These are trying times, and I think we have the Singapore government to thank for being relatively unscathed.
(1) There was a consciousness that a full on lockdown too early would exact an unnecessarily high cost on the economy. So, the government chose to track, trace and ringfence. No one could have known that...
- this virus presents as mild in 80% of the cases
- this virus spreads on asymptomatic hosts
For a virus as contagious and insidious as this, the results from the track, trace and ringfence approach has been more than commendable.
(2) The moment the spectre of community spread twitched its big toe and looked about to rise and rear its head, we went into a quasi-lockdown. Even so, it is still only a quasi-lockdown, which started with gentle nudging and a slow escalation into firmer steps to deal with only the most recalcitrant among us.
(3) The speed and thoroughness of implementation has been nothing short of lightning quick. Queues to enter Chong Pang Market appeared overnight. The large and bustling fruit stall outside the market was shut down because it had repeatedly failed to enforce social distancing. An urgent whisper spread faster than the coronavirus through the whole market that the fruit stall was 不听话 and now, was not allowed to ply its trade. Whether true or not, the effect of this stall's closure has been to ensure that all other stallholders are now very 听话. My favourite hawkers have barricaded themselves behind stacks of plastic trays so that their clientele cannot approach them within 1 metre. They have now become distant and inaccessible, for their own protection, and mine. Some hawkers got away with wearing spit guards in lieu of masks. Today, everyone is wearing proper surgical masks.
The compliance at Chong Pang Market is total, now. Even the most stubborn of old men have capitulated.
Our government's only mistake is that it is so good that it has cultivated a complacent populace. People keep thinking that the Singapore healthcare would bail them out of their own carelessness. If you know that someone will bail you out, your attitude becomes lackadaisical. Really ah... I tell you... some Singaporeans are so optimistic about our government's ability to pull us through that they think they can ride on its coat-tails and get pulled through without putting in any effort of their own.
- Sneeze into the air.
- Cough into the air.
- Don't wear masks.
- Gather in groups.
- Kiss girlfriend in public.
- Go shopping and eat bak kut teh despite being on SHN.
- Wear spit guards, instead of proper surgical masks.
- Wear masks on the chin.
One ingredient of high motivation is accountability. Singaporeans have transferred the accountability for their own safety to the government. The more they trust the government to keep them safe, the less they are motivated to keep themselves safe.
People caught contravening social distancing rules should be arrested, given a stack of surgical masks and placed in quarantine with Covid19 patients. In such an environment, these same people would hone their ability for self-preservation.
Ok ok... the government did make a booboo by telling folks to NOT wear masks at first. But hor... when you take exam, you always get full marks one meh? Sometimes, when the going gets tough, it is more helpful to celebrate and encourage, than it is to criticise and berate. Even something so small as - people who exercise do not have to mask up - is a matter for heated criticism of the government. Ho Ching's little non-word, "errrrr" also kena flamed.
If you don't like this government and the people in it, change it out. At this moment, it is working harder than hard to protect us all. Let's stop flaming it.
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