When the city-bound train pulled into Raffles Place station, there were plenty of empty seats and no mad dashes.
Surreal it may have been, but this will become the new normal now that Singapore has entered "circuit breaker" mode.
With most workplaces shut from yesterday, traffic was light once parents dropped their children off at school on the last day before full home-based learning kicks in.
In the heartland, wet markets, hawker centres and other eateries remained open as Singaporeans popped out of their homes - some still in pyjamas - to stock up.
The shutdown of non-essential services and ban on dining in for a month are aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 amid a recent spike in locally transmitted cases.
A bank employee who works in Raffles Place and gave his name as Kevin K. said that, while the usual peak-hour crowd had begun to thin weeks ago, yesterday's was the smallest he had ever seen on a work day.
"You can close your eyes and walk around, and it would probably take quite a while before you hit anyone," said Kevin, 41.
Hawker centres and wet markets remained open, though stalls serving cooked food replaced their bowls and utensils with takeaway containers.
While not as packed as it was over the weekend, Ghim Moh Market was crowded yesterday morning with shoppers.
Mr Billy Yeo, who helps to run a meat stall at the market, said that business was slightly brisker than usual for a Tuesday.
"They're also buying more because there are more mouths to feed now that everyone is at home," said Mr Yeo, 28.
But finding a place to eat has been a challenge for those who work at the market and adjacent food centre, he said.
Most people seen at Ghim Moh Food Centre were observing safe distancing rules as they queued for takeaways. While some stalls had long lines, others have been hit hard by the drop in office crowds.
A fish soup stall had no customers all morning, said its owner, who gave his name only as Mr Gao. "Everyone is cooking at home now. If it continues like this for one month, we're done for," he said in Mandarin.
Most stalls at People's Park Food Centre, a favourite haunt for workers and Chinatown residents, were open at noon, but hawkers and assistants outnumbered customers.
Yong tau foo stall owner Heng Mui Hiang, 60, said she had sold only two or three bowls by 11.30am, less than half of her usual sales.
Some customers had asked if they could dine in but she had to say "no".
"Some of the old folks here said the food is not nice if they 'tapao' (take away), so they just don't buy it instead," said Madam Heng.
Those who were out to buy food or groceries said leaving the house was like stepping into a new world.
Singapore Management University student Cherylene Chan was at Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre. "It's really quiet, there's barely anyone and barely any queues."
Staying home for a month will be a challenge, said Ms Chan, 21.
"Normally, I go to the library to study, but now, I have to study at home and there are a lot of distractions so it's kind of hard, but I know that it's necessary."
Housewife Vishaya Douangphoutay, 34, said she usually orders groceries online but had to visit the supermarket as delivery slots have been hard to come by.
Keeping her young children occupied will be the biggest challenge for the coming month, she added.
Malls across the island were eerily quiet as most shops had closed.
Orchard Road was a ghost town when The Straits Times visited yesterday afternoon. Walkways were deserted, with even the ubiquitous ice cream carts nowhere to be found. The usual commotion of chatter and buskers performing was replaced by the hum of light traffic.
Long lines of taxis waited in vain outside malls for passengers to pick up.
Popular Jurong malls - Jem, Westgate and JCube - also had few visitors yesterday. While most stores were shuttered, supermarkets still had handfuls of customers.
The Nex mall was deserted during lunch hour except for pockets of people waiting outside eateries for takeaways and buying groceries. Stores were shut and lights were off in most of the seven-storey mall.
An evening downpour added to the grim mood in Holland Village in the evening, with the usual buzz of restaurants and bars gone as outdoor tables and chairs had been stacked up.
Save for a few food delivery riders waiting by their motorcycles for orders, the lanes that make up the dining enclave were empty.
- Additional reporting by Michelle Ng and Yip Wai Yee
