Netizens react to the lack of social distancing at Paya Lebar Square yesterday

SINGAPORE – A video was posted at around 1 p.m. yesterday (September 14) on the social media page of All Things Singapore on Facebook yesterday showing tons of people in Paya Lebar Square not practising social distancing.

The Facebook clip, which showed about 12 seconds of footage, scanned a very large crowd of people in the shopping square either walking about, waiting in line, using their mobile phones or possibly waiting for a table in a restaurant or for food.

The caption on the video read, “No social distancing at Paya Lebar Square,” adding “Crowd at Paya Lebar Square now. Social distancing? What social distancing?”

The post received 1.4k reactions and 572 comments in just one day, many of which had netizens upset over the public’s lack of discipline. One such Facebook user shared his thoughts, saying that this particular situation is “why Covid-19 will never end.”

Another social media user shared his own experience, explaining that he happened to be there not too long before and that it was “Really scary” because the social distancing ambassadors don’t have enough “power to control the crowds.”

A number of netizens were quick to blame overseas workers and domestic helpers, saying that they were the ones milling about with no regard for safety or social distancing rules.

Meanwhile, FB user Meili Lovely Chan shared that it had been raining all day, which is why the square was so full of people, saying that they had nowhere else to go.

Others, on the other hand, have shared that this isn’t the only public area experiencing issues like this. Andy Lau wrote, “Everywhere almost the same la. People don’t really care anymore.”

The post has only been online for a little over 24 hours, and yet the comments and reactions keep coming. While a number of netizens are upset over what they deem is a lack of discipline and social distancing implementation, it would seem that the rest of the social media world has become resigned to the fact that sadly, this is the everyday reality for many public areas, shopping centres and malls all around the island. / TISG