Singapore's War On Covid The Straits Times

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Synopsis: A brand new feature is within The Straits Times app, which you can download from the Apple app store or the Google Play store. For those of you who already have it, the latest version update now has a dedicated Podcast Section, where you can listen to our latest incoming show episodes and check out back episodes too.

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If you have a smart home speaker like the Google Home or Nest device, or your Android phone, just say: “Hey Google, play me (name of any of the shows below) or The Straits Times Podcasts.”

Get The Straits Times app from

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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

Produced & edited by: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) & Teo Tong Kai

Follow ST Podcasts:

Channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukK

Spotify: https://str.sg/wukH

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#stpodcasttr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/

In this sixth and final instalment, ST's executive editor Sumiko Tan looks at how thousands of Singaporeans celebrated the country’s 57th birthday on Aug 9, 2022 at the Marina Bay floating platform. The day before, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had said in his National Day message that Singapore was in a much better place in its fight against the coronavirus.

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

1:43 Spectators at the parade say life has returned to normal, as they relish being among more than 25,000 attendees

2:45 PM Lee on why Singapore is in a "much better position". This follows a key turning point on April 26, 2022

5:15 Permanent secretary Pang Kin Keong, who heads the Homefront Crisis Executive Group, on how it had been more than two long years of high alert for public servants

6:46 Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on why Singapore will not declare a "Freedom Day" from Covid yet; Omicron subvariants fail to shake confidence

11:00 When will Covid-19 end? Mr Ong on booster shots becoming part of regular life and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on "feeling the stones" as Singapore "crosses the river"

13:32 PM Lee on why unity as a nation is crucial to move beyond this "test of a generation"

Produced by: Sumiko Tan (sumiko@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Audio snippets: Courtesy of MCI SINGAPORE, PSD Singapore & GOVSG YouTube

Closing music courtesy of NDPeeps' Spotify - Lo-fi cover of Home: https://str.sg/wRhu

Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

Read Sumiko Tan's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhe 

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

#stcovidbook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/

In this fifth of six instalments, ST's executive editor Sumiko Tan looks back at how the government communicated its Covid 19 strategy in the first two years of the pandemic. This included bringing back the 1990s sitcom character Phua Chu Kang to persuade people to get vaccinated, and setting up a hotline call centre during the hurried switch to home recovery in late 2021 when the Delta variant raged. 

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

01:13 Snippet from viral music video featuring actor Gurmit Singh playing Phua Chu Kang; Mr Daniel Lee, an officer from the Ministry of Communications and Information, explains how the video was meant to target those in their 40s and 50s

02:50 Mr Janadas Devan, Chief of Government Communications, on the importance of maintaining public trust

06:54 Learning and adapting: The biggest comms mistake? 

08:21 In 2021, the challenge was to get the elderly vaccinated; more music video campaigns rolled out in Chinese dialects, Malay and Tamil

11:25 Ms Lam Wy-Ning, deputy director of the Case Management Contact Centre, on setting up and manning the Covid-19 hotline during the difficult Delta variant period; dealing with widespread fear, anxiety, confusion

14:25 Minister for Communications and Information Mrs Josephine Teo in Parliament in March 2022

Produced by: Sumiko Tan (sumiko@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Audio snippets: Courtesy of MCI SINGAPORE, GOVSG YOUTUBE

Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

Read Sumiko Tan's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhe 

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

#stcovidbook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/

In this fourth of six instalments, ST's executive editor Sumiko Tan looks back at the lessons Singapore learnt from fighting the pandemic. Two, in particular, stood out: The need to quickly adapt its policies as more was known about the coronavirus in the first half of 2020, and how being prepared helped its fight.

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

02:18 Two biggest lessons that Singapore's government learnt from the pandemic

04:25 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reflects on the U-turn on wearing masks

05:03 Then-Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on the importance of changing national direction when assumptions are no longer valid

06:20 Minister Lawrence Wong says the multi-ministry task force was guided by science but had to be flexible

09:00 The big bet on buying vaccines early during the coronavirus outbreak

14:53 Lessons on how to tweak future lockdowns

15:25 Using Covid-19 as a rehearsal for the Big One that is yet to come, the dreaded Disease X

Produced by: Sumiko Tan (sumiko@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

Read Sumiko Tan's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhe 

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

#stcovidbook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/

In this third episode of six instalments, ST's executive editor Sumiko Tan tells the exclusive story of how the decision-makers in Singapore's Covid-19 "war room" managed the pandemic and why it decided to be as transparent as they could with the public.

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

01:25 Singapore's then-Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on how he realised back in January 2020, that the new coronavirus outbreak was beyond the efforts of one ministry

03:53 How a high-powered group of civil servants led by permanent secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry - Mr Pang Kin Keong - worked to support the ministers

05:06 Mr Gan on why the multi-ministry task force (MTF) decided to be as transparent as possible about how it dealt with Covid-19

06:44 Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on his role in creating a structure in how the crisis was managed

08:22 PM Lee Hsien Loong on the aim to be transparent, a chain of command, making decisions guided by data, and differing views in Cabinet

14:37 PM Lee reflects on painful national decisions, such as the closure of Changi Airport and Singapore's "circuit-breaker" lockdown in April 2020

19:50 PM Lee addresses a weary nation to explain the decision to move from a strategy of zero-Covid to living with Covid 

Produced by: Sumiko Tan (sumiko@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

Read Sumiko Tan's stories: https://str.sg/Jbhe 

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

#stcovidbook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/

In this second episode of six instalments, ST's health correspondent Timothy Goh tells the story of how Singapore secretly and quickly despatched individuals and teams overseas from late January 2020, to procure masks and other essential items in the early days of the pandemic.

He reveals how Singapore managed to bring home full-scaled mask-production capabilities on the quiet.

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

01:25 Mr Jayakumar Manickam: Managing logistics for ST Logistics in Singapore one day, flying to India secretly the next day to secure a large shipment of masks in India for the Singapore Government

06:20 Mr Chan Chun Sing, who was Minister for Trade and Industry till May 2021, on the calculations for managing Singapore's existing stockpile of masks

07:15 Panic-buying; modern-day mask piracy even on the tarmac in various countries

08:25 Mr Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, on the "Wild Wild West-styled" global mask-buying frenzy

08:55 How Singapore quietly made plans to manufacture its own surgical masks with ST Engineering bringing back its machines, stuck in Taiwan, after an export ban on masks there

10:00 ST Engineering’s Gareth Tang on overseeing the operation

15:15 Catching up with ST Logistics’ Lian Yong De in 2022, on the made-in-Singapore mask industry, and Mr Gabriel Lim, on Singapore's capabilities in the face of the possible next big virus variant

In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story retails for $28 (with GST) at major bookstores. It is also available on the Straits Times Press website: https://www.stbooks.sg/

Episode 3 will be out next on April 18, and you can find out the inner workings of Singapore’s Covid-19 War Room.

Listen to Ep 1 on how 24 people saved one life: https://str.sg/wuJa

Produced by: Timothy Goh (timgoh@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

Read Timothy Goh's stories: https://str.sg/wnaH

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u 

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt 

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE 

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN 

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf 

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m 

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE 

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad 

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX 

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts 

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa 

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn 

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB 

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa 

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB 

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX 

#stcovidbook
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.