From buying cakes to getting a haircut - everything you can or cannot do following the easing of some COVID-19 restrictions
03 May, 2020
After fourteen days of tighter COVID-19 "circuit breaker" measures, Singapore will progressively ease some restrictions from May 5.
More shops and services will be permitted to resume procedures - with safe distancing measures set up - after a drop in the number of coronavirus cases in the neighborhood community.
But this will not mean you can let your guard down. Many restrictions are still in place until the circuit breaker period ends on Jun 1.
Here's a synopsis of what's allowed - or not - from May 5.
ACUPUNCTURE
Among the first services to be allowed to resume is traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)needle acupuncture - but for pain management only.
TCM halls with registered practitioners may also be allowed to sell retail products.
However, services such as for example cupping, moxibustion, guasha and tuina therapies will still not be allowed.
EXERCISING IN CONDO COMPOUND
From May 5, residents residing in strata-titled residential buildings such as private condominiums can exercise within the common regions of these developments. But they must continue steadily to practise safe distancing.
All sports and recreational facilities within these private residential developments, such as playgrounds, pools, gyms, barbecue pits and clubhouses will stay closed.
MAY I GET MY BUBBLE TEA FIX?
Standalone food and beverage outlets that sell mainly drinks like bubble tea, fruit juice, alcoholic drinks, coffee and tea must still remain closed.
But if you are craving other sweet treats, shops selling cakes, donuts, ice cream, chocolate and packaged snacks may open from May 12 - for takeaway and delivery only.
Manufacturing and onsite preparation of most food, including cakes and confectionery, may also resume.
Dining-in continues to be banned.
Home-based food businesses may also resume operations from May 12, nonetheless they must keep to strict guidelines such as for example ensuring contactless delivery and assortment of orders.
Assortment of food orders should be by appointment only, payment should be created by cashless methods, and only members of the same household could work in the home-based food businesses.
CAN I GET YOURSELF A HAIRCUT?
Good news for all those in need of a haircut - basic haircut services at hairdressers and barbers can resume from May 12, but this must be done in a hour.
Salons need to conduct temperature screening, and all workers and customers will need to have their masks on at all times.
Make sure to bring your identification card, as these establishments are required to use the SafeEntry system to collect visitor information to facilitate contact tracing.
Retail laundry services may also resume operations, much like shops selling pet food and supplies.
For many who need optometry services, walk-in customers remain not allowed, meaning you must make a scheduled appointment first before picking right up your contacts or prescription glasses.
HAIRCUT SORTED. BUT MAY I NOW EXERCISE IN GROUPS?
No, you can't. Do remember that many circuit breaker measures remain in place until Jun 1.
If you want to head out to exercise, or even to buy groceries and other essentials, do it alone.
And if you don't are doing strenuous exercises, remember to wear a mask constantly. Those people who are caught not wearing masks face a S$300 fine for the first offence. Those who flout the rule a second time will be fined S$1,000.
VISITING ELDERLY PARENTS
The Government's stance on interactions between households has not changed.
People are advised to stay home and prevent interactions with anyone other than immediate family members moving into the same household.
If you want to visit elderly parents who live alone to greatly help them with their daily needs, you it's still allowed to do so. However, you should reduce the interaction times as far as possible, and observe strict personal hygiene.
"While the number of community cases has drop, we are not out of your woods yet. New clusters may form if we let our guards down," said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at a press conference on Saturday.
"We should press on with this efforts, in order that we continue to keep the numbers low," he added.
"All of those other circuit breaker measures continue being crucial in keeping transmissions low in the community, and will remain in force until Jun 1."
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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