Singapore plans to stop tracking Covid cases, with a new strategy that could serve as a blueprint for other nations.

As countries across the Asia-Pacific region reinstate restrictions to curb potential outbreaks of the Delta variant, Singapore has proposed a new vision for returning to normalcy.

The proposed plan, introduced by three members of Singapore’s Covid-19 task force, would eliminate lockdowns and large-scale contact tracing, paving the way for quarantine-free travel and the revival of mass gatherings. It also suggests ceasing daily Covid case counts.

This proposal marks a stark contrast to the 'zero transmission' strategy followed by several nations and regions, including Hong Kong, which has effectively prevented major outbreaks.

However, the task force argues that maintaining the 'zero transmission' model, with its harsh quarantine rules, is increasingly unfeasible as new variants emerge, and ultimately, it is not a sustainable long-term solution. They advocate for learning to live with Covid instead.

Singapore's Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung wrote in an op-ed for the Straits Times last week, "The unfortunate reality is that Covid-19 may never disappear. The silver lining, however, is that we can still live our lives normally with it around."

"We can transform the pandemic into a far less dangerous threat, much like influenza, hand, foot, and mouth disease, or chickenpox, and move forward with our daily lives."

This ambitious strategy could serve as a model for other nations eager to return to normalcy, revive travel and tourism, and provide a sense of hope for residents who have been under pandemic restrictions for the past 18 months.

How they plan to achieve this

The key to a more manageable approach to the pandemic? High vaccination rates.

By early July, Singapore is on track for two-thirds of its population to have received their first dose of the vaccine, with the goal of fully vaccinating that same proportion by August 9.

"Vaccines are highly effective at reducing both the risk of infection and transmission. Even if you do contract the virus, the vaccines will help prevent severe Covid-19 symptoms," the ministers stated.

As vaccination rates rise, Singapore's approach to monitoring daily Covid-19 infections will shift. Similar to its tracking of influenza, the focus will be on serious cases and ICU admissions. People who test positive will be allowed to recover at home.

"We will be less concerned about overwhelming the healthcare system," they added.

With new, potentially more contagious variants emerging globally, the ministers indicated that booster shots may become necessary and proposed the creation of a "multi-year vaccination program."

While testing and surveillance will still be necessary, the ministers propose targeting tests for specific situations, such as before large social gatherings or when returning from travel, rather than conducting widespread testing and quarantining close contacts.

To facilitate this, the ministers plan to introduce faster and more accessible testing methods, as current PCR tests take too long. New alternatives in development include breathalyzers that provide results in just one to two minutes.

Over time, more treatments for Covid-19 will become available. The ministers highlight existing therapeutics that are already effective in treating severe cases, speeding up recovery, and reducing the severity of illness and fatalities.

Citizens will also be encouraged to adopt "social responsibility" practices, such as maintaining good hygiene and avoiding crowds when feeling unwell, to help reduce the spread of the virus.

"With vaccination, testing, treatment, and social responsibility, we may soon find that our response to Covid-19 will look very different from what it is today," the ministers concluded.

Other nations are proceeding with caution.

Singapore has been praised as a success story in managing the virus, thanks to its strict border controls, quarantine measures, contact tracing, and rules on social gatherings and mask-wearing.

The country successfully contained earlier outbreaks, including a peak in April of the previous year. In May, a small cluster linked to Changi Airport workers led to tighter restrictions.

With a population of 5.7 million, Singapore has averaged about 18 Covid cases per day in the past month, and has recorded just 36 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Singapore's new approach contrasts with other regions that have effectively controlled the pandemic, but have lower vaccination rates and have recently reintroduced stricter measures.

Several Australian states placed their capital cities, home to about 10.2 million people, into lockdown on Monday due to concerns that the Delta variant could lead to major outbreaks.

Australia was praised for its early response to Covid-19, but its vaccination rates remain low. Only about 5% of its population is fully vaccinated, compared to over 46% in the United States and 48% in the UK, according to Our World in Data.

New Zealand is considering making masks mandatory at high alert levels and has suspended its quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia following an outbreak of the Delta variant.

Hong Kong, which has high vaccine hesitancy and only 21% of its population fully vaccinated, announced it will suspend flights from the UK starting July 1 due to rising Delta variant cases there.

Although China has administered more than 1 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses, it is considering keeping its borders closed for another year. In Guangzhou, a major international travel hub, plans are underway to build a massive quarantine center with 5,000 rooms for travelers and Covid-19 contacts, amid fears of Delta variant transmission, according to Global Times.