Phase 3 of Covid-19 reopening starts Dec 28, groups of up to 8 allowed to gather

PHASE 3 of Singapore's reopening amid the Covid-19 pandemic will start on Monday Dec 28, with groups of up to eight people to be allowed, up from five currently, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday in a national address.

Capacity limits on public areas such as malls and attractions, as well as at places of worship, will also be eased, he added.

Details of Phase 3 will come in a press conference by the multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19, immediately after Mr Lee's speech.

The change in maximum group size means that in Phase 3, groups of up to eight people will be able to dine out together, or visit someone's home, for instance. "This will make it easier to hold family get-togethers during the festive period," said Mr Lee.

The move to Phase 3 was made possible due to national efforts, he said, noting how much has changed in recent months, as Singapore approaches a full year since its first Covid-19 case in January.

The early months of the pandemic saw peaks of over 1,000 cases a day in March and April; worries about supermarket supplies; and concerns about having students in schools.

Now, most days have zero cases of local transmission; supermarket shelves are full and shopping is calm; and the school year was maintained, with graduating students having finished their exams.

While Singapore will not forget the two-month "circuit-breaker" from April 7 to June 1, life today "is a lot more normal", with people going out to work, dine, and meet friends, albeit with limits on group size, said Mr Lee.

Singapore managed to bring the pandemic under control with "tremendous effort and some good luck", he said. Singaporeans complied with tough measures and did not become complacent.

The economy was hit but did not crash, and most workers could stay in jobs. And the country's defences against Covid-19 are now stronger, with improved testing capacities and procedures, and greater contact tracing capabilities.

"With everyone's full support, our enhanced safeguards worked, and we could gradually ease our restrictions," he said. But he warned: "Please understand that even as we enter Phase 3, the battle is far from won."

He urged Singaporeans to remain cautious and vigilant, as the virus is most likely still circulating silently in the community. "This is absolutely not the time to relax, and let our guard down, or to hold a big party, imagining that the problem has disappeared."

Singapore may have to stay in Phase 3 "for quite a while, possibly a year or more", with a key factor being how soon Covid-19 vaccines become available, he added.