SINGAPORE – While stricter measures to combat rising Covid-19 infections ahead of the Chinese New Year might be disappointing, Singapore must remain vigilant and be psychologically ready to celebrate the festive season differently, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (Jan 23).

Mr Lee highlighted in a Facebook post the tightened measures that have been put in place to keep everyone safe.

He acknowledged that the stricter measures would be disappointing for all of those looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year.

“But we must psychologically prepare ourselves to celebrate CNY differently this year,” Mr Lee wrote.

“Just look at the countries near and far experiencing repeated surges in cases, and you will see why we need to stay vigilant.”

On Friday, stepped up measures were announced to combat rising Covid-19 infections, including a limit of eight visitors per day to each household. Those visiting others are also encouraged to limit themselves to visiting two other households daily, and stick to visiting only family members during the festive period.

Mr Lee noted that the recent community cases are a reminder that the war against Covid-19 is far from over, and that it has been exactly a year since Singapore saw its first confirmed case.

“The year has gone by at breakneck pace, as we all struggled to cope with the unprecedented chaos and disruption to our lives.

“Through immense effort and sacrifice, we’ve got ourselves to a stable situation,” he said, noting that Singapore’s vaccination programme is underway, and seniors aged 70 and above will begin receiving their shots from Jan 27.

“Let us continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones by adhering to all the measures.”

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