S1E3: Inside Singapore's Covid-19 War Room

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 ([email protected]), 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: [email protected]  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  #stcovidbookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.