Stay vigilant, PM Lee urges as circuit breaker period ends

Singapore has to remain cautious and vigilant after exiting the circuit breaker, as dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is "a marathon, not a sprint", Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

In a Facebook post, he urged Singaporeans to keep their guard up as the country lifts some circuit breaker measures today, by continuing to wear masks when outdoors and at work, and avoiding crowds and gatherings, among other things.

"If we all do this, then life can go on more or less normally after the circuit breaker," PM Lee said. "We don't want Covid-19 cases to spike up again, and be forced to tighten up once more."

People can no longer wear face shields in place of face masks from today, after the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic decided that face shields are not as effective as face masks in reducing the risk of virus transmission.

Only select groups will be allowed to wear face shields instead of face masks, such as those with medical conditions which prevent them from wearing face masks, children below the age of 12, and teachers, as it may not be practical for them to wear masks while teaching.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong appealed to Singaporeans to continue staying at home and avoid going out except for activities like buying essential items and work.

"As there would be fewer restrictions when the circuit breaker comes to an end, the role of indi-viduals will become even more cri-tical. If each of us play our part, act responsibly, we can keep the community transmission low and move together safely towards a new normal," Mr Gan said.

In his post, PM Lee highlighted that while the number of daily cases in the community has come down considerably, Covid-19 is far from defeated.

"Even after a vaccine is found, everything will not simply go back to the way it was before. Covid-19 has exposed how vulnerable our way of life is. But it has also given us the opportunity to prove our mettle, and come back stronger," he said.