Even as Singapore’s mask mandate in nearly all indoor spaces has been lifted, many in Singapore say that they intend to keep wearing masks in some indoor spaces, at least for now, a YouGov poll has shown.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the muti-ministry task force dealing with the pandemic, announced at a press conference on Aug 24 that from Aug 29 onward, indoor masking will only be required in healthcare settings and on public transport.

Data from YouGov RealTime Omnibus taken on Aug 24 to 25 shows that while Singaporean adults are now feeling more comfortable in the homes of family and friends to the point of going without masks, a significant number say that they will keep their masks on in airports and private transport vehicles.

The two locations the respondents to the YouGov poll said they would continue masking are private transport vehicles, such as private bus services and taxis (60 per cent), along with airports and train stations (58 per cent.)

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Almost half of the respondents (48 per cent) said they’ll always put a mask on while they’re at shopping centres. 

Meanwhile, 39 per cent said they’ll do the same in events or festivals held indoors, and almost as many (37 per cent) said they would do so in houses of worship. 

A slightly smaller number said they would keep masking in movie theatres (34 per cent) and indoor workplaces (33 per cent).

When asked to identify which indoor space they would not wear a mask at all, 34 per cent of respondents named the home of a friend or family member.

The YouGov poll also showed that Singaporeans choose to wear a mask in places where they feel the most uncomfortable or vulnerable.

Respondents were asked to rate their level of comfort in going to the same places and the top three spaces where they said they felt most uncomfortable are private transport (41 per cent), airports or train stations (40 per cent) and events or festivals held indoors (also 40 per cent).

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Thirty-five per cent of the respondents said they’d feel uncomfortable going to nightlife establishments, while nearly a third said the same of movie theatres (32 per cent).

As for shopping centres and houses of worship, 30 per cent of the respondents had the same response, and for indoor workplaces, 27 per cent said they’d feel uncomfortable.

Only slightly over a quarter of the respondents (26 per cent) said they’d feel uncomfortable visiting a restaurant or bar.

When it comes to demographic changes, respondents older than 55 were most likely to indicate discomfort with visiting any of the above locations, except the homes of their friends and family members. /TISG

COVID-19 Mask Mandates Lifted in Most Public Places of Singapore