SINGAPORE – With Phase 2 of the circuit breaker exit looming, citizens are wondering what’s to be expected as it eases into this new phase.
During a Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) press conference on June 15 (Mon), the National Development Minister Lawrence Wong explained what the new rules of Phase 2 of the circuit breaker exit will be.
With the relatively low infection rate that has managed to remain stable in Phase 1, despite some employees heading back to work, the country is now ready to enter into the next phase. Of course, citizens are still warned to reinforce physical and social distancing, while employers are told to allow work from home options to their employees, when possible.
So what exactly will be allowed in Phase 2? Here’s a breakdown:
Social gatherings are now allowed, but can only have a maximum of five people, and the same goes for households. They are only allowed to receive up to five visitors at once.
Restaurants are allowed to accept dine-in customers, but drinking and selling of alcohol is strictly prohibited past 10:30 p.m. Live music, video screens and televisions will still not be allowed in any of these F&B outlets in the meantime.
Retail stores and malls can be open, but depending on the location’s capacity, the number of people will have limits. All store and mall operators need to put in the proper regulations in order to prevent any crowding as customers wait to either enter the malls or retail stores.
Sports facilities, gyms, parks and other such recreational and public facilities will also be allowed to resume business for as long as distancing rules are applied. These include fitness studios, swimming complexes, playgrounds, beaches, and the like. The same goes for privately run areas that can be found in clubs and condominiums.
Healthcare and other home-based services can also resume for as long as they follow the general 1-meter distancing rules. Tuition and other private enrichment classes may begin again except for voice or singing lessons.
Senior home facilities will allow face-to-face visits, again with appropriate physical distancing rules in place. These include nursing homes, shelter homes, adult disability homes and welfare homes.
Schools at all levels will resume and classes are allowed on a daily basis starting June 29. The public is advised to watch out for more rules and regulations from the Ministry of Education sometime in the coming week.
Another activity that will now be allowed are wedding solemnisations done either at home or at the Registry of Marriages or Registry of Muslim Marriages with up to a maximum of 10 people, excluding the solemniser. If it is done at other venues, then it will be based on the venue’s capacity, with up to a maximum of 20 people.
Meanwhile, for wakes and funerals, a maximum of 20 people can be in attendance at one time.
Again, with these openings, there are still a number of organisations and businesses that will still be closed due to being at a higher risk for Covid-19 contamination because of large gatherings or crowds. These include religious services and congregations, concerts, trade fairs, conferences or other such gatherings that are usually attended by a lot of people. Bars, cinemas, karaoke outlets and other types of entertainment venues are also prohibited at this time.
See complete list for Phase Two here.
Co-chair of the MTF, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, also explained that with the opening up of more businesses and public recreational areas, the country might see a slight surge in Covid-19 community cases. But hopefully, with the continuous testing, he also said, “To keep the number of new cases under control and prevent large clusters, it is critical that we continue to remain vigilant so as to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”
“This way, our efforts over the last two months will not be wasted and we can safely move towards Phase Three,” he added.
In the meantime, the taskforce will continue to monitor the current goings-on of the country under Phase 2 before it can even consider heading into Phase 3. / TISG