Table 2 Hierarchal Thematic Scheme of Public Responses to COVID-19 Policy Announcement
Themes | Sub-themes |
|---|---|
Civic Participation | Community participation was framed as a form of digital civic participation: • Overwhelming support • Increased community distrust • Pivot to everyday concerns • Caution vs progress |
Risk Communication | Inconsistency in disseminated health information caused debates in comments: • Confusion over public health instruction • Consensus on necessity of the circuit breaker • Proportionality of public health decisions • Scepticism over policy frames and decisions |
Economic Precarity | As the lockdown necessitated a pause on economic activity, comments progressively addressed: • Economic vs public health precedence • Salient economic consequences • Peaking economic anxieties • Return to normalcy |
Social Vulnerability | As the lockdown progressed, comments progressively addressed societal weaknesses: • #SGUnited (grassroots movement to help vulnerable populations) • Anxiety about low-income livelihoods, mental health, and older adults • Non-inclusive protection of migrant workers |