Analysis

‘It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid’: Singapore’s reopening surprises

With 82 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, the government did not expect new cases to jump by so much and so quickly.

Emma ConnorsSenior editor and writer

Sep 24, 2021 – 11.20am

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It’s strangely quiet in Singapore’s restaurants. The diners are back – at least those who are fully vaccinated – and the fancier joints are booked out for weeks.

The volume though is still turned down. There hasn’t been any recorded music in dining establishments or bars all year. And it’s still last drinks at 10.30pm. Party time is a way away. About 82 per cent of the population is double-jabbed and that is not enough to keep the number of people seriously ill with COVID-19 from rising. This is the painful phase of reopening.

Emma Connors was South-east Asia correspondent from October 2019 until mid-2023, based in Jakarta and Singapore. She has previously edited Perspective and Opinion and has written extensively across the AFR and related titles.