Circuit Breaker Day 6: Netizens approve stricter measures in MRT, masks now compulsory

Singapore – As the country eases into the circuit breaker period and heightened punishments are imposed on violators, photos and videos of a less crowded public transport, with commuters following safety measures are circulating on social media, receiving praise from the online community.

On Sunday (April 12), the sixth day since the circuit breaker period began, member of the public Zulfadli Nordin shared a post with the caption, “Train almost empty on a Sunday morning and everyone (is) seen wearing masks. Enforcement officers patrolling from one end to another end.”

The photos showed passengers heeding the warning stickers indicating where they could sit to ensure safe distancing. According to Mr Nordin, the officers on board caught someone not wearing a mask and apprehended the commuter.

In another post uploaded by Tik-Toker @thecrownedhead, a total of five masked uniformed officers were stationed in one MRT cabin, on the lookout for any action of non-compliance to the recently announced safety measures that all commuters are required to wear masks on public transport.

Here are some screenshots of the video:

The announcement was given by Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan on Facebook on Saturday (April 11). He noted that safe distancing is now possible in trains and buses as they are less crowded due to the circuit breaker measures in place. “But when crowds return, safe distancing rules will push waiting crowds onto the platforms and outside of stations, with long queues,” said Mr Khaw.

Hence, the “practical compromise” would be to make mask-wearing compulsory for commuters taking public transport. “This will minimise transmission during post-circuit breaker period when safe distancing is compromised,” Mr Khaw explained. He added that in preparation for the shift in protocol, “we will get commuters to wear masks, NOW.”

Netizens quickly shared their appreciation for the combined efforts of the Government and the officers in keeping everyone safe. Their presence is “a good indicator and deterrent to violators,” said Kok Weng Pang who also urged everyone to “stop complaining.”

“Finally, they are calling out to people to wear your masks,” commented Randy Chia.

Chi Sao provided a cheeky statement which could be used by the officers for violators.

Meanwhile, a couple of netizens noted that two of the officers in the TikTok video were standing too close and highlighted that they too should practice social distancing.

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