COVID-19 was a pandemic on a scale like no other, spreading across the globe in a few brief months. While COVID-19 caught many countries by surprise, the next disease outbreak, or Disease X, should see greater preparedness and resilience on our part.
At the the inaugural Temasek Shophouse Conversation organised by Temasek Foundation, discussions among the many expert panellists centred on the COVID-19 response and corresponding recovery efforts.
“COVID-19 has shown us that global cooperation involving multiple stakeholders at significant scale and complexity is possible, if we have a common cause. The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of collaboration at home, so that we can face crises with unity and solidarity,” affirmed keynote speaker Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
Building up community trust - such as among neighbours and with migrant workers - is crucial in a crisis like Covid-19, said panellists during a virtual forum yesterday.
Reflecting on his experience, executive director of the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) Bernard Menon said trust and unity, as well as faith in Singapore s public institutions, underpinned the community response to help migrant workers in lockdown last year. The fact that our NGOs and people had this amazing ability to overlook where we disagree and stand together - I think that struck me through the whole experience as the, if I may use a bit of a cliche, secret weapon that we had, he said.