Coronavirus: Smaller crowds at parks, markets after tighter measures

Markets and parks saw smaller crowds yesterday - the first weekend after tougher circuit breaker measures were imposed - with most people shopping or exercising on their own or in pairs.

There were short queues at the two main entrances to Geylang Serai market, unlike the long lines of previous weeks.

Large speakers at the entrances broadcast reminders of the new entry requirements in English and Malay, while SG Clean ambassadors and Certis staff checked IC numbers of customers going inside. Geylang Serai is one of four markets where entry is determined by IC number.

Yesterday's date was an odd number, so only people with an IC ending in an odd number were allowed in.

About 7 per cent were turned away as the last digit of their NRIC or foreign identification number was an even number, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli in a Facebook post yesterday. He said the 505 Jurong West market also rejected 7 per cent of customers.

The situation was better at Chong Pang and Marsiling Lane markets, with only 3 per cent turned away.

An encouraging sign was that fewer than 20 people were caught not wearing face masks, while 60 people breached safe distancing measures.

"This means that more people are complying with the circuit breaker measures," said Mr Masagos.

When The Sunday Times visited Geylang Serai market at about 10am, pedestrian traffic was largely smooth-flowing, with most marketgoers maintaining some distance from one another.

Accountant Cheryl Chua, 47, said yesterday's crowd was one of the leanest she had seen. "Previously, there were times I couldn't even walk through. But today, it's so empty that the stallholders are standing there and watching every customer who comes in," she said.

At East Coast Park, there was hardly any crowd when The Sunday Times visited at 11am.

There were families out and about, but most people were jogging or cycling on their own or in pairs.

Regular parkgoers said there were fewer people, as more and more barricades were put in place, including around the East Coast Lagoon Food Village.

Most carparks there have also been closed, but the one closest to the hawker centre remained open.

Mr Danny Ho, 57, a credit risk manager, was among the few who drove to the park. He went there with his wife and parked near the hawker centre so that they could enjoy a short walk and buy food.

"We've been cooped up at home for so long, we just wanted to have a different environment," he said.