Just over a year since the coronavirus was identified as the source of a highly infectious disease, close to two million people have died, economies have swung wildly between shutting down and opening up, and entire communities have been - some repeatedly - sequestered at home.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the poor and prompted debate regarding the role of the state in such an emergency. At the same time, it sped up innovation as a means for countries to partially overcome its effects. As Singapore grapples with the promises and pitfalls of the new year, here are a few things to think about: