Singapore eases Covid-19 restrictions from July 12
Singapore has announced updated Phase Three (Heightened Alert) measures by easing restrictions, following a stabilisation in the number of Covid-19 infections within the community.
Come July 12, people will be allowed to gather socially in groups of up to five persons, up from the current two-person cap.
There has also been a containment in the spread of the coronavirus in the local clusters, the Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce said on July 7.
With people being unmasked and in close proximity with one another, dining-in is still seen as a higher-risk activity. As such, recorded music and videos and TV screenings at F&B establishments will continue to be prohibited.
This is to “reduce the expulsion of droplets” from people talking louder over the entertainment, said the Health Ministry in a press release.
Working from home will remain as the default so as to reduce the overall interaction within workplaces and on public transport, the task force said.
However, social gatherings will be allowed at workplaces, with a cap of no more than five persons. Employers are also reminded to implement flexible working hours and to stagger the start times of employees required to go back to the office.
The republic may see a further easing of these restrictions once the vaccination coverage increases.
As of July 7, 5.9 million people in Singapore have been vaccinated, of which over 3.7 million have taken their first dose.
These individuals account for slightly more than 65% or close to two-thirds of Singapore’s population, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at a virtual press conference on July 7.
Some 2.1 million or 39% of the population have taken two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Around 76,000 vaccines are being administered on average each day.
With the nation’s daily vaccination capacity at 80,000, Ong encouraged more people “to come forward and get vaccinated”. — Amala Balakrishner