Crowds gathering at Sengkang kopitiam as if the pandemic doesn’t exist

Singapore – Footage of crowds gathered at a newly-opened kopitiam in Sengkang got the public noting that many have thrown in the towel on safety precautions when it comes to the pandemic.

On Tuesday (August 18), Facebook page All Singapore Stuff uploaded a video contributed by a reader of a gathering spotted at a coffee shop in Sengkang. “Open new kopitiam at Sengkang, but dun (sic) need to open new Covid cluster also right?” read the caption. The video showed customers mingling in the premises, almost all without facemasks properly placed despite being engaged in conversation with others and not eating.

Many from the online community noted this had been the trend of late as if people didn’t care anymore that there is a pandemic or had no other alternative to better safe distancing measures. “There was a bigger crowd during the National Day Parade, even a bigger crowd every day on public transport during peak hour,” said Facebook Mag Kan. Another individual added to the list and included hawker centres, void decks and the premises of betting outlets as other hotspots for crowds. Facebook user Simeon Jevean Thomas mentioned that “people are fed up already” and that this was the situation in many parts of Singapore, including the ongoing Covid-19 confirmed cases in foreign worker dormitories.

Meanwhile, a discussion began regarding the location of the kopitiam, which was confirmed by a certain Chee Leong Tan to be situated at the corner of Jalan Kayu and Sengkang West Avenue. The caption could have misled others to throw shade to the Workers’ Party management approach because the WP recently won the newly-formed Sengkang GRC during the 2020 General Elections. However, the establishment is located in Fernvale Estate which is in Sengkang West Avenue under the Ang Mo Kio GRC, whose MP is Gan Thiam Poh from the People’s Action Party. Mr Gan has not commented on the incident as of writing.

Facebook user Francis Lai wondered if the coffee shop would be asked to close for 10 days and fined for breaching safe management measures where restaurants are tasked to limit tables to groups of five customers.

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