Singapore cautiously lifted some of its Covid-19 restrictions yesterday, allowing larger groups to gather, and indicated it would take the same graduated approach to reopening its schools.
After close to a month of being on heightened alert, the country saw larger groups venture out and more activities resume. A further reopening is on the cards next Monday, if infection numbers remain in check.
But many continued to take a cautious approach to public gatherings, with community cases still in the double digits. There were 19 locally transmitted cases reported yesterday. Only one of yesterday's cases, however, was unlinked.
The cautious approach to reopening will apply to schools too and students will be allowed back only progressively once the June school holidays end and classes resume on June 28.
Primary 1 to 3 pupils will start Term 3 with a week of home-based learning, while Secondary 1 and 2 students will be on home-based learning till June 30, and return to school on July 1.
Primary 4 to 6 pupils, Secondary 3 to 5 students and all junior college and Millennia Institute students will return to school on June 28. All students will be back in school from July 6, as July 5 is a school holiday.
With two weeks left in the June school holidays, many families welcomed the easing of restrictions, such as for group sizes to go up from two to five persons.
From yesterday, households can also have five unique visitors a day, up from the limit of two unique visitors imposed as part of phase two (heightened alert) measures from May 16 to Sunday.
Attractions, museums and public libraries have returned to 50 per cent of normal capacity, up from 25 per cent for the past month. Live performances and spectator sports events have also resumed.
Many who ventured out in larger groups yesterday said they were glad to be able to do so, after spending a month cooped up at home.
A number of groups had young children with them.
Civil servant Anna Wong, 45, who was at Jurong Lake Gardens for a walk with her two sons, was glad she could get her mother to join them. "It can get pretty stifling if she were to stay indoors all day," she said.
The scene was similar at Jewel Changi Airport, which reopened yesterday after a month-long closure triggered by a large cluster of Covid-19 infections at the airport. Visitors began streaming in when the mall opened at 10am. More than 2,500 workers at Jewel Changi have been tested, and all results were Covid-19 negative.
Larger groups of people were also seen at parks and attractions such as the Singapore Zoo.
With the relaxing of the measures, some businesses such as beauty salons that involve clients removing their masks have also been allowed to resume. Several beauty salons said they were fully booked given pent-up demand.
Madam Lim Joo Li, director of Beauty Horizon Aesthetics Salon in International Plaza, said she was fully booked for appointments for the rest of the week.
"I'm relieved that I can open up again. During the circuit breaker last year, we lost some customers who never returned afterwards," said Madam Lim, 50.
Singapore is making good progress in vaccinating its students, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a Facebook post yesterday. Close to 90 per cent of students have signed up for their shots, and one in three has taken the first vaccine dose, he noted.
"Going forward, we must combine vaccination with increased testing and rapid isolation of potential infection clusters to keep our schools open and safe," he said, adding that students' well-being and undisrupted learning will remain a priority.
For those who require care arrangements for their young children, MOE Kindergartens and school-based Student Care Centres will resume fully from June 28.
Dining at restaurants will be allowed from June 21, if all goes well.
