SINGAPORE: In a new normal where COVID-19 is endemic, infected people can recover at home and large gatherings and travel can resume, the co-chairs of the COVID-19 working group with multiple ministries in Singapore said Thursday (June 24th). .

Trade and Industry Secretary Gan Kim Yong, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Wong and Health Secretary Ong Ye Kung shared the outline of the new normal in an article in the Straits Times.

“It has been 18 months since the pandemic started and our people are tired of fighting. Everyone is wondering: When and how will the pandemic end? ”Wrote the ministers in the editorial entitled Live Normally, with COVID-19.

“The bad news is that COVID-19 may never go away. The good news is that it is possible to live with it normally in our midst. “

When comparing COVID-19 to influenza, ministers said many get infected with the flu every year, but the chances of getting very sick are so small that people live with it and go about their daily activities while taking simple precautions .

Singapore could work towards a “similar outcome for COVID-19,” they added.

“This will be our priority in the coming months. We already have a broad plan. “

READ: IN FOCUS: Fighting COVID-19 with Targeted Measures – The New Normal for Singapore?

READ: COVID-19: What Happens When A Pandemic Becomes Endemic?

ACCELERATING VACCINATION

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had in one national address on May 31st Singapore aims to ensure that anyone eligible for vaccination and who has expressed interest in vaccination can receive at least their first dose by National Day.

The task force is working to bring vaccines forward and speed up the process, the co-chairs wrote in the statement on Thursday.

Citing Israel’s experience, ministers said the vaccines are very effective in reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission and helping to prevent severe COVID-19 symptoms in those infected.

In Singapore, of the more than 120 fully vaccinated people infected with COVID-19, including some over 65, all had no or mild symptoms who were not in hospitals or nursing homes. By comparison, about 8 percent of those who were not vaccinated developed serious symptoms, they added.

“In order to maintain a high level of protection and to defend against new mutant strains that are resistant to current vaccines, booster injections may be required in the future. We may need to maintain a comprehensive, multi-year vaccination program, ”the ministers said.

“Early evidence suggests that we can tame COVID-19 with a vaccination.”

READ: IN FOCUS: The rapid rise of the Delta variant and how it is shaping Singapore’s COVID-19 fight

In Israel, where 60 percent of the population is vaccinated, the hospitalization rate among the fully vaccinated is 0.3 per 100,000 people daily and the mortality rate is 0.1 per 100,000 people.

“Essentially with a high vaccination rate, Israel has approximated the clinical results of COVID-19 to those of seasonal influenza in the US. These are very promising results, ”said the ministers.

INSPECTION, TREATMENT, HYGIENE

The focus of COVID-19 testing and monitoring will shift, the co-chairs said.

Rather than being a tool to contain and quarantine infected people, it is used at borders to identify anyone who is carrying the virus, especially variants of concern.

The tests also ensure that events, social activities, and trips abroad can be conducted safely.

COVID-19 testing will be faster and easier instead of relying on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, the results of which can take up to 48 hours, as samples have to be sent to laboratories for testing.

Finally, the airport, seaport, office buildings, shopping malls, hospitals and educational institutions can use faster test kits and breathalyzers to screen staff and visitors, ministers said.

READ: FAQ: What You Need To Know About The New DIY COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Kits

Wastewater tests are used to find out whether there are hidden infections in dormitories, dormitories or housing estates.

Treatments for COVID-19 will also be more effective, and the Department of Health is closely monitoring therapeutic developments to ensure Singapore has adequate supplies of these drugs.

These are used to treat the seriously ill, speed recovery for those infected, and reduce the progression, severity, and mortality caused by the disease.

“Ultimately, whether we can live with COVID-19 also depends on the acceptance of the people of Singapore that COVID-19 will be endemic and on our collective behavior,” said the co-chairs.

Everyone should practice good personal hygiene, staying away from crowds and the workplace when we are uncomfortable so as to reduce transmission, they added.

ON THE WAY TO A NEW NORMAL

“In terms of vaccinations, testing, treatment and social responsibility, this can mean that in the near future, if someone catches COVID-19, our response may be very different from what we do now,” ministers said.

In the new normal, an infected person could recover at home because if vaccinated, symptoms will mostly be mild and if others around the infected person are also vaccinated, the risk of transmission will be low.

In such a situation there would be less concern about overloading the health system.

It may not require massive contact tracing and quarantine of people every time an infection is discovered, they said.

People can be tested regularly with quick and easy tests and, if the result is positive, confirmed with a PCR test and isolate themselves.

Instead of monitoring COVID-19 infection numbers on a daily basis, the focus will be on the results: how many become very sick, how many are in the intensive care unit and how many need to be intubated for oxygen.

This would be akin to monitoring the flu, ministers said.

READ: Will Taking Pain Relief Before Vaccination Help? Your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine answered

Singapore could gradually relax its rules for safe management and resume large gatherings and major events such as the National Day Parade or the New Years countdown. Companies have peace of mind that their operations will not be disrupted, they said.

Under the new normal, people could travel again, at least to countries that have also controlled the virus and made it an endemic norm.

These countries will recognize each other Vaccination certificates and travelers – especially those who have been vaccinated – can be tested before departure and released from quarantine on arrival with a negative test.

“We are working out a roadmap for the transition to this new normal, along with reaching our vaccination milestones, although we know that the fight against COVID-19 will continue to be fraught with uncertainty,” the ministers wrote in the op-ed.

“In the meantime, we still have to take the necessary precautions and protective measures to keep infections and hospital stays in check.”

They added that history has shown that any pandemic “will run its course”.

“We have to use all our energy, resources and creativity to get to the desired end state as quickly as possible.

“Science and human ingenuity will eventually prevail against COVID-19. Cohesion and social awareness will get us there faster. We all have to do our part. “

BOOKMARKS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR