The following editorial piece was written by Ministers Gan Kim Yong, Lawrence Wong, and Ong Ye Kung, members of the Singaporean COVID task force. It was published by The Straits Times last June 24, 2021.

In this article, the ministers bared a four-step plan to exit from the “pandemic”, with vaccination at its center. The ministers also say that international travel to countries with controlled virus transmission and the use of vaccine passports will become a norm. Some of the most important highlights in the article include the following:

• COVID will never go away, but it is possible to live normally with it in our midst.
• Singapore has one of the lowest COVID mortalities in the world because it utilized a range of effective treatments.
• Singapore will move away from daily reporting of COVID cases to monitoring those who develop COVID complications.

Editor’s Note: What we appreciate from this article is that Singapore has a clear exit strategy from coronavirus restrictions. Vaccination is just a part of a much bigger strategy that acknowledges zero covid is impossible. Published at a time when Western countries are obsessing about variants, Singapore is saying that COVID is now on its way to endemicity. Now is the time to accept that we cannot fully eradicate the virus and that we must live with it in the same way we have learned to live with the flu.

Another important insight from this article is that Singapore has acknowledged that there is an effective treatment protocol for COVID [An earlier article published on this website has shown the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine, see Singapore study shows throat spray and hydroxychloroquine reduce risk of COVID-19]. This is contrary to the pronouncements of many countries which says that there is no effective treatment for the disease [we now know this is a lie as many experts have shown us that there are many repurposed drugs that can be used to treat COVID, see our section on Treatment for COVID-19 to learn more].

We must say, however, that there are so many things we can critique from this article. For one, there is no explanation for the high vaccination target (two-thirds or roughly 67% of the population). Singapore’s case fatality rate is at 0.057% (as of June 30, 2021, there are 36 deaths and 62,563 cases). This high vaccination threshold is totally unnecessary.

Furthermore, based on science, we now know that many people have also developed immunity through natural infection and cross-immunity. Was this factored in when they developed the vaccination target? [We also know that natural immunity is superior compared to vaccine immunity, see Natural immunity triggered by COVID infection superior to vaccine-induced immunity, New study from Cleveland Clinic shows vaccine provides no added benefit to those who already had COVID] Moreover, unlike vaccine-induced immunity which requires booster shots, natural immunity offers long-term protection against the variants minus all the side effects of a vaccine[New study: T-cells induced by COVID infection can respond to new SARS-CoV-2 variants, Our immune system evolves to fight coronavirus variants].

From what we know now, an exit plan for the Philippines consist of the following “ingredients”:

1. Establishing cases on the basis of symptoms and using RT-PCR tests with cycle thresholds not greater than 25, if warranted.¹See New study proves that RT-PCR positivity should not be used as a measure of infectiousness and Sweden: PCR cannot be used for diagnosis.
2. Focused protection on vulnerable sectors of society including the elderly and those suffering from comorbidities.²Read The Great Barrington Declaration: Life must return to normal for the healthy, the vulnerable must be protected and COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE
3. Timely use of early treatment protocols including Ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and other safe, effective, and cheap repurposed drugs.³Dr. Peter McCullough: Successful early treatment for COVID makes vaccines unnecessary
4. Nationwide information campaign on strengthening the immune system.⁴Metastudy shows little possibility for variants to escape human immune system, New study: T-cells induced by COVID infection can respond to new SARS-CoV-2 variants, Our immune system evolves to fight coronavirus variants
5. Non-use of vaccines which are now killing more people than COVID-19 itself.⁵COVID vaccines kill two people for every three lives it saves
6. Removal of immune-suppressing directives especially the constant use of face shields and face masks.⁶Sweden was right: No need for lockdowns, universal masking, Top UK scientists demand: End face masks and social distancing by June, Weimar Court: No more masks, tests, and distancing for students, No surge in Texas despite lifting of mask mandates
7. Reopening of schools as children and young people are the least affected by COVID-19. This will accelerate the achievement of natural population immunity of the Filipino people.⁷Scientific evidence shows schools can clearly be opened, CDC: Vaccinating teachers not a pre-requisite for safe school reopening, CDC: Risk of coronavirus in schools is small, WHO: Closure of schools should be considered only if there is no other alternative

Read Original Article

• 1
  See New study proves that RT-PCR positivity should not be used as a measure of infectiousness and Sweden: PCR cannot be used for diagnosis
• 2
  Read The Great Barrington Declaration: Life must return to normal for the healthy, the vulnerable must be protected and COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE
• 3
  Dr. Peter McCullough: Successful early treatment for COVID makes vaccines unnecessary
• 4
  Metastudy shows little possibility for variants to escape human immune system, New study: T-cells induced by COVID infection can respond to new SARS-CoV-2 variants, Our immune system evolves to fight coronavirus variants
• 5
  COVID vaccines kill two people for every three lives it saves
• 6
  Sweden was right: No need for lockdowns, universal masking, Top UK scientists demand: End face masks and social distancing by June, Weimar Court: No more masks, tests, and distancing for students, No surge in Texas despite lifting of mask mandates
• 7
  Scientific evidence shows schools can clearly be opened, CDC: Vaccinating teachers not a pre-requisite for safe school reopening, CDC: Risk of coronavirus in schools is small, WHO: Closure of schools should be considered only if there is no other alternative