How we're Keeping up with Singapore's New Normal

Keeping a healthy social distance away from people around us and wearing a mask whenever you’re out of the house. 

Ask anyone last year and this would not have been how we pictured life would be like in 2020, but yet as we come near the mid-year mark, such safety measures are now part of our everyday lives, part of what is dubbed 'the new normal'. 

Over the last few months, we have seen the unprecedented rollouts of strict restrictions made by governments around the world and in Singapore to flatten the curve and contain the spread of the coronavirus. 

The start of June has seen the easing of such measures with countries slowly but surely reopen their economies. Here in Singapore, it marks the end of the circuit breaker where we were all encouraged to stay put and stay at home. But despite CB coming to an end, life is far from back to the way things were before Covid-19 was a thing. 

Schools may be open again, but they follow a staggered schedule of welcoming students back, with home-based learning still preferred where possible. On the workforce front, limited sectors have been allowed to reopen but by and large, companies are encouraged to continue allowing work from home arrangements. 

Going out freely like how we used to remains somewhat of a distant pipe dream as retail outlets (and bubble tea shops) remain shut and meeting friends or even non-immediate family members is still not allowed.  

There are no two ways about it. The way we live, work, play and communicate has changed, and there is a certain amount of uncertainty in how things will pan out over the next few months. 

With AsiaOne's new initiative, Keeping up with the New Norm, we hope to help you (and ourselves) navigate this period as we go through the different phases of Singapore's reopening. 

Inside, you'll find everything from updates of what is allowed when we leave our homes to how we can continue to keep safe. 

We also want to ensure that both your mind and body remain healthy, and help keep you privy about the latest deals to help you save as we continue to primarily stay at home.  

We know it’s not easy but we’re here with you as we all adjust, adapt and thrive in what is now our new normal. 

The writer is a Senior Content Strategist at AsiaOne.

kailun@asiaone.com