SAF shifts to living with Covid-19 after reaching herd immunity
92% in SAF, Mindef will be fully vaccinated by second week of this month: Ng Eng Hen
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National service enlistees undergoing Covid-19 swab tests at Selarang Camp on Tuesday. Pre-enlistment vaccination was rolled out last month for recruits before they entered the Basic Military Training Centre. Last year, basic military training was suspended from April to May amid the pandemic.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has already learnt to live with Covid-19 and can minimise disruptions even in the face of infections.
It has achieved herd immunity through vaccination, and activities involving national servicemen need not be affected by Covid-19, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.
It will not have to close its training institutes on account of infections and can also ease restrictions to allow units to operate at maximum effectiveness, he said.
Singapore has said that it plans to treat Covid-19 as an endemic disease and to live with it, once enough people have been vaccinated.
The SAF has moved ahead of the national curve.
More than 90 per cent of the individuals in the SAF and Ministry of Defence (Mindef) have received their first Covid-19 vaccine dose, said Dr Ng. By the second week of this month, 92 per cent will be fully vaccinated with both doses.
"That is quite satisfactory. It means that the SAF has achieved herd immunity," he said.
This means the disease would be milder even if any individuals in SAF or Mindef were to be infected.
Speaking on Monday at Mandai Hill Camp ahead of SAF Day today, Dr Ng outlined how the SAF will deal with a "new normal" where Covid-19 is endemic.
"Living with an endemic disease means that, fundamentally, we carry out our activities with the risk of infection always there. We reduce the risk because we can't eliminate it. So it's quite a different mindset," he said.
While vaccination will be the "mainstay" in living with Covid-19, testing and surveillance will also be strengthened, he said.
Cohorting, or having split-team arrangements, will continue so that the smallest group possible can be shut down in case of infections, without affecting the rest of the unit.
When infections arise, training schools such as the Basic Military Training Centre, Officer Cadet School and Specialist Cadet School need not be closed.
"We can avoid disruption to national service activities. Certainly we can't shut down and we won't shut down critical operations units," he added.
Critical operations units, such as those protecting key installations, performing air defence or maritime security operations, continued operating throughout the pandemic.
However, basic military training was suspended from April to May last year during the nationwide circuit breaker period.
This time around, pre-enlistment vaccination was rolled out last month for military recruits before they entered the Basic Military Training Centre.
Since May, when the phase two (heightened alert) curbs began, recruits have also had to stay home during weekends when they book out, and go out only for essential activities.
Some in-camp training and fitness activities for operationally ready national servicemen were also halted temporarily in May, owing to a rise in community Covid-19 cases. The training and activities resumed from Monday.
Meanwhile, high-end overseas training has continued, Dr Ng said. In September, the air force and army will conduct Forging Sabre, an integrated live-firing exercise in the United States.
Exercise Wallaby - traditionally the SAF's largest overseas exercise - could also take place this year.
However, should a new and more lethal virus variant arise, it could still be disruptive, said Dr Ng.
"You have to basically recalculate the risk. But barring that exception, we can continue as we have done," he said.
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