Vital for citizens to get timely, accurate info in Covid-19 fight: Iswaran

Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran (left) with library senior manager Lim Lee Ping (centre) and National Library Board chief executive Ng Cher Pong at Jurong Regional Library yesterday. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran (left) with library senior manager Lim Lee Ping (centre) and National Library Board chief executive Ng Cher Pong at Jurong Regional Library yesterday. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

It is important for citizens to receive timely and accurate information from reliable sources, which engenders greater trust and cooperation in the national fight against Covid-19, said Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran yesterday.

Speaking during the reopening of Jurong Regional Library, which like all libraries had been closed since the circuit breaker began on April 7, Mr Iswaran cited a recent poll which showed eight in 10 Singapore citizens and permanent residents felt the Government had provided sufficient information relating to the Covid-19 situation.

Mr Iswaran said the Government has tried many ways to provide information to people, including via the Gov.sg WhatsApp service. "Because people need to know what is happening, what they need to do, and why they need to do it," he said.

"If we can achieve that, then I think we can engender far greater trust and cooperation in this very important effort (to fight against Covid-19)."

The poll was carried out online from June 16 to 21 and involved 1,017 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 15 and above. The aim was to understand their sentiments on the Covid-19 outbreak.

All 25 public libraries and the National Library Building reopened yesterday. The opening hours are from 11am to 7pm daily, instead of the usual 10am to 9pm, until further notice.

Restrictions have been put in place. For instance, there is a limit of 50 people on each floor. Visits are kept to 30 minutes and users are encouraged to make an online booking for their visit.

Seating and study areas, including newspaper and multimedia stations, remain closed. All programmes, guided tours and events on site are suspended.

Mr Iswaran noted that borrowing of e-books went up by 150 per cent during the circuit breaker compared with the same period last year, and there were 1.4 million views of the National Library Board's digital offerings, from e-newspapers to digital storytelling.

There has also been a 70 per cent increase in e-book borrowers this year compared with last year.

Asked how library users' experience will be affected with the restrictions in place, Mr Iswaran acknowledged that the library is not just a place for borrowing books or making a specific transaction.

"There is something to be said about the experience of physically visiting a library as opposed to digitally borrowing a book. It is qualitatively different; both are valuable in their own right," he said.

He said safety remained the top consideration and having a Covid-19 incident or cluster at libraries would mean taking a big step backwards.

"I think if we can work collaboratively with the cooperation of patrons… we would be able to do more and do much more quickly as well."

Hua Yi Secondary School student Trina Lim, 15, who was one of the visitors at the Jurong library yesterday, said she used to frequent the library a few times a week before it was shut. "During the period of closure, I just read the books I had on hand. I prefer physical books over e-books, as they don't strain the eyes as much," she added.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 02, 2020, with the headline Vital for citizens to get timely, accurate info in Covid-19 fight: Iswaran. Subscribe