PM Lee confident Singapore will weather COVID-19 'storm'

However, he said this time it may take longer.

Lee cited that just in the last quarter century, the country had seen the Asian Financial Crisis (1997-1998), the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks (2001), and the Global Financial Crisis (2007-2009).

"Each time, the outlook was ominous, and we feared the worst, but each time we worked hard to secure our position, gritted our teeth, and came through together," he said in his 2020 National Day Message today.

Singapore's 55th National Day is today but the main celebration, the parade at the Padang here, has been scaled down because of the pandemic.

Lee noted that it will most likely take a year or two before a vaccine is widely available, and the threat of the virus is blunted.

Thus, he stressed that resilience is needed in the face of the severe economic downturn.

The prime minister added that this year's Singapore National Day Parade (NDP) was also an opportunity for the country to salute those on the frontline fighting COVID-19 and hail the retired doctors and nurses who volunteered to come back, full-time national servicemen, public officers, the thousands of Singaporean volunteers trained for swab operations, as well as migrant workers.

Lee's National Day Message kick-started the NDP2020, followed by the parade at the Padang that was reviewed by Singapore President Halimah Yacob.

There were other symbolic events, with each signifying one aspect of the city-state's response to COVID-19.

Bernama was invited to be at one of the locations, National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), which carried a symbol of providing medical care for Singaporeans where the co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce on COVID-19 and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong led the Anthem moment and flag-raising ceremony at the centre.

Other highlights were the Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG fighter jets soaring around the island and on land, a mobile column of 66 assets from the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF), travelling across the island.

Red Lions (parachute) display jumpers made special appearances at selected heartland locations while 13 vessels from the Republic of Singapore Navy, Police Coast Guard, Singapore Civil Defence Force and Maritime and Port Authority came together in a maritime sailpast in the waters off Marina Bay.

As of yesterday, Singapore's COVID-19 tally was 54,929 cases with the number of recoveries at 48,312 (88.0%) and fatalities at 27 (0.05%).