Forum: Daily Covid-19 updates in the media still needed
I do not agree with the Ministry of Health's move to stop issuing daily Covid-19 updates to the media.
Though Singapore is transitioning to treating Covid-19 as endemic, we are still a long way from going back to our normal life or routine.
There are elderly Singaporeans who are still not vaccinated. We need to drum home the message on the importance of vaccination to this group of people, who rely mainly on newspapers for their daily news updates.
Without the figures in the media showing the information on daily infections and death rates, this group of Singaporeans may tend to deem the pandemic as over.
Not being reminded daily of the situation, people might tend to switch off and become lax in the fight against the virus.
The pandemic is not - and should not be treated as - any other health condition.
The rate of transmission and the economic damage are unparalleled compared with any other health situation we have witnessed.
With the mutations the virus can go through, the vaccines may prove less effective and booster shots are required.
Due to the relaxation of social restrictions and vaccine fatigue, the take-up rate of booster shots might not be as high as it should be.
This makes media reports on the Covid-19 figures even more crucial to highlight the ever-present coronavirus.
Till the day comes when we are able to open up the economy fully and allow unrestricted social interaction, daily Covid-19 updates should be issued to the media and published.
Foo Sing Kheng
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