Some foreign domestic workers are facing disrupted social activities from this weekend and are not able to meet up with their friends at their usual haunts, as new entry restrictions at two malls popular with such workers kicked in yesterday.

Among those for whom much of the buzz has been taken away is Filipina domestic worker Ludivina Ellorengco, who is a frequent visitor to Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road.

New rules to reduce overcrowding on weekends meant the usually thriving Orchard Road mall was much quieter when she dropped in yesterday. The restrictions - which also apply at Peninsula Plaza in North Bridge Road - allow entry for people with identification card numbers ending with an odd digit on odd dates; those with numbers ending with an even digit can enter only on even dates.

"All my friends' (identification card numbers end in) even digits, so I can't meet them here," said Ms Ellorengco, 35, who has been working in Singapore for five years.

Ms Glyda Lopez, 34, is another fan of Lucky Plaza. She usually spends her regular Saturdays off there meeting friends and buying clothes and food, as well as to eat at popular Philippine fast-food chain Jollibee.

Her employer designated Saturday as her day off, as malls like Lucky Plaza are busier on Sundays.

"Some of my friends don't come (to Lucky Plaza) when they're off; they go to parks and open areas like Botanic Gardens and East Coast Park," Ms Lopez said.

Ms Aye Aye Than, 35, used to meet friends at Peninsula Plaza on alternate Sundays, but that changed with the Covid-19 outbreak.

Her employer has told her to avoid crowded places when she goes out, although they have come to a compromise by shifting her day off to Saturdays, when Peninsula Plaza is less busy.

"It's nice to be able to come here and shop on weekends, but it's hard to meet friends because most of them are only off on Sunday," said Ms Aye Aye Than.

Her employer, logistics executive Kelvin Yeow, said: "It's a good thing her card number ends with an odd number, so we can still arrange for her to have her day off on Saturday (this week). Of course, we'd prefer if she avoids crowded places if possible, and hopefully the staggered entry days will mean smaller crowds."

Other visitors The Sunday Times spoke to yesterday were not regular patrons of either shopping centre, but were there to run errands.

A 44-year-old Filipina maid who wanted to be known only as Susie was sending a package, which included a laptop, back to her family in the Philippines, as she was not able to make her usual trip home last month due to the outbreak.

Housewife Cheryl Li, 57, was remitting money on behalf of her parents' maid at Lucky Plaza. "Her (identification card) ends in an odd number, but because they're old and not in the best of health, we feel it's safer if their helper avoids going to crowded places for now in case she gets infected," Ms Li said.

Shop owners at Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza said crowds were significantly down yesterday compared with previous weekends.

Hair salon owner Jackie Yang, 58, said it was even quieter yesterday than on Friday. "A few of my customers came (on Friday) because they're not able to come (yesterday), and Sunday would be quite crowded."

Mrs Yang, who has been operating her salon in Lucky Plaza for about a decade, was concerned about the slow foot traffic, especially as rents remain unchanged.

Ms Iris Htet Engine Thant, 21, whose mother owns grocery shop Ngwe Thaw Dar at Peninsula Plaza, said that while the mall was quieter than usual yesterday, it tends to be busier for them on Sundays.

But the shop is finding new ways of making sure that sales are not affected, she said.

"We do provide home delivery and have started selling on online platforms like Shopee. Customers can also arrange to pick up their items from outside the shopping centre, if they are not the right number for that day," Ms Iris added.

The Singapore Tourism Board and Enterprise Singapore said Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza were taking a "more advisory approach" this weekend given that it was the early days of the new rules.

"The deployment of safe-distancing ambassadors has been ramped up at both malls to manage crowds and ensure proper implementation of the entry restrictions," the two agencies said in a statement.