I agree with what Straits Times editor Warren Fernandez wrote about battling Covid-19 (Uncertainties ahead: Battling Covid-19 and other looming foes, Feb 13).

I think some Covid-19 rules could have been explained better by the authorities.

For example, people are allowed to exit isolation if they test negative 72 hours after their first positive test.

However, as Health Minister Ong Ye Kung cautioned before Chinese New Year, people who are not feeling well should not go out even if they test negative (Stick to rules, stay at home even if mildly unwell: Minister, Jan 29). This is a point that should be added to the Ministry of Health's Protocol 2.

I have seen people largely complying with mask-wearing on public transport and in malls, but have spotted many lapses in residential estates.

Some smokers walk around with a cigarette in hand. Strollers without masks take advantage of rules allowing people to be unmasked when doing strenuous exercise.

The authorities should be cautious about relaxing measures to boost the economy without first having a firm grip on the pandemic. Taking too much of a laissez-faire attitude could lead to unwanted consequences, especially given the current manpower crunch in most industries.

Candice Yeo Chay Hoon