Covid-19 has upended many things that we take for granted.

It has forced governments to implement measures to contain the spread of the virus and to better manage any outbreak in the future.

A lot of attention has been placed on the foreign worker dormitories, but let's not forget other areas that are potential hot spots, namely, hawker centres and markets.

These are major gathering areas for the citizenry where the potential for the virus to spread quickly is high.

The design of some of these places is decades old. It is common to see vendors displaying their wares outside their designated space and hawkers using dining tables to hold their goods.

To make matters worse, seats are cramped with little elbow room between diners.

The markets and hawker centres that I envision include the following features:

• Bigger stalls with better

ventilation for food sellers.

• More space for walkways.

• Well-spaced tables and seats.

• Better designed tray-return

counters with food waste

management in place.

The resulting effect is a hygienic and clean environment for all. The better working environment will also encourage the younger generation to take up these professions.

Going to the market and eating at hawker centres are part of our culture. It is time to look at these holistically for Singapore to be a clean and hygienic city.

Lim Kock Lian