After nearly two months, we’re finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel as circuit breaker restrictions start to ease in three phases.
Phase 1: Expected to last a few weeks from June 2.
Phase 2: To start if community transmission rates remain “low and stable” and the dormitory situation remains under control, and could happen over several months.
Phase 3: Most social gatherings would have resumed under “a new normal”.
For now, many existing measures will continue to stay in place, particularly during the first phase. So what does this mean for our jobs, kids and other activities? Here’s an easy list of what is allowed under Phase 1 (the government will review in mid-June to see when Phase 2 can begin):
You still can’t visit or meet anyone living in a different household. If caught, you face a composition fine of $300. Repeat offenders will face higher fines, or prosecution in court for egregious cases.
These places will remain shut in Phase 1:
– Bars, pubs, nightclubs, theatres and cinemas. They are deemed higher risk because they draw crowds in an enclosed space.
– All arts facilities and venues, including museums, art galleries and all indoor and outdoor performance venues such as concert halls.
– Libraries and their on-site services such as book drops and reservation lockers. You will not be fined if you have not returned material that is due. You will have three weeks after libraries eventually reopen to do so.
Seniors should continue to stay at home but their children and grandchildren can visit, within limits. They can receive up to two visitors once a day, but both visitors must be from the same household.
Elderly folk who do not have children can appeal to the Ministry of Health for their siblings, nieces and nephews to visit them.
Allowed:
Exercising with household members. But you can’t gather to exercise with others not from your household. If you need to exercise (walk, jog, cycle), you must still only do so in your neighbourhood.
You must wear a mask when you set out, and while you may remove it when doing strenuous exercise, you should put it back on once that is done.
Not allowed:
Visits to any of these places, which will remain close in Phase 1:
– Fishing areas, fitness corners and playgrounds in parks
– The beaches at East Coast Park, Changi Beach Park, Pasir Ris Park, Punggol Point, Sembawang Park and West Coast Park
– Stadiums, public swimming pools, games courts and other fitness areas
– Pools and fitness facilities in condominiums
– Private gyms
– Country club facilities like pools and golf courses
Allowed:
Hair salons can now provide all services, including colour treatments that were disallowed under the circuit breaker.
Not allowed:
Spas, massages, facial threading, foot reflexology, facials and manicures.
Pre-schools:
Pre-schools will open in phases from Tuesday (June 2) with different cohorts returning on different dates. Staff and children can wear either a face mask or face shield. Children aged below two are not required to wear a mask.
Schools:
All primary, secondary, junior college (JC) and Millennia Institute (MI) students will return to school from Tuesday (June 2). Most students in primary and secondary schools will alternate between being physically in school and home-based learning, on a weekly basis. Going back to school is compulsory unless the student has specific medical conditions.
All students and teachers must wear different cohorts returning on different dates.
Tuition:
Tuition at enrichment centres and face-to-face lessons by private tutors are still not allowed. Tutors and students can continue with online classes.
Allowed:
– Food takeaway and delivery.
Not allowed:
– Eating in hawker centres, restaurants and most canteens.
– Outlets selling mainly beverages, such as alcohol and bubble tea.
Allowed:
– Wet markets, supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical halls and hair salons.
– School bookshops and shops selling school uniforms.
– More bank branches.
– Money changers with safe distancing measures and necessary approvals in place.
Not allowed:
– Most retail outlets – such as department stores and shops in malls and the heartlands. They can continue to do business online. Retailers should try to opt for contactless pick-up, where items are placed at designated locations for delivery staff to pick up.
– Maid agencies’ physical outlets. They can continue to operate online.
– Commercial Visa application centres will continue to operate remotely.
– Foot reflexology services.
– Car showrooms. But motor companies can continue to sell vehicles online and deliver them to customers. Motor workshop services, however, will be allowed to reopen and resume services. Currently, they can tend to only emergency cases.
Allowed:
– More healthcare services will be open with priority given to patients with more urgent medical needs.
– Treatment for advanced cataracts, hand surgery, teeth scaling and polishing, fillings, crowns, dentures and orthodontic treatments.
– Flu vaccinations and pre-enlistment screening. But chronic disease and cancer screening under the Health Promotion Board’s Screen For Life programme will resume in Phase 2.
– Traditional Chinese medicine needle acupuncture, ayurvedic, chiropractic, osteopathic and other forms of traditional and complementary services for management of medical conditions and the relief of symptoms.
– In hospitals, visitors from up to two households will be allowed for patients. However, a maximum of five visitors will be allowed to pre-register, and only one person will be able to visit at a time. Hospitals may introduce further measures to space out visits and avoid crowding.
Not allowed:
– Procedures that only alter appearances – such as Botox and fillers.
– Visits to residential care homes, including nursing homes.
Allowed:
– Private worship in small groups of no more than five people per household, and no more than five households at any one time.
– Marriage solemnisations and funeral-related activities for up to 10 people, excluding the solmeniser or religious workers.
– Families may continue to install niches in columbaria in places of worship.
Not allowed:
– Religious rites and ceremonies not mentioned above.
– All government-managed columbaria, including Mandai Columbarium, will remain closed for now.
The default mode of working for all companies – including those allowed to resume operations in Phase 1 and later Phase 2 – is working from home, says the Manpower Ministry (MOM).
You are allowed to go back to the office…
– If your company is on the list of businesses permitted to resume operations from June 2, and if your employer has put safe management measures in place.
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) inspectors will assess the efforts put in by companies to implement work-from-home arrangements, based on whether it is practical for workers to work from home, given the nature of their jobs.
Employees must telecommute where possible. You can report workplace safety and health issues to MOM via the SnapSafe mobile application.
Allowed:
– Restarting home renovation works that were suspended because of the circuit breaker, subject to approval by the authorities.
– Air-con servicing.
– Virtual property viewings.
– Property agents as well as insurance agents can’t meet clients face to face, except when legally required to complete a transaction. The meeting must be in the office of the real estate company or insurer.
Not allowed:
– Part-time cleaning or home-based cleaning services.
– New renovation projects.
Allowed:
– Basic grooming including the maintenance of skin and fur, teeth brushing, emptying of anal glands and medicated baths.
– Animal physiotherapy and rehabilitation services, with referral from a vet and by appointment only.
Not allowed:
– Cosmetic services like styling of pets’ fur and spa baths.
– Non-essential services such as pet-sitting, daycare for animals, walking, boarding and the sale of pets.
Allowed:
Some essential travel. For instance, Singapore and China will launch a fast-track immigration arrangement early in June to facilitate essential travel for business and official purposes between the two countries. The arrangement would first apply to Singapore and six provinces or municipalities directly under the Chinese central government – Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Singapore is also in talks with a few other countries to work out similar arrangements.
Not allowed:
Leisure travel and staycations in local hotels.
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Text: Yuen Sin/The Straits Times, Additional reporting: Cherrie Lim
This post was first published May 22, 2020, and updated June 1, 2020.