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Since the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe this year, cities from Asia to the United States and Europe have become stuck in a cycle.
Cases rise, so they lock down. Cases fall, so they ease the measures. Then cases rise again and they lock down once more. Whenever a country thinks it has Covid-19 beat, it seems, it needs to think again.
While Germany, France and England are among countries to have imposed second lockdowns, Hong Kong has shut its schools and work places for a third time this year as the city enters its fourth wave. Even in China, where the virus has been largely contained, there have been flare-ups – such as an outbreak among airport cargo handlers in Shanghai in November.
But there is one major city that appears to have successfully got the virus under control with just one lockdown: the island nation of Singapore.
In the city state of 5.7 million, life has resumed a “new normal”, in the parlance of politicians. Restaurants and malls are packed once again, happy hours at bars in the central business district do a brisk business and gym bunnies are back pumping iron and hitting the spin studios.
Indeed, the only differences to the pre-Covid era are that people now are wearing masks, there is no alcohol after 10.30pm, nightclubs and karaoke bars remain closed, and social groups are restricted to five people who must keep a metre’s distance. Soon the differences will be even less noticeable; Singapore will further relax its restrictions on December 28, when groups of up to eight will be allowed.
Such happy scenes are a stark contrast to the months of April and May when Singapore went through a strict partial lockdown it called a “circuit breaker”, when schools and workplaces closed, restaurants were allowed only to serve take aways and it was illegal to visit the homes of friends and families.
More at https://tinyurI.com/y2phe3j8
Cases rise, so they lock down. Cases fall, so they ease the measures. Then cases rise again and they lock down once more. Whenever a country thinks it has Covid-19 beat, it seems, it needs to think again.
While Germany, France and England are among countries to have imposed second lockdowns, Hong Kong has shut its schools and work places for a third time this year as the city enters its fourth wave. Even in China, where the virus has been largely contained, there have been flare-ups – such as an outbreak among airport cargo handlers in Shanghai in November.
But there is one major city that appears to have successfully got the virus under control with just one lockdown: the island nation of Singapore.
In the city state of 5.7 million, life has resumed a “new normal”, in the parlance of politicians. Restaurants and malls are packed once again, happy hours at bars in the central business district do a brisk business and gym bunnies are back pumping iron and hitting the spin studios.
Indeed, the only differences to the pre-Covid era are that people now are wearing masks, there is no alcohol after 10.30pm, nightclubs and karaoke bars remain closed, and social groups are restricted to five people who must keep a metre’s distance. Soon the differences will be even less noticeable; Singapore will further relax its restrictions on December 28, when groups of up to eight will be allowed.
Such happy scenes are a stark contrast to the months of April and May when Singapore went through a strict partial lockdown it called a “circuit breaker”, when schools and workplaces closed, restaurants were allowed only to serve take aways and it was illegal to visit the homes of friends and families.
More at https://tinyurI.com/y2phe3j8
