The prisoner's dilemma is a situation in game theory whereby two criminals who have committed a robbery together are put in individual rooms for interrogation.

The police have no witnesses, so the only way to find the criminals guilty is to have one testify against the other. The possible scenarios are:

Option 1: Criminal A testifies against Criminal B, Criminal B remains silent. Therefore Criminal A gets no jail and Criminal B gets eight years' jail, or vice versa.

Option 2: Both criminals testify against each other, and in the end each one gets five years' jail.

Option 3: Both criminals remain silent and therefore they are charged with a lesser crime and each ends up with one year's jail.

The best outcome for the criminals is option 3 as that is the least jail time in total - two years.

But each individual has his own vested interest to stay out of prison. With this mindset, both will pick option 2 - which carries the most jail time in total of 10 years - ending up worse off than if they had both remained silent.

The prisoner's dilemma can be seen in all walks of life, in business and social situations. We live through them without realising it.

But never before has it been so clear and the outcome so important as we try to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.

How the theory plays out will be different in each country as cultural differences will play a major factor.

Singapore's prisoner's dilemma started when the Government announced a shutdown of all non-essential services from April 7.

We as a society had a choice to make. Most people have adhered to the circuit breaker measures, but many have flouted them, not practising safe distancing and instead continuing with life as normal.

The result is that the virus continues to spread, the shutdown may be extended and we as a society suffer longer. If no one obeys the Government, then eventually we will all be infected with the virus.

The best choice is for each and every resident in Singapore to listen to the Government - stay at home, wear a mask, wash your hands, practise safe distancing and follow all the measures put in place.

Yes, the restrictions are a nuisance for some and painful for many, but the virus will not be overcome unless we work together.

Derek Yan