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SAFTI Military Institute

Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic

When COVID-19 reached Singapore in January 2020, the SAF faced a new kind of threat - one that would test its ability to defend the nation in ways never seen before.

Last updated 7 July 2025
Healthcare worker in protective gear administering a COVID-19 test to a man seated.

Chapter 1: The virus hits

Discover how Singapore's first COVID-19 cases in January 2020 set the SAF in motion, preparing for an unprecedented battle against an invisible enemy while maintaining national defence.

Personnel in army uniforms and civilians at laptops in a busy operations centre.

Chapter 2: All hands on deck

From operating call centers to scaling up contact tracing operations, discover how the SAF's Health Surveillance Task Force rapidly adapted to support Singapore's COVID-19 response in early 2020.

Person scanning a QR code on an ID card with a smartphone in a health check process.

Chapter 3: The power of tech

From developing mobile swab stations to creating digital solutions for supply chain management, discover how the SAF leveraged technology to overcome critical COVID-19 challenges in Singapore.

Flowchart showing phases of activity review: before, during, and after an exercise

Chapter 4: Adapting on the go

Learn how SAF task forces applied military planning processes and systems thinking to manage the COVID-19 crisis in migrant worker dormitories, housing over 300,000 residents while containing the outbreak.

Illustrated COVID-19 patient flowchart showing quarantine, testing, and hospital pathways.

Chapter 5: Staying ahead

Discover how the SAF's Medical Operations Task Force used data analytics and technology to coordinate COVID-19 patient care across facilities, track 180,000 migrant workers, and predict healthcare demands during the pandemic.

Soldier in mask smiling at the camera. I can see a smile even though he is wearing a mask. No cap.

Chapter 6: Home care bound

Learn how the SAF's Home Recovery Task Group helped scale up Singapore's home recovery system for COVID-19 patients.