Singapore's supply lines are intact and will continue to function smoothly, so there is no need to rush to the supermarkets, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing yesterday.
"We can continue to purchase our essentials and groceries as usual during this period," he said. "Supermarkets will continue to operate at their usual hours."
Yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in an address to the nation that all workplaces will close from next Tuesday until May 4 to prevent further spread of the coronavirus.
The only exceptions are for businesses that provide essential services or are considered to be in key economic sectors. These include food establishments, markets and supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, utilities, transport and key banking services.
But in the morning, before PM Lee delivered his address, long lines were seen at supermarkets across Singapore as people stocked up on items such as eggs, instant noodles and canned goods.
Speaking at a press conference following PM Lee's address, Mr Chan urged Singaporeans to purchase responsibly and consider those who are more vulnerable.
"There is no need to rush to the supermarkets to stock up, as this will only cause disruption to our logistics system," he said. "If we don't run on the supermarkets, we will be able to get all our supplies as per normal, and the stock and shelves will be progressively restocked as usual."
All food establishments, including hawker centres, foodcourts and restaurants, can remain open from Tuesday, but only for takeaways and delivery orders.
Customers will no longer be allowed to dine in.
With more expected to take away food, Mr Chan encouraged Singaporeans to bring their own containers to help food establishments conserve packaging material.
In a separate statement, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said people should keep a safe distance from others when visiting wet markets and hawker centres, and follow queue markings where possible.
It will be conducting a trial at Serangoon Garden Market today to see how crowds can be managed in such settings. During the trial, the market's entry and exit points will be controlled to prevent overcrowding.
"The NEA will evaluate the effectiveness of this trial and monitor feedback before deciding if this trial would be extended to other markets," it said.
At the press conference, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong acknowledged that the latest changes are "painful, difficult measures that will bring about inconvenience and disruption to people's lives and livelihoods".
"We hope Singaporeans will understand why these are necessary to protect ourselves, our family members and our fellow citizens," he said. "It is absolutely critical that we take the measures seriously."
Linette Lai
