Acts of generosity lift spirits in Singapore

Siddharth Wazirchand, managing director at Bacardi-Martini Singapore, said, "The current situation has had a significant impact on our long-time partners－from business owners to bartenders－and we are committed to doing what we can to see our industry through this crisis."
Help has also come from unexpected quarters.

Last month, the creative agency Tribal Worldwide Singapore launched the website I Am A CCB(community circuit breaker) in just two days, as a one-stop platform for locals to turn to. "Circuit breaker" is the term used by the government in Singapore to describe the lockdown in the country.

The site includes more than 220 listings, such as where to buy groceries, deals from retailers－some of which are exclusive to the site－and ideas for family activities at home.

A spokesman for the agency said, "We feel that the site has resonated strongly because of local humor and the use of 'Singlish' (Singaporean English). Amid the seriousness of the situation, we just wanted to bring people some laughs."

The site has produced results, with some charity groups reporting a rise in donations after it highlighted their cause.

"For example, we posted about the YWCA's Meals on Wheels program, and they wrote to us saying they had received S$15,000 in just two days from people who saw the post," the spokesman said.

The end of the long road in the battle against COVID-19 in Singapore is not yet in sight and a lot of work remains to be done by all sectors of society.

However, Kwee, from the NVPC, is positive about the outlook. "We can weather (the outbreak) and actively work toward rebuilding a more resilient post-COVID-19 Singapore, where we come together to give our best to ensure no one is left behind," she said.

In recent weeks, infections among migrant workers living in dormitories form the bulk of new cases in Singapore, comprising 98 percent of the total. About 323,000 such workers live in dormitories throughout the island.

Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said, "Case numbers in Singapore are rising, largely because of the urgent and intense effort to deal with the challenge of testing and treating cases in dormitories, where so many migrant workers are housed."

Piotr Chlebicki, a senior consultant at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Singapore General Hospital, responded to criticism that migrant workers have been overlooked.

"There were people (nonprofits who support migrant workers) who were thinking about them, but I am not sure what you could do with 300,000 people living in these kinds of cramped conditions. There was no way, in the short term, to improve the situation," he said.

The Inter-Agency Taskforce, which is managing the outbreak in Singapore, has since adopted strict measures.