Three ways Asia can beat the coronavirus: take early action, be nimble, learn from others

To many of the Chinese diaspora living in Singapore, the decision on April 3 to impose stricter measures to contain Covid-19 in the city state was long-awaited and a huge relief.

Having been made acutely aware of the devastating effects of the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China in the past couple of months, they found it beyond belief and appalling that schools remained open in Singapore, and most people on the streets opted not to wear masks.

The measures came as the number of confirmed cases in Singapore rose sharply in recent weeks, along with a more worrying trend of infections through community transmission. On Tuesday, all schools shifted to full home-based learning for four weeks, and except for those providing essential services, shops and businesses were closed.

Noticeably, the government has also changed its stance on face masks, no longer discouraging people from wearing them and distributing reusable masks to all residents. Other states in East Asia may soon follow suit by stepping up their containment measures as there has been an acceleration in confirmed cases recently.

This turn of events is in stark contrast to the global acclaim pouring to East Asia for its success in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, Singapore’s case-tracking methods were in February held up by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the “gold standard” in the Covid-19 fight. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha was invited to share her country’s experience in fighting the coronavirus at a World Economic Forum meeting. Japan and Taiwan have also won applause across the world for their efforts in curtailing the outbreak.