"SARS is a grave threat to Singapore," said the statement published by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), "It has taken a heavy toll on our public health, our economy and our society."

In order to "bring the SARS outbreak under control, restore confidence, boost morale and get the economy moving, we have to muster all our resolve and resources," said the statement.

"If we fail to do so, and allow the disease to overwhelm us, the consequences will be catastrophic," said Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lee Hsien Loong when delivering the statement at a parliament session Thursday afternoon.

He stressed that public health, the economy and the society are the three battlefronts to fight SARS and tackling the epidemic "calls for an effective and comprehensive plan, vigorously implemented, with the full support and cooperation of Singaporeans."

SARS will be a long term problem and every Singaporean must adopt "sensible precautions and socially responsible habits", while carrying on with their normal day-to day activities, Lee said.

"We have to learn as one society to cope with the virus," he added.

A Ministerial Committee, chaired by Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, was set up on April 4 to coordinate all Singaporean ministries and departments involved to fight SARS.

In view of the outbreak of the SARS epidemic, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has earlier downgraded its growth forecast of the city state in 2003 from 3-5percent to 0.5-2.5 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2003)