Singapore feels like a coiled spring where growth is just waiting to be unleashed. Last-minute dinner reservations are once again almost impossible to secure and the countless malls that dot the map are hopping on weekends.
The Central Expressway, a core artery running north from downtown, is again prone to congestion. Children—mercifully—are in school.
The government projects gross domestic product (GDP) will increase between 4% and 6% this year, compared with a contraction of 5.8% in 2020, its worst.
This brighter outlook and cautious easing of restrictions reflects Singapore’s success at containing covid infections, and makes the place look great relative to the US and Europe.