The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic: examining the crisis leadership of the Singapore government

Abstract

Crisis leadership refers to how a government reacts to a threat that disrupts normalcy in the nation. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health crisis faced by leaders worldwide. With reference to Boin’s Five Critical Tasks of Crisis Leadership, this study examined the effectiveness of the Singapore government’s crisis leadership in the local COVID-19 outbreak. This study found that the Singapore government was pre-emptive and accurate in its sense-making having experienced a public health crisis in 2003. It laid the foundation for reactive and decisive decision-making, which was successful in both the short and long-term. Its outbreak response measures were complemented by timely and transparent outbreak communication, signalling effective meaning-making. The government then terminated the crisis gradually and provided closure on the crisis. This study of Singapore’s success story provides useful insights for governments worldwide in future public health crises. This is critical given the frequency of public health crises, exacerbated by globalisation in the 21st century.