Singapore Reconsiders Economic Reopening

A growing cluster of infections threatens to derail Singapore’s economic reopening, while expats in the country are growing restless from being cooped up on the island with no end in sight.

Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Task Force is closely monitoring the growing number of community cases, particularly the expanding cluster of cases that now number 56, which originated from a neighborhood market.

Day by day, we are seeing the number of unlinked cases – the cryptic cases in the community – is likely to be rising too. Given these developments, we are evaluating the timing and scope of the next stage of reopening, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said in a video recording posted on Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday.

The country is set for further relaxation of heightened alert restrictions from Monday, following a month of heightened Covid-19 related restrictions, during which community cases fell sharply, and a week-long first stage of reopening.

Singapore’s borders have been effectively shut for more than a year now, and many expats are getting restless, particularly as the U.S. and Europe return to normalcy.

According to a report on Thursday, many feel the country is too slow in reopening its borders and may depart in the next six months if vaccinations and travel re-opening do not go as planned. Currently, returning residents face three weeks of quarantine – if they are allowed back into the country.

Singapore said any ease in travel curbs will depend on the pace of vaccinations, which it has targeted for half of its population by the end of August and 75 percent by October. Currently, about 35 percent of the population is vaccinated, according to «Bloomberg» estimates.