Don't let your fear of the coronavirus pull society apart, Singaporeans urged
Action to be taken against errant landlords after Lawrence Wong criticises them for evicting or turning away tenants from China over coronavirus concerns
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong has urged people to support each other instead of letting their fears of the coronavirus overwhelm them or cause them to overreact.
"In a situation like this, fear is sometimes as great a threat to us as the disease itself," Mr Wong said in Parliament yesterday.
"We must not allow such fear to paralyse our society. We must never allow our prejudices and our fears to pull apart our society or foster greater division or suspicions."
He said there was no need to fear having a government quarantine facility nearby or a person on quarantine in the same block.
Close contacts of people infected by the coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, are among those who have to be quarantined.
Mr Wong criticised "irresponsible" actions in the community, such as landlords stigmatising tenants based on their nationality, or evicting Chinese nationals who are taking their leave of absence (LOA).
Some residents had asked for a person under LOA or home quarantine in the same block to be moved, he added.
"I can appreciate that Singaporeans are very concerned about the well-being of themselves and their family members.
"But if landlords start turning tenants away, then our overall containment efforts will be much harder, and we end up endangering ourselves and others," he said.
RESTRICTIONS
The ministries of National Development, Manpower and Education said in a joint statement last night that landlords who irresponsibly evicted their tenants may face restrictions or be barred from renting out their flats to foreign work pass holders in future.
In his ministerial statement in Parliament, Mr Wong also lauded selfless acts by Singaporeans, such as students in the Nanyang Technological University and the National University in Singapore who deliver food three times a day to their friends on LOA.
Mr Wong said 524 people had been quarantined as of Sunday night, with 222 in government facilities and 302 at home.
"Persons under quarantine are required to stay in their designated location at all times during the quarantine period.
"They cannot physically interact with others living in the same premises," said Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry taskforce set up to tackle the coronavirus.
He said about 140 Singaporeans still remain in Wuhan. Most chose not to return because they have spouses there, but the Government and the Chinese authorities are in touch with them.
Last Thursday, 92 Singaporeans were flown back from Wuhan. Four others were unable to return because they had symptoms of the virus, with one of them being hospitalised.
Mr Wong said: "At this point, no one can tell for sure how the situation will develop or how long this will last.
"But I am confident that we will succeed in this fight if we stand united - as an effective government, a cohesive people, and a resolute nation."
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