After months of reporting nearly zero daily Covid-19 community infections, Singapore is moving swiftly to curb a resurgence of locally transmitted cases linked to India’s highly contagious B1617 variant, with lockdown-like curbs on social gatherings and public activities coming into effect from today (May 16).
The new measures are the strictest since the partial lockdown, or “circuit breaker”, that brought the city-state to a standstill last April and May. The sharp spike in community cases does, however, look set to burst a long-planned air travel bubble with Hong Kong that was set to open on May 26.
Singapore’s return to near-lockdown conditions has also raised questions as to whether high-profile events showcasing the city-state’s virus-quelling resilience will proceed as scheduled, with the Shangri-La Dialogue slated to be held in-person in early June and the Davos-based World Economic Forum (WEF) in August.
Limits on social gatherings and household visitors have been reduced from five people to two people under the new measures, which are set to last four weeks until June 13. Working from home will be the default option for office-based personnel, while dining at restaurants, hawker centers and food courts is prohibited.
The new measures are the strictest since the partial lockdown, or “circuit breaker”, that brought the city-state to a standstill last April and May. The sharp spike in community cases does, however, look set to burst a long-planned air travel bubble with Hong Kong that was set to open on May 26.
Singapore’s return to near-lockdown conditions has also raised questions as to whether high-profile events showcasing the city-state’s virus-quelling resilience will proceed as scheduled, with the Shangri-La Dialogue slated to be held in-person in early June and the Davos-based World Economic Forum (WEF) in August.
Limits on social gatherings and household visitors have been reduced from five people to two people under the new measures, which are set to last four weeks until June 13. Working from home will be the default option for office-based personnel, while dining at restaurants, hawker centers and food courts is prohibited.
Read the full story at Asia Times.
Nile Bowie is a journalist and correspondent with the Asia Times covering current affairs in Singapore and Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com.
