When Singapore introduced its circuit breaker in April to combat the spread of Covid-19, there was no lack of pessimism on social media that the country could take more than a year to move into the third and final phase of reopening its economy.

Remarkably, Singapore achieved that in less than a year. Phase Three starts on Dec 28.

Indeed, this would have been impossible without the leadership of our Cabinet ministers who have been decisive in their response to the pandemic, particularly in fast-tracking the passage of laws that restricted the movement of people and conduct of business during the circuit breaker.

I also applaud law-abiding Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans who made Phase Three possible.

But let us not forget the unsung heroes and heroines who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

As a tribute, I suggest that we recognise them through a special category of National Day awards next year.

In 2003, to recognise those who contributed to the fight against the severe acute respiratory syndrome, that year's National Day awards were expanded to include a category for individuals and organisations that played key roles in helping Singapore overcome the infectious disease.

A National Day award is well-deserved because the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is a marathon and is very much a work in progress.

As long as we maintain our quarantine strategy and keep a watchful eye on travellers and Singaporeans returning from other countries, a severe outbreak here is unlikely.

Singapore’s viral containment efforts have been successful because of the relentless work in ringfencing Covid-19 cases and effective contact-tracing.

Our efforts, which included subsidised treatment, clear communication, early action and the effective plugging of loopholes along the way, have won plaudits from other countries.

Singapore has done well in defending its people against a global pandemic. Much of the credit should go to our front-line workers.

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