• Wear a mask correctly by ensuring that it is not loose and that your nose is not exposed

• Wash your hands with soap as frequently as possible.

Dr John Cheng, head of primary care at Healthway Medical, said it is good practice for shoppers to wash their hands as soon as they return home from their grocery runs.

• Shoppers should bring their own bottle of hand sanitiser

• Refrain from touching your face

Infectious diseases expert Leong Hoe Nam suggests that people who cannot kick the habit should wear a face shield.

• Avoid peak hours when it is more crowded and try to limit grocery runs to once a week if possible.

• Shoppers are advised not to wear gloves.

Professor Paul Tambyah of the department of medicine at the National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine said studies show that gloves can carry germs longer than our hands do.

This is because our hands have natural antibacterial oils which allow us to remove germs more easily after repeated sanitising. Gloves do not have these natural defences and so could allow biofilm-forming microbes such as bacteria and viruses to stick to them.

So, when an individual uses the same pair of gloves to touch various items one after another, he risks contaminating them.

And people with gloved hands who still continue to touch their mouth and eyes may risk contaminating themselves.

So, shoppers should instead make it a practice to clean their hands as frequently as possible and remember to keep their hands off their faces.

Cheryl Tan