May 13 Istana open house cancelled due to current Covid-19 concerns

The Istana open house on Thursday next week will be cancelled due to the worsening Covid-19 situation.

The move comes after the recent call by the multi-ministry task force to reduce social interaction, said the Istana in a statement issued by the President's Office yesterday.

Ticket-holders will be able to go to the next Istana open house with their existing tickets.

The plan was to begin reopening the Istana to the public in stages, as the Covid-19 situation in Singapore had stabilised in recent months.

"However, since we announced the restarting of this open house, there has unfortunately been an increase in the number of local Covid-19 cases.

"We have therefore decided to err on the side of caution and cancel the Istana open house," said the Istana.

Last Wednesday, the Istana had announced that it would open its grounds to the public for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

The occasion was to mark Labour Day and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which fall on May 1 and May 13 respectively.

Before the pandemic, the Istana welcomed visitors on the two public holidays yearly.

This was replaced with a virtual tour last year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 05, 2021, with the headline May 13 Istana open house cancelled due to current Covid-19 concerns. Subscribe