With cases in Singapore rising past the 1,000 mark recently, the possibility of getting COVID-19 locally has slowly been rising. With the increased risk, Netizens are getting angry…and angrier by the minute.
It’s easy to see why the people are riled up.
While sentiment has been mostly been positive for the government’s handling of the COVID-19 response in the past, there’s growing resentment and anger over the current spike.
In short, Netizens are like the Hulk right now; angry and want to smash.
Many view the latest government response to the newest increases in cases to be limp wristed, without the conviction and assuredness in the past.
Safety measures, like working from home, have been curtailed at a time with rising cases. Malls are still open, and with barely any social restrictions since Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) implemented. Schools are only being shuttered for a couple of days, when infection rates among children are steadily rising.
All these measures are the direct opposite of what’s been done in the past when cases flared up.
No wonder then that the public are getting frustrated. It seems like being angry is the only thing they can do.
One of their many concerns stems from the new directive for the lesser severe COVID-19 cases to stay home and isolate instead of going to the hospital or a community care facility.
Their argument is simple; how to isolate and quarantine at home when housing is shared with others? Or, worse yet, how to isolate when there’s no space?!
Many Singaporeans live in HDBs and while a lucky few may be able to self-quarantine at home due to there being free rooms, many families just don’t have the space. The lower income ones, particularly the ones with studio or two-room flats, are simply unable to do so.
The government mandating home quarantines are seen as not only ineffective, it’s needlessly putting the lives of the other inhabitants at risk of infection.
Then there is the festering anger that the task force in charge isn’t prepared at all for what’s coming, despite having months to prepare.
Good reasons to be angry, no?
From the lack of clear instructions, the availability (or rather unavailability) of ART kits, the surging prices of ART kits (both in stores and the secondary market) and the slow and inept response from the MOH help lines.
To the overwhelming majority of Netizens, everything just stinks of unpreparedness…right down to the MOH and CISCO response teams.
They point to a lack of solid, clear instructions on what to do if somebody is infected as the prime example of what’s wrong.
According to some Netizens, the CISCO personnel attending to the MOH helpline are themselves unsure of the standard operating procedure, often giving contradictory information.
It’s gotten so bad that even those with a positive PCR result are awaiting instructions and test packages from the authorities.
Despite all the positive spiel the government talking heads have been spewing over the last few months, reality it seems is much, much different. That’s one big reason why so much of the public is angry.
Netizens are acutely aware of that and want Ong Ye Kung, who is the country’s Minister of Health, sacked. The movement is slowly gaining ground, with a petition recently popping up, demanding he step down.
With 3693 signatories as of this post, the 2 week-old petition is getting more attention as the days go by. It’s a good barometer of the public’s anger at how the latest COVID-19 spike is being managed.
Confidence in the Minister and his ministry have gotten so bad that some Netizens (like Ivan Chai) have lost all hope in them and are urging other citizens to bunker down to survive and rely on each other (instead of the government).
While matters might not be as dire as what Ivan says (yet), it might not be a bad idea to try to minimize going out for any reason other than to buy food or other important reasons.
Just don’t clog up the A&E units at hospitals please…The hardworking doctors, nurses and other hospital staff don’t need you to add to the strain.
I’m not even going to dignify Jane’s comments with a response because their stupidity speak for themselves.
Just do the opposite of Jane says folks.