Coronavirus: Paying the price of an outbreak

Impact of Covid-19 outbreak on S'pore and beyond is multi-faceted. What can the state do to minimise costs of managing the crisis?

The most important public policy question arising from the Covid-19 outbreak is about the speed and resilience of society in responding to the outbreak; the answer will depend on the effectiveness of containment and the adequacy of resources such as
The most important public policy question arising from the Covid-19 outbreak is about the speed and resilience of society in responding to the outbreak; the answer will depend on the effectiveness of containment and the adequacy of resources such as hospital beds, medical manpower, needed medical tests and equipment, says the writer. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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Empty tables at a Pattaya restaurant. Shelves stripped of instant noodles in Singapore. The cancellation of the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Different facets all, of reactions around the world to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The newly named coronavirus is clearly more than just a medical challenge. In terms of impact, it also goes beyond the gyrations of the stock and financial markets.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 17, 2020, with the headline Coronavirus: Paying the price of an outbreak. Subscribe