Sleep has been less peaceful, but he now gets to spend more time with his wife, said multi-ministry task force co-chairman Lawrence Wong in an exclusive interview with The Straits Times yesterday.
Mr Wong spoke about the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on him and how his life has changed.
There has been more stress and certainly more work, he said, especially since he continues to helm the National Development Ministry portfolio.
"As the situation escalates, it weighs on my mind a lot more, I don't have such a peaceful sleep at night. But those are the things we have to handle," Mr Wong said yesterday.
But it was thinking about the sacrifices and hard work of others in the past few weeks, such as healthcare workers, teachers, immigration, airlines and airport staff, and even taxi drivers, that moved Mr Wong to tears while he was speaking in Parliament on March 25.
"Just as I was going through that part of the speech, the thought and the images of all of these people came to my mind... it took me by surprise too, that the emotions just came, and it overwhelmed me."
As more stringent safe distancing measures kick in, Mr Wong has also been walking the talk - by practising telecommuting, following safe distancing guidelines and staying at home.
More than 90 per cent of his ministry have been working from home.
"I tell all my staff, non-essential meetings, we don't have to gather together, we can do teleconference and phone calls... So we still work through e-mails, through teleconferences," he said.
"I'm staying at home more often, but I do go out to da bao (take away) food. I walk out from my home and I'll go to the foodcourt nearby, I'll go to a hawker centre and I'll buy food back."
Due to the many cancelled activities and events, Mr Wong now spends more time at home.
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COVID-19 TASK FORCE CO-CHAIRMAN LAWRENCE WONG ON...
Concerns over growing number of local, unlinked cases and no short-term fix
"If the cases still rise, unlinked cases still rise, and the situation warrants it, then we will have to apply more pressure on the brakes and go for even more measures to help slow down the virus spread.
"That's where we will be for months and we have to be mentally prepared and psychologically prepared for this."
The possible easing of measures
"If the situation is managed well by then (end-April), we could lift our foot off the pedal slightly but not completely."
The best way to thank workers on the front line
"I think it's very heartwarming to see Singaporeans stepping forward and showing their appreciation... But I would say the best way that we can really pay tribute to them and show appreciation to them is for each one of us to uphold individual and social responsibility in abiding by the advisories, the guidelines that we have put out."
The need to stay at home
"Stay at home as much as you can, avoid contact with others, avoid unnecessary activities, and minimise contact with people outside of your immediate family members."
"I have, interestingly, more time at home. I spend a lot more time at home now. I see my wife a lot more than before," he said.
"But the flip side of it is that all of this free time is now spent thinking through, working through all the things that we have to do as part of the task force."
However, with the virus here to stay for the long term, Singaporeans, including himself, will need to be prepared. "We have to be mentally prepared and psychologically prepared for this.
"It is not just us in Singapore, it is literally the whole world in such a posture until we see better medical treatments, perhaps antiviral drugs that are now on clinical trials, or until vaccines are ready, which will only be by next year, not this year," he said.
