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COVID-19: Phase two of post-circuit breaker reopening could begin before end-June, says Lawrence Wong
SingaporeCOVID-19: Phase two of post-circuit breaker reopening could begin before end-June, says Lawrence Wong
Marina Square mall. (Photo: TODAY/Kenneth Cheng)
By Rachel Phua
28 May 2020 07:30PM
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SINGAPORE: Phase Two of Singapore’s post-circuit breaker reopening could start before the end of June, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said on Thursday (May 28).
The move from phase one to the next will depend on the number of community transmissions in the first two weeks of June, he said.
If infection rates remain low and stable, then a decision will be made by the middle of June whether or not the move can be made to the second phase, said Mr Wong. "This means Phase Two could happen before the end of June."
On May 19, the Singapore Government announced its initial plans to move the country out of its circuit breaker in three phases.
The Health and Trade and Industry ministries said at that time that businesses that operate in settings with lower transmission risks will be allowed to open. These include manufacturing firms and most offices.
About 75 per cent of the economy will resume operations in Phase One, but Phase Two will see even more activities resuming. Retail shops, consumer services and sports facilities will be allowed to reopen, while individuals and groups of up to five people will be allowed to dine out at food outlets and meet for social gatherings.
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Sports facilities including stadiums and swimming pools will be permitted to reopen as well. There would also be social interactions and family visits, subject to group sizes capped at five people.
As for activities that involve large groups of people gathering in enclosed spaces like museums, clubs and movie theatres, the Government will “take a more cautious approach” about when they can restart, Mr Wong said.
The authorities will begin to talk to businesses in this category to ensure they have the safeguards in place that can allow them to run again.
They may not resume at the beginning of phase two but they could still open up later “but still within Phase Two”, said Mr Wong.
He declined to commit to an exact date, cautioning that discussions with these businesses could “stretch on for a while”.
EASING TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
The Government is also in talks with their foreign counterparts to establish travel bubbles with countries where the virus is under control, Mr Wong said, with the stage of discussions varying from country to country.
READ: COVID-19: Singapore in discussion with other countries on lifting travel restrictions with safeguards in place
Both countries will have to implement testing regimes, he added, offering suggestions like requiring travellers to be tested before and after their flight, and downloading the TraceTogether app while they are in Singapore.
Details on a particular country where they have reached an agreement will be released when ready, he said.
Mr Wong emphasised that these safe ‘green lane’ travel arrangements will only be for essential travel, so that businesses that require their employees to travel around the region to resume and jobs to continue.
“Having these arrangement does not mean that we will allow mass market travel… which I think will take a lot longer to resume, not just in Singapore, but also internationally,” he said.
SAFE MANAGEMENT MEASURES AT WORKPLACES
Businesses that are unable to resume operations immediately after the circuit breaker should use the downtime to put in place safety measures to prevent infections from appearing.
He warned that businesses where cases or clusters were to emerge run the risk of having their entire business or shops “closed for quite a while”.
“I think this should give every incentive for businesses to take responsibility, and to do their part to put in place all the necessary precautions and safeguards so that they can resume and reopen safely