Covid-19 has bring a toll to the people and businesses due to THE HANDLING OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY THE GOVERNMENT’S MULTI-MINISTERIAL TASK FORCE (MTF) INDECISIVENESS AND HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH A DISTINCT LACK OF COHERENCE AND DIRECTION. THIS HAS LEFT SINGAPOREANS CONFUSED AND FRUSTRATED.

No Doubt that Singapore need to stay connected with the World. This can still be done with ring fencing strategy and be covid-19 resilient instead of shifting goalpost to endemic strategy. Clear Strategy is essential to lead Singapore out of the woods.

The MTF need to walk the ground to understand people's concerns, the various issues at stakes and not keep self praising on it's effectiveness of its strategy to eventually realise that it did not go well accordingly to their scripts/plans. (https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spores-covid-19-strategy-not-a-flip-flop-helps-prevent-massive-number-of-deaths-ong-ye If we reflect back on the events chronologically, the delta variant slip into our country sometime around April/May 2021 which it coincides with the MTF being over-confident in rushing to open up the borders while adopting strict measures within the country with various confusing measures and being lax at border which is our first line of defense.

The lack of a clear strategy in dealing with the pandemic has left businesses unable to plan ahead. The reactive nature of the MMTF’s approach in dealing with outbreaks of infections has led to stop-start, on-again/off-again policies which had impacted adversely on both employers and employees. Businesses and the People Need Certainty from the leaders/MTF to progress. 

The World Health Organisation (WHOs) has not declared that Covid-19 as endemic. Globally and in Singapore, we have not reached the stage of endemic. However, the MTF is taking the initiatives to adopting the endemic strategy with a target of at least 5,000 daily infection rate when we are not at the endemic stage, put our health at risk of infection blatantly when we are still able to control the pandemic situation with ring fencing strategy and if this is being social responsible to the people? It resulted in sudden massive increase of daily infected Covid-19 cases in the thousands in the community and straining our healthcare facilities. In addition, people with pre-existing medical conditions are deprived of required healthcare due to tremendous pressure on the healthcare facilities caused by endemic strategy, many of the medical appointments including some surgeries has to be delayed or rescheduled. 

An endemic strategy will makes sense only if WHOs declared that Covid-19 has become endemic or when the situation is indeed already out of control, and endemic strategy is done as the last resort to try to achieve herd immunity. We are at the stage of still being able to control the pandemic and bring down the number of infected cases before it totally lose control, we do not have time to waste. Also, there is nothing mentioned in any press release that the pandemic situation in Singapore has lost control or has become endemic. The MTF should Stop & remove the current adopted endemic strategy immediately which are causing many more thousands getting infected and/or re-infected with Covid-19 and many regardless of age may even die of Covid-19. 

Even if approx 85% being vaccinated does not equates to vaccinated persons will not getting infected with Covid-19. Science facts: Whether being vaccinated or non-vaccinated, will still have the risks of getting infected with Covid-19. ((https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-28/getting-vaccinated-doesn-t-stop-people-from-spreading-delta Statistics has shown that there are more vaccinated persons getting infected with covid-19 than non-vaccinated persons. It is also essential for the media to reveal the full facts to provide a well-rounded perspectives to the people instead of amplifying on non-vaccinated infection cases. 

Some of these perplexed policies are making people confused and frustrated. Some example amongst many other examples:

• Strict measures control within the country but lax border measures  which is our first line of defense (ie: inconsistency of measures policies, some 7 day notice, some 14 days notice, etc).
• Dine- in rules for vaccinated person and non-vaccinated person. Non-vaccinated person for whatsoever reasons, are not allowed to dine-in policy whereas vaccinated person are allowed to dine-in policy creates division among the social fabric. Does the virus able to recognise if a person is vaccinated or non-vaccinated to get an infection? Science has proven that regardless of vaccination status, anyone can still catch the virus and get an infection. It should be regardless of vaccination status, all should take a PCR/ART test to be tested negative before able to do dine-in. This gives certainties and will help the F&B businesses which are already in a very challenging operating environment. 
• https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-quarantine-order-delays-complaines-moh-apologises-2086976
• https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/govt-simplify-covid-19-protocols-which-can-be-confusing-frustrating-public-ong-ye-kung
• At least 850,000 unvaccinated person for whatever reasons are being discriminated (ie: unable to enter malls, supermarkets, go for essential errands, etc) due to the government policy that goes against scientific evidence. (https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/askst-if-i-am-unvaccinated-how-can-i-still-enter-shopping-malls-if-i-need-to This group of unvaccinated person may have underlying medical conditions, may have other concerns such as the long term side effects of the covid-19 vaccines, or whatsoever reason, are we going to discriminate them and have divisions in our society? Science facts: Whether being vaccinated or non-vaccinated, will still have the risks of getting infected with Covid-19. 
• Same household cannot sit together to dine in and have to split table and sit in 2 pax per table. However, the same household will have been interacting within their own home. This restrictions rules goes beyond common sense and not scientific. This also greatly reduce the capacity of any F&B can accommodate further with already strict measures in place which result in reduced revenue and cause hardship. (https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spore-restaurants-react-to-extension-of-covid-19-rules-with-frustration-ask-for-clearer
• Foreign Delegates can dine in 5 pax while Locals dine in 2 pax.
• 1 country with 2 sets of differentiated rules....
• And many others...

