In an interview with state media radio FM89.3, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said Singaporeans should not care if the government screwed up during the coronavirus outbreak in the country and they should focus on moving forward instead:
“The multi-ministry Covid-19 task force and Singaporeans must focus on the task at hand… Let’s focus on this task because the fight is not over. We should continue to rally together and work together to ensure that we can overcome the virus.”
Singapore currently have 35,836 confirmed cases, with 544 new cases reported yesterday – the highest in Asia.
Minister Lawrence Wong refused to acknowledge his government’s mistakes caused the severe infection rate today. The millionaire PAP minister pointed to at other countries saying they had their problems too:
“Like countries everywhere, Singapore has had its fair share of challenges in the four months since it started its fight against Covid-19. Through this journey, we will see all sorts of headlines and commentaries, some positive and others critical.”
Minister Lawrence Wong then brought up the examples of New York and London, saying his government has done a good job in comparison:
“As seen in some cities such as London and New York, the situation can get out of control very quickly, and this can be a devastating experience. When the spike in cases exceeds the capacity of the healthcare system and people do not get the care they need, the number of deaths rises sharply. New York, whose hospitals were overflowing with infected patients, remains the hardest-hit US state overall with nearly 30,000 deaths. The disease has officially claimed more than 39,000 lives in Britain. In Singapore, there have been 24 deaths from Covid-19. That we have been able to avoid this outcome.”