The Government has formed a multi-agency taskforce to galvanise a whole-of-nation effort to raise the standards of cleanliness and public hygiene in Singapore, announced Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on 6 March 2020.
The SG Clean Taskforce will drive and spur collective action to ensure cleanliness of public spaces, encourage good personal hygiene and adjust social norms to reduce the spread of diseases.
Mr Gan stated that this comes in view of the increasing numbers of Covid-19 infections globally.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said that it is a common and shared responsibility to ensure the cleanliness of public spaces.
“Although Singapore is generally considered a clean and green city, we want to further step up cleanliness and hygiene standards in all facets of our lives, and make these our new norms, beyond the immediate Covid-19 situation,” he said.
The New Norm
As part of the SG Clean initiative, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources said that it will make amendments to the Environmental Public Health Act later this year to ensure shared accountability and high standards of cleanliness in Singapore.
The changes will include setting a common standard on frequency of premises cleaning, pest management and waste management.
The National Environment Agency will work with industry sectors to implement the new requirements from 2021, and will start with places with high human traffic, such as preschools, eldercare facilities and hawker centres.
Expect Numbers of Infections to Rise
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong stated that in view of the increasing numbers of infections taking place worldwide, we must expect numbers to go up.
He added that with Singapore’s strategic position of a global hub, border controls are going to become less effective as we will not be able to isolate ourselves globally.
“As border control becomes less effective, we have to redouble our efforts within Singapore … Increasingly, individual and social responsibility becomes a more important part of defense,” said Mr Wong.
Medical Services Director Kenneth Mak reinforced that if an individual is sick, to stay at home and avoid going to out or to work. He further reiterated that being socially responsible now is vital to fight this epidemic.
