RBAvenger
We headed off to Singapore on our regular visit for Chinese New Year in January. At the time we were aware of the situation that had developed in China.
My partner had been working in Singapore during the SARS outbreak, so was highly alert to how things could go pear-shaped very quickly, so we were already equipped with face masks and hand sanitiser.
We arrived in Singapore on the 21st of January and noticed that our gate at Changi Airport had a temperature monitoring device set up at it. By the 23rd of January, Singapore had its first confirmed COVID-19 case.
A few days later we headed off on a short 4-day cruise to KL, Penang and back to Singapore. While onboard we wore our face masks around the ship and maintained a strong hand washing/sanitising regime.
The ship had hand sanitiser stations at every lift lobby and every entrance to public parts of the ship, such as restaurants, shops, and the casino.
On our day trip to KL only Chinese nationals were put through a health check/temperature screening. In Penang, all passengers were put through a temperature screening.
When we returned to Singapore on the 28th of January all passengers were put through a temperature screening before heading through to customs.
We returned to New Zealand on the 1st of February. No temperature screening, no extra questions at the border.
By this time, Singapore had 18 cases of COVID-19. In response the Singapore government carried out the following;
- Advisory on COVID-19 issued to businesses,
- Advisory on COVID-19 issued for persons placed on leave of absence
- Collection of facemasks at fixed distribution points
- Disallowed new visitors with recent travel history to Mainland China, regardless of nationality, entry to or transit through Singapore.
- All Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from China required to serve mandatory 14-day leave of absence upon arriving in Singapore.
More details of the Singapore response to COVID-19 can be found here.
The New Zealand government’s response in comparison, has been woeful in my opinion.
The PM’s statement on 14 March that it was “time to go hard and go early” is an awful joke upon everyone in this country.
There has been too much reliance on everyone doing as they have been requested at the border if they have been questioned about their travel details at all.
Singapore in comparison, enforces it’s mandatory notices and people breaching them face consequences.
Only now, when it has dawned on our so-called government that they need to be doing more, has there been any significant action, which seems to be more of a panicked knee-jerk response.
Let me be clear that I am holding the politicians to account here. Medical staff are doing their best with the resources that are available.
Some are being proactive, by providing information directly to the public.
In addition to the slow response by the government, we have the announcement this week of a package of actions that are apparently supposed to support people in employment.
Included in this announcement is a permanent $25 p.w. increase in welfare benefits and confirmation that the 1st April minimum wage increase will go ahead.
I’m no small business owner/employer but fail to see how this allows them to have confidence that they have support to enable them to stay in business.
The UK government’s response seems a bit closer to supporting businesses and people in employment.
I’m usually a person with a positive, let’s look at solutions outlook to problematic situations. I can’t help feeling that yesterday’s request for New Zealanders travelling overseas to return home is the latest panicked response.
- What sort of questioning/screening will be carried out at the border?
- Will there be mandatory stay at home notices issued to those returning, that have teeth to enforce them?
If not, then I’m feeling that closing our borders to visitors will be the next step and it’ll all be too little, too late.
Pretty much standard procedure by the government which has failed to take this seriously.
This is what happens when your underlying philosophy is being a government of ‘compassion and kindness’.
Following the Singapore government’s strategy wouldn’t have been a bad thing. We will only find out in the next few months if that is true or not.
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