Venues stay cautious as they adjust to streamlined Covid-19 rules

Safe distancing is no longer mandatory in places such as supermarkets and malls, where patrons and workers continue to wear masks, from yesterday.

But shoppers at supermarket chain FairPrice will find that the familiar floor markings to space out the checkout lines remain. It is sticking to the safe distancing measures, although it is not required to do so.

"FairPrice is maintaining existing safe management measures to encourage safe social practices on our premises," said a spokesman.

Under streamlined measures which kicked in yesterday, safe distancing is encouraged but not compulsory for mask-on activities such as grocery shopping, attending worship sessions and visiting Singapore's parks.

Social distancing markers at common spaces in parks, like those in shelters at East Coast Park, have been removed.

Camping sites and barbecue pits managed by the National Parks Board (NParks) will also be reopened from Friday, subject to bookings, said Mr Chia Seng Jiang, group director for parks at NParks.

Meanwhile, booking is no longer required to enter Tanjong, Pala-wan and Siloso beaches on Sentosa, or to use the beach courts there on weekends and public holidays. However, safety rings will remain at the beaches, indicating spots where groups of up to five may gather, said a Sentosa Development Corporation spokesman.

"While it is not mandatory for our guests to use the safety rings, they serve as a visual marker to encourage safe distancing."

Meanwhile, safe distancing measures will no longer be in place in mosques from tomorrow, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore said on Facebook on Monday.

However, it added: "We will still continue with the booking of Friday prayer slots, bringing our own personal prayer items and wearing of masks."

Like FairPrice, others are also taking a cautious approach.

Social distancing markings could still be seen at common spaces in malls in Bishan and Katong visited by The Straits Times yesterday.

The floor of the atrium at Junction 8 in Bishan was still marked with tape. Benches at Parkway Parade in Marine Parade also had seats crossed out with tape.

ST understands that the markers will also not be removed in wet markets to encourage social distancing, even though it is not required as a mask-on setting. The markers can still be found in hawker centres, where patrons dine without masks.

The Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Bright Hill Road remains cautious as the peak Qing Ming season begins tomorrow.

A spokesman said: "While the monastery is able to accommodate a higher number of visitors with the new guidelines announced, for the upcoming Qing Ming, the monastery will continue to take a stringent approach... with crowd control measures."

These measures include having time slots with a maximum of 900 devotees per hour.

Engineer Samuel Lim, 65, said he was not concerned about the lack of social distancing between individuals wearing masks.

Mr Lim, who was at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, said: "If you ask me, two or five eating (together) at a table is about the same thing."

Ms Han Wen, 33, who works as a barista at Parkway Parade, said she would still not invite friends over, even though five people can now visit her home at any one time, rather than five a day. "So, I think, on a personal level, the impact isn't very big, but the impact will be on society's Covid-19 cases."

In a Facebook post yesterday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung described how the streamlining would establish normalcy again.

He said the ministry held its weekly staff meeting yesterday morning without social distancing.

"Our masks need to be on, but we could hear each other clearly, look at one another's expression (through the eyes)."

Other things previously prohibited, including selfies, sitting next to friends and team sports can now resume as well, he said.

He added that the key measures that help manage the pandemic - masking, group size control, vaccinations - remain firmly in place.

"Nevertheless, today marks an important psychological shift in this long fight against Covid-19. "

 • Additional reporting by Lok Bing Hong and Nicole Cheah