SINGAPORE - Singapore will begin to ease its circuit breaker measures progressively from May 5, starting with some Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) activities. More businesses like barbers, home-based bakers and launderettes will be allowed to open a week later.
TCM acupuncture will be allowed from May 5 for pain management where deemed essential by practitioners , while registered TCM practitioners will be able to sell retail products to meet the needs of Singaporeans. Activities like walking and exercising, previously disallowed in the ground of private condominium estates, will be allowed to resume though common facilities like swimming pools and gyms will have to remain closed.
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Then from May 12, selected businesses such as barbers, home-based businesses and laundries will be allowed to resume operation.
Schools will also begin to bring back students in small groups for face-to-face lessons from May 19, with the focus on graduating cohorts taking national exams this year.
Priority will be given to those who need school facilities for coursework and those who need support during school vacation periods.
"We are making good progress but we are not yet at single digits when it comes to local transmission, so it is not time to lift the tighter measures we have in place," said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Saturday (May 2).
"We still need to continue for another week. But we can start making some adjustments."
The average number of new cases in the community daily has dropped by more than half to 12 in the past week from 25 in the week before, according to the Ministry of Health.
Of Singapore's 932 new cases on Friday, 11 were community cases.
Mr Wong stressed, however, that the situation remains fluid and plans may need to be adjusted further depending on how the situation unfolds in the coming weeks.
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"The bottom line is, this is not the time to slacken and let our guard down. We may be easing some measures but we must stay very disciplined and vigilant," he said.
"We have to do this cautiously and gradually. And as we do this, we need everyone to cooperate, so that we can open up the economy and resume normal activities safely without causing further clusters to form."
Singapore entered its circuit breaker period on April 7, which is due to last until May 4.
Then, most workplaces, save for those in essential services and key economic sectors such as markets and supermarkets, and transport and key banking services, were closed as the majority of Singapore's workforce began to work from home.
Schools and institutes of higher learning shifted to full home-based learning and mid-year exams were cancelled.
Many non-essential retail outlets were shut and while food and beverage outlets were allowed to remain open, no dining-in was allowed, only takeaways and deliveries.
Most sports and recreational centres were also shut but public parks remained open. Social gatherings of any size in homes or public spaces were forbidden under the new Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act.
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On April 21, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced an extension to the circuit breaker period to June 1, which came with more stringent safe distancing measures.
These included expanding the list of non-essential businesses required to shut, such as bubble tea outlets and hairdressing and barber shops.
The number of workers commuting daily was cut from 20 to 15 per cent of the workforce. Home-based learning was also extended.
The Ministry of Health said then that the tighter measures would be in place for at least two weeks until May 4 (inclusive of the date).
PM Lee also explained then that Singapore's strategy to exit the circuit breaker would include relaxing safe distancing measures gradually, stepping up testing substantially and making better use of technology for contact tracing purposes.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.