Policies need to be sensible and with common sense.

The MTF's adoption of the endemic Strategy is causing our medical facilities to become too overwhelming and straining our healthcare workers (https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/spore-healthcare-workers-feel-the-strain-of-manpower-crunch-amid-rise-in-covid-19  At the current daily rate of thousands of infected cases, The front-liners especially the healthcare workers who might be your friends, brothers, sisters, relatives or someone related to you, they are fully stretched unnecessarily and risk getting infected with Covid-19. (https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/eight-fold-increase-respiratory-cases-public-hospitals-ae-departments-last-3-months   More than 400 medical personnel have been infected with Covid-19 in already manpower shortage healthcare environment. They risk their lives to be on the frontline to serve fellow Singaporeans. Our Healthcare Facilities are at risks of being crippled with thousands of people getting infections daily by the adoption of endemic strategy. They should be protected from being overworked, tremendous pressure and unnecessary risks from the endemic strategies. If our last line of defense which is our healthcare facilities are crushed, we are likely to expect more death rates. We are heading for the tailspin and many lives are at risks of getting infected with Covid-19 including deaths.

Clearly, the current endemic Strategy has shown to be doing more damages to our country and the people looking at the increasing death rates and infection rates, Vs the previously adopted Ring-fencing Strategy with low death rates and low infection rate. Who will still travel to Singapore knowing that we are a country with high infection rate? Many more businesses suffers and will close down due to adoption of endemic strategy with high infection rate and plenty of jobs will be lost with livelihoods at stakes if we continue to head towards the direction of endemic strategy, inconsistency in our policies and indecisiveness from the MTF with no clear strategy to lead Singapore out of the woods.

We will need a 2-3 weeks of Circuit Breaker/Lockdown to bring down the number of daily infected cases right now to Save lives, families and protect our Healthcare Workers /frontliners/ Medical Teams from Exhaustion! Relief the strain on hospitals and healthcare facilities! (https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/hospitals-screening-covid-19-patients-at-temporary-areas-as-more-seek-help https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-singapore-hospital-bed-icu-doctor-nurse-clinic-home-isolation-2247106 If our Healthcare System is crushed, more deaths will be expected. We need to minimise the sufferings of the people and the damage to our country.

This is not a game of cards! It's your lives and Our Lives are at stakes.  

We are dealing with a pandemic crisis with lives and livelihoods at stakes. We need a strong Team of Medical Consultants (Reputable Infectious Medical Specialist) together with decisiveness from the leader/MTF with clear strategy to lead Singapore out of the woods.  We can gradually open up our economy in a systematic way with Ring fencing Strategy that keeps the infection rates low and achieve the objective of opening up our economy.

A) SAY NO TO at least 5,000 Daily Infection rate. Remove the Endemic Strategy & Reinstate the Ring Fencing Strategy! 

B) Bring down the number of daily infected cases per day right now to save lives with implementation of 2 to 3 weeks of Lockdown/Circuit Breakers. Re-strategies to work out plans to walk out of the woods. (If the know-how experience from SARS that works, with some tweets and streamlining the protocols with all stakeholders). Save Lives & Relief the strain on Healthcare workers and Healthcare facilities! 

C) Replace DMS Kenneth Mak with renowned Infectious Medical Specialist Consultant and restructure the expert committee to lead Singapore out of the this Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis. 

D) To have Senior Ministers and/or ex-ministers with experience with handling SARS Crisis and with experience as advisories to guide the younger ministers with stewardship together with able men and Women stepping up and forward in this unprecedented challenging times to help Singapore steer out of this Covid-19 Pandemic. 

E) SAY NO TO TRIAL & ERROR POLICIES FROM THE MTF! Say No to flip flop and double Standard policies. We need a clear & sensible plan that actually shows a way out of pandemic and consistency in policies. 

G) Reinstate the Contact Tracing Measures/Policy with timely update to the people. 

H) More Transparency and Accountability to the People.