A letter from Singapore

We moved to Singapore in September for the adventure of it all. Four months later, with the mysterious and infectious coronavirus spreading through Asia, the phrase “be careful what you wish for” dances mockingly through my mind. We have found ourselves in an adventure, all right, but not the kind we expected.

Known for its clean streets, award-winning food, and extremely low crime rate, Singapore is a city of planners. Pretty much since their traumatic experience with SARS in 2003, Singapore has been preparing for a similar type of outbreak.

Once the first case of the virus was diagnosed in Singapore on January 23, there was a press conference with several government ministers to explain what happens next.

If this were a Hollywood movie, this would be the scene when a soaring orchestral suite with glorious trumpets played as the panel members slow-mo walked, a steely glint in their eye. There was no music, no drama to the panel, but I swear the steely glint in their eye was there, seeming to say “I was born for this.”

The panel explained the following: the country has a warehouse stockpiled with a 6-month supply of masks and disinfectant. Don’t worry about running out.

Going about my day, using public transportation, shopping in the wet market, in the stores, there is a feeling of calm focus. It’s not exactly the same relaxed mood as before, and there are a few people wearing masks, but there’s this feeling of trust. Yes, there’s potential for danger. But we trust the government. We’re in good hands.

This morning, the superintendent of my children’s school sent a message to all families. As had seemed inevitable all along, there was now a direct connection between an employee at the school and the virus. However, the email explained who the staff member interacted with, what days he was at school, when his parents who were visiting from China arrived and when they fell ill. Because of the protocols set forth by the government this employee had not been at school for over a week, long before his parents began showing symptoms. Therefore, it is unlikely they were infectious while the employee was at school. In an abundance of caution, the school would deep clean and disinfect all of the employee’s touchpoints at the school.

As a parent, I was grateful to know what was going on and relieved that the risk of infection for the kids at school was miniscule. As a writer, I appreciated the calm and clear tone of the email. There was no panic, only commonsense measures and explanations.

I don’t know what will happen next with the coronavirus. No one knows how bad it might get. But I do know this. Smart policy decisions have already made a huge difference here in Singapore. Having plans set in place made it easy to think clearly during a stressful time. This isn’t the adventure we signed up for, but seeing Singapore rise to the challenge has truly been inspiring.

Stay safe, wash your hands, and keep in touch.

Much love to you all,

Tammar

Gardens by the Bay, at night. They’re not worried about the Coronavirus.

Just a pregnant monitor lizard crossing the path. Nothing to worry about.

Art made from plastic found in the ocean. Beautiful. But I am worried this problem will outlast the coronavirus.