped. The govt. providing masks to every household helped. As did statements about food security. 5/n
5. Faculty at my university were consulted about back-up plans, admin staff and deaneries coordinated and ran interference, and conveyed a sense of shared responsibility for the inconvenience on everyone. Keep calm and carry on minus the t-shirts and coffee mugs. Speaking of 6/n
6. memes and GIFs, humour helped. The glimmers of racially tinged commentary about panic buying and overconsumption were mediated by (gallows) humour. Not all funny, not all PC, but a nudge to reflect on opportunistic, elitist behaviour at the cost of the less privileged. 7/n
7. A functioning healthcare system REALLY helped. We went for tests (unrelated): the hospital was orderly, rigorous about documenting travel history & symptoms for every single person who walked in, with folks complying patiently = a sense of Things Working As They Should. 8/n
8. Did I say universitites provided mandatory training on teaching online, within days, ensured compliance, and provided systems and facilities? Yup. So if you don't see us all crowdsourcing advice on Twitter about which tool to use and how, that's why. 9/n
9. Subsidies were offered very swiftly for service industries and #gig workers. e.g. Huge impact on cab and #ridesharing drivers from companies enforcing remote working, so a "top-up" payment per day was swiftly announced. Copy-paste for other sectors. 10/n
But all things considered, and especially as the rest of the world plays catch-up, this was a pretty damn good response. As vulnerabilities emerge along myriad axes, as the lack of preparedness is underlined, I think of all the things #Singapore got right, and I'm grateful. 12/12
Ok ok 13/12: I didn't but should have mention quarantining, self isolation, penalties for employees+employers who violated them (no work permit sponsorship for 2 years), social distancing, travel bans, temperature reporting to employers, travel declaration to ministries, etc etc.
