Singapore og hk; to steder som fikk tommel opp grunnet tidlige tiltak (storstilt testing - sporing- isolering) og få tilfeller. nå stiger antallet igjen, og de innfører nedstengning. det synes å avtegne seg en «ny» strategi; testing/steng ned/løft opp osv
‘Suppress and lift’: Hong Kong and Singapore say they have a coronavirus strategy that works
By Dennis NormileApr. 13, 2020 , 10:55 AM
Despite setbacks, Hong Kong’s and Singapore’s targeted strategies for fighting COVID-19 may yet succeed—and provide a model for other countries emerging from their first wave of cases. Until recently, the two cities had managed to keep their case numbers remarkably low while avoiding the extreme lockdowns implemented in China and many other countries. Both fought outbreaks through aggressive testing, isolating infected people, and tracing and quarantining their contacts. For everyone else, it was almost business as usual, with a bit of social distancing.
But case numbers spiked in the second half of March, and some observers feared the strategy had failed. Hong Kong had just 149 confirmed cases on 15 March; the tally reached 1005 yesterday. Singapore’s number grew from 226 on 15 March to 2532 yesterday. Neither city is seeing the explosive growth Italy, Spain, and many areas of the United States have witnessed. Their health care systems have not been overwhelmed. But both ramped up their responses. Hong Kong recently imposed restrictions on restaurants and closed bars entirely. Singapore has closed schools and nonessential businesses and instructed residents to stay home—a dramatic escalation.
In Hong Kong, the rate of new cases has already slowed. University of Hong Kong public health specialist Gabriel Leung, who advises the city’s government, says if the trend continues, “we might be able to breathe a little bit easier” and relax the new regulations. He thinks what Hong Kong and Singapore are practicing may become the new normal in many countries: a “suppression and lift” strategy in which governments aim to alternately drive down new infections to a low level, then loosen the reins while watching for any resurgence.
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Both cities hospitalize those who test positive, regardless of whether they have symptoms, to prevent them from infecting others. Close contacts of cases and all recent returnees must self-quarantine at home for 2 weeks. (Both cities have banned almost all noncitizens from entering.)
In Hong Kong, quarantined people are fitted with electronic wristbands that work with smartphones to track their whereabouts. In Singapore, they must respond to mobile phone text messages that reveal their location several times a day. Violators face fines and jail terms. (min uth.)
Those very tight controls allowed both cities to impose relatively minor restrictions on the uninfected. Singapore defied conventional wisdom by keeping schools open; movie theaters and bars could stay open if they kept patrons separated by 1 meter. In Hong Kong, bars and restaurants remained open. (The city did close its schools, however, and civil servants were ordered to work from home, a move followed by many businesses.)
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The city’s restrictions now resemble those adopted by New York and the United Kingdom. (min uth.)
