Tighter circuit breaker measures extended by a week; barbers, home-based businesses can re-open on May 12

FROM May 12 onwards, the government will allow the gradual re-opening of some work premises and allowing more workers to return. This includes selected services such as home-based businesses, laundry services and barbers, which had originally been able to operate during the circuit breaker before the measures were tightened.

Giving this update at a press conference on Saturday morning, the multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19 noted that the stricter circuit breaker measures - which were announced on April 21 and were to last until May 4 - have not brought down community transmission numbers sufficiently and cannot be lifted immediately after May 4.

So far, community numbers have been coming down "but we are not yet at single digits", said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the taskforce.

The number of new local community cases has fallen to an average of 12 per day over the past week, which is down from 25 per day in the week before, co-chair and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said. But he stressed: "We are not out of the woods yet. New clusters may form if we let our guard down."

"So it is not time to lift the tighter measures that we have in place," said Mr Wong. The tighter measures will have to continue for at least another week.

Still, the taskforce did announce that some businesses and activities can resume, with the necessary safeguards in place.

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On May 5, there will be minor adjustments for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and private residential estates. In TCM, needle acupuncture will be allowed for pain management, and retail products will be allowed to be sold at associated medical halls. In private residential estates such as condominiums, essential activities such as outdoor exercise will be allowed, although facilities such as gyms and swimming pools must remain closed.

The gradual re-opening of workplaces from May 12 is subject to tighter requirements regarding safe distancing and other measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Firms must have these stricter conditions in place before their employees are allowed to return.

For example, all re-opening workplaces must use the government's SafeEntry app to track the entry and exit of workers. The government is working out the specific measures needed and will engage trade associations and business chambers. Testing will also be stepped up as more employees return to workplaces.

Apart from the ability to put in place adequate precautionary measures, other considerations in allowing workplaces to re-open include the number of workers needed, and whether the activities will attract crowds and social gatherings.

Individual businesses will need a specific exemption from the Ministry of Trade and Industry before they are allowed to re-open. If they do not receive such a notification, they should not presume that they can re-open, said Mr Wong.

Meanwhile, from May 19, schools will start to bring back students in small groups for face-to-face lessons, with a focus on graduating cohorts which are taking national exams.

The rest of the circuit breaker measures remain crucial, and the taskforce will monitor the situation closely and make further adjustments as necessary, said Mr Gan.

If the situation is clearly under control as at June 1, then circuit breaker measures can be rolled back gradually, he said. But even then, Singapore will still face a new normal: "We must continue to be vigilant."

If there is an increasing trend of infections, then measures may have to be reinstated. The experience of other countries suggests that Covid-19 is hard to eradicate, said Mr Gan. It is possible that cases or even clusters may surface from time to time, which is why Singapore's strategy of testing and quickly ringfencing cases is critical.

The government will leverage technology to speed up contact tracing and thus more effectively prevent formation of new clusters. The public will have to keep up practices such as safe distancing, personal hygiene, and the wearing of masks.

"This is not the time to slacken and let our guard down," stressed Mr Wong. He urged the public to continue "to abide with the spirit of the guidelines and not just the letter of the law", to stay at home except for essential activities, and not to take the easing of restrictions as a signal that life can resume as normal.

Even after the scheduled end of the circuit breaker after June 1, re-opening will be gradual, he said: "We will not open up suddenly, and then everything resumes. That will not be possible." It is premature to say what can be re-opened from June onwards, as it will depend on how the situation evolves, he added.