Singapore has declared its intent to begin putting the pandemic behind it and rebrand as what the health minister calls a "COVID-resilient nation.”
Dismounting from the carousel of closures and reopenings is going to be tough — the city state has had a few false dawns. Even harder will be papering over the social and economic divisions that have deepened because of the disease.
Lockdown-like restrictions began easing recently, with dine-in allowed for groups of up to five, provided they are vaccinated. Work-from-home rules will be relaxed next. Travel, vital to the republic’s standing as a hub, could become less gnarled by bureaucracy.