SINGAPORE — The next couple of weeks will be crucial in ascertaining if measures to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in Asian countries have borne fruit, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.
“We will also have to watch what happens in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, including within Singapore. If the cases remain confined to clusters, like what we have now, and you don't see further evidence of widespread community transmission, that will be positive. While there have been concerns that some countries may be under-reporting confirmed COVID-19 infection cases, Dr Balakrishnan believes that such concerns are unfounded, even as there are sizeable differences in the “sophistication and ability” of healthcare systems among the countries.
“I'm confident actually of our response in Singapore. But we should also remember that it is also in our own long-term interest to help our neighbours – to be constructive, to help them level up their standards, and to work together. That's protecting Singaporeans, too.” Such support is important to maintain relations between Singapore and other Asian countries, given that some of the world’s busiest land and air links are in Singapore and around the Asia region, said Dr Balakrishnan. This will translate to “profound knock-on effects” in tourism, ports, airports, global supply chains and commodity prices.
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