Tao, whose 7-year-old son is in primary school, said he was worried the outbreak would hit schools, putting his child at risk. In an attempt to boost both their immune systems, the two walk the 5km to school every day, he said.
“Big gatherings such as weddings should also be dissuaded,” he added, pointing to how it had become commonplace in China to host virtual events on online platforms, with food delivered to guests’ homes and gifts of money transferred using digital wallets.
Other than a bout of panic buying, Singapore’s populace has mostly been going about their lives as normal. Some offices have implemented measures to split employees into teams to work from home, but schools remain open and large public gatherings have not been banned, as evidenced by the 30 cases – the city state’s largest cluster – linked to a Lunar New Year dinner at Safra Jurong on February 15 that is thought to have included as many as 200 guests.
Another celebration in early February which drew tens of thousands of people was heavily criticised online, with some Chinese nationals in Singapore taking to Weibo to express their anger at how the event was not called off.
Likewise, she was at a loss when Singapore authorities said a mask should only be worn when an individual was unwell. “When we heard it, we were quite confused. We were wondering why the government would say such a thing,” she said. “But after hearing their explanation and how it was part of a long-term solution, we accepted the explanation.”
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/heal...-19-spreads-singapore-chinese-immigrants-fear