SINGAPORE - Over 500 tables at four staff canteens and food courts in five shopping malls will be installed with transparent table-top separators by next week.
This comes as Singapore enters phase two of the post-circuit breaker period, when dining in at eateries and small-group social gatherings of up to five people are allowed.
The installation of the separators is the result of a partnership between Temasek Foundation, CapitaLand and National Transport Workers Union (NTWU).
The separators will be funded by Temasek Foundation, as part of its Stay Prepared initiative, which seeks to enhance the resilience of the Singapore community to cope with emergencies.
Temasek Foundation said on Thursday (June 18) that the separators will reduce the exchange of speech droplets during meals, and provide a safer and friendlier environment for family and friends to socialise when they remove their masks for their meals.
Each separator will also be treated with a self-disinfecting antimicrobial coating that lasts for three months.
The installation of the separators started on Thursday at NTWU canteens in public transport operators' depots at Bulim, Loyang, Seletar and Woodlands.
It will continue next week at food courts operated by Kopitiam and Food Junction in five shopping malls: IMM, Junction 8, Lot One Shoppers' Mall, Plaza Singapura and Tampines Mall.
Temasek Foundation said that different designs of the separators will be implemented for food and beverage operators to assess which configurations work best in their respective settings and for diners to provide their feedback.
It added that it will be working with local beverage brand Ya Kun Kaya Toast to explore how the separators can work in small cafes.
"One important mental model is to think of the role of asymptomatic transmission in this pandemic as we open up further," said Mr Ng Boon Heong, chief executive officer of Temasek Foundation, on Thursday.
"Here, we are paying special attention to the nodes where human interactions are high. The dining scene is one such node," he added.
Mr Chris Chong, managing director of retail for CapitaLand Singapore, said that digital measures such as a queue management system have been introduced in CapitaLand's malls to ensure a safe and convenient experience for visitors.
"Partnering with Temasek Foundation and our food court operators to install table-top separators is yet another example of our continual efforts to enhance the safety and customer experience in our malls," he said.
