Building community resilience beyond COVID-19: The Singapore way
Wanfen Yip, Lixia Ge, Andy Hau Yan Ho, Bee Hoon Heng, Woan Shin Tan
Abstract
This experience provided important reminders and lessons for Singapore for managing the effects of future infectious disease outbreaks that might be applied to other countries. First, the outbreaks that occurred within the dormitories were an important caution, in particular to resource limited, low- or middle-income countries with a larger congregation of people living in informal housing [[89]Staff G-i-A. COVID-19: lesson learned? What comes next. 2020 [cited 2020; Available from: https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/gia/article/covid-19-lessons-learned-what-comes-next)Google Scholar]. Second, continuous investment in the public health surveillance and health systems, will ensure that the systems are prepared for any future outbreaks. Close collaborative efforts between private and public healthcare institutions during this pandemic demonstrated the importance of enhancing cohesiveness within the local healthcare system. This strong partnership added much-needed bed space and manpower [[90]Vasoo LYSaS. Lessons from a pandemic: How Covid-19 is managed and prevented in Singapore. 2020 [cited 2020; Available from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/lessons-from-a-pandemicGoogle Scholar]. This has been key in keeping COVID-19 death rate low while effectively managing the rate of infection in the community. Third, clear and up-to-date accessible communication between government agencies and the public, had been key in reducing anxiety and confusion about safety measures introduced in the community. Fourth, cultivating a culture of strong community cohesiveness has led to the majority of the public adhering to safe distancing measures and to act in a more sustainable manner, especially during this pandemic [[91]Khalik S. Lessons from one million Covid-19 deaths. 2020 [cited 2020; Available from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/lessons-from-one-millionGoogle Scholar].