🏆 Coronavirus in Singapore: 50 Photos of Social Distancing and Solitude

Extract from Author

In the days before COVID-19 circuit breaker measures kicked in, Kurt Ganapathy travelled across Singapore to capture an unprecedented moment in the country’s history.

If anything has defined the coronavirus crisis, it’s that the situation can change in an instant. For the first two months of Singapore’s fight against the virus, though, developments were gradual.

Judges’ Comments

Kurt Ganapathy’s photographs record a season when Singapore came to terms with the pandemic descending over the city, altering lives. It was a time when not everyone wore masks yet, while some already needed to get away from it all.

Photographed by
Kurt Ganapathy

Curated by
Arman Shah

Sunday,
1 March 2020

Visual of the Month

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Kurt’s Reflection

What is your personal takeaway from your SOAP story?
As it became clear that we were living through an unprecedented moment in history, we realised that it was important to contribute to the visual record of what everyday life in Singapore was like at this time. It was heartening to see the resilience and resourcefulness of people around the country, and their willingness to play their part in the battle against the coronavirus.

Now that your story has been published for some time, do you have any reflections to share post-publishing?
Our coverage of the pandemic in Singapore is currently made up of three photo essays, and at the time our second story was published (the one which won the award), we were facing the harsh realities of the circuit breaker. Nearly five months on from the story, and after more than two months in Phase 2 of Singapore's reopening, we're seeing the positive impact of everyone's efforts with a steady decline in new cases. It's great to see the country settling into this "new normal",  though the war is not yet won.

What did you hope to convey to readers through this story?
The aim of our first story on Covid-19 was to show how it was almost "business as usual" in Singapore in February, recognising the country's resolve and the efforts of frontliners and contact tracers in keeping the virus under control. The second story captured the uncertainty of the days before the circuit breaker, as the situation worsened, but we also hoped to show what people could look forward to once the country reopened. The third story was, in a way, a celebration of a small victory - to show how everyone's efforts paid off with the freedom to return to many aspects of normal life as Phase 2 kicked off.

How do you feel for being recognised for your work?
We certainly didn't think about awards and accolades when we set out to cover the pandemic, but it is a huge honour to have been recognised with a SOAP Award. It affirms that our work matters, and that we were able to contribute to this fight in our own small way. Thank you!

Arman’s Reflection

What is your personal takeaway from your SOAP story?
As isolated as we feel, we're all in this together.

Now that your story has been published for some time, do you have any reflections to share post-publishing?
I realised the importance of documenting this important moment in our local history for future generations to refer to and learn from.

What did you hope to convey to readers through this story?
I wanted them to see that we as a people might not like the social distancing rules implemented but we're willing to see the bigger picture and do our part. FOR THE MOST PART, that is. Understand that not everyone complies lol.

How do you feel for being recognised for your work?
It felt lovely to be recognised. Kurt and I didn't nominate our work so we'd like to thank the individual who did. For the past 4 years we didn't publish work to be recognised but getting this award was such a morale boost.