SINGAPORE - The advice against mask-wearing in the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic was based on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations at the time, and was not due to worries over any mask shortage for healthcare workers.
Explaining this to Parliament on Tuesday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that at the time, there was no clear understanding of the coronavirus. Until mid-March 2020, WHO maintained there was “no evidence” that masks were useful in protecting those who were not sick.
“We reviewed and changed our masking policy in April 2020 once the evidence on how the virus spreads became clearer,” said Mr Ong during the parliamentary debate on the White Paper on Singapore’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The White Paper, released on March 8, reported that the Government’s decision to make mask-wearing mandatory in public for everyone, after having earlier advised against it for those who were well, was viewed as a policy U-turn. This “undoubtedly affected public trust and confidence in our handling of the crisis”.
The Government has been “totally forthright” on its reasons for not imposing mask requirements, said Mr Ong in response to Mr Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC), who on Monday suggested that the “real reason” those who were well were discouraged from wearing masks was due to an insufficient supply of surgical masks.
Mr Giam said that in February 2020, four doctors here issued a statement urging everyone to wear masks in public, even when well.
The Workers’ Party MP also asked why Singapore did not appear to have sufficient capacity to manufacture face masks domestically.
Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong replied that as masks were rarely worn outside clinical settings before the outbreak of Covid-19, the national stockpile was maintained at a level to meet the needs of the healthcare sector, with companies here making the items abroad as it was more cost-effective.
When masking in public was made mandatory, the Government worked with partners to source for masks globally, as well as set up production capabilities for surgical masks here, with the first batch ready in February 2020.
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Local firms also stepped forward to produce reusable masks, Mr Gan said.
They also helped to ensure the country had enough supplies of food and other essentials. The Government worked with shipping firms to deploy ships to bring food supplies here.
PSA International increased warehousing capacity to ensure there was space to house larger stockpiles of essential goods, while supermarket chains worked to keep their shelves stocked, he added.
Regular changes to safe management measures caused uncertainty and disruption to businesses, Mr Gan said. But many took the pandemic as an opportunity to accelerate their digitalisation efforts, the minister added, with about 93 per cent of heartland enterprises having adopted e-payment solutions – almost 40 per cent more than before the pandemic.
“Even though the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the Government will continue working with businesses on this journey of transformation,” he said.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
