Group size to double to 10 pax; masks no longer needed outdoors from Mar 29

Lee U-Wen

Published Thu, Mar 24, 2022 · 03:10 AM

THE maximum group size for social gatherings will be doubled from the current 5 persons to 10, starting Mar 29, and the wearing of masks outdoors will be optional.

With Singapore's fight against Covid-19 having reached a "major turning point", the government is making a "decisive move" towards living with the virus, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as he announced the easing of the country's safe-management measures in a televised speech on Thursday (Mar 24).

The percentage of employees allowed to return to the workplace will also be raised to 75 per cent of those who can work from home, from 50 per cent currently.

Meanwhile, the capacity limit for larger events and settings - those with more than 1,000 people - will be increased to 75 per cent, up from 50 per cent currently.

It will still be mandatory to don a mask indoors; and the current safe-distancing requirement of 1 metre between groups where masks are off will be maintained, to minimise transmission in these settings.

In his speech, PM Lee noted that the overwhelming majority of the population is now fully vaccinated. Nearly everyone who is eligible has gotten a booster shot.

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The number of daily new infections has been coming down over the past 2 weeks, with the weekly infection growth rate now around 0.8. This rate refers to the ratio of community cases for the past week over the week before. At this rate, Lee said, the number of daily infections will halve in about 3 weeks.

"The Omicron wave has crested and is now subsiding. With many of us already exposed to the virus and recovered, our population has stronger immunity," he said.

"Crucially, our healthcare system remains resilient. It was under considerable stress at the peak of the Omicron wave, but it held up. The load is still heavy, but the pressure is now easing."

PM Lee said that even as the government weighed how far and fast to ease restrictions, it remained "very mindful" not to stress the healthcare workers and system to breaking point.

"We must not place an impossible burden on the healthcare workers, and endanger many Covid and non-Covid patients who urgently need treatment," he said.

"At the same time, we must weigh the cost of stringent safe-management measures on businesses and the economy, and their impact on children needing to learn, youths yearning to interact, families seeking to bond, and communities striving to connect."

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