Lawrence Wong on new restrictions: We do not expect numbers to come down at all

"We do not expect numbers to come down at all. In fact, they will continue to rise. But hopefully at a slower rate than before, so that we can ride through this wave without overwhelming our healthcare system."

Singapore — The Multi-ministry Task Force (MTF) assigned to tackle the pandemic held a press conference on Friday afternoon (Sept 24) to announce that restrictions will be imposed afresh amid the surge in new infections.

The uptick may be expected to last for a while, said Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

Singapore saw on Thursday the largest number of new cases to date, with 1,504 people testing positive for Covid. 

The Ministry of Health (MOH) warned that if the current trajectory of cases continues, a new daily count of 3,200 cases may be expected by next week.

“We do not expect numbers to come down at all. In fact, they will continue to rise. But hopefully at a slower rate than before, so that we can ride through this wave without overwhelming our healthcare system.”

Mr Wong also warned that Singapore will likely not be a return to low infection numbers.