Singapore has just made face masks mandatory with immediate effect for those going out in public. This is a new measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 on the island republic.
Those caught refusing to wear a mask will be fined SGD 300 (about RM918) for the first offence and SGD 1,000 (about RM3,061) for the second offence. Additional violations will be charged in court.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said, “The minute you leave your room, or you leave your house, you have to wear a mask when you go out.” He added that the new mask ruling does not mean that going out is encouraged. He urged the public not to go out as much as possible but if there’s a need to go out to buy groceries or essentials, a face mask will be required. The Singaporean government had recently distributed reusable masks which were completed over the weekend.
The minister also said that the face mask requirement in public areas might be extended even after the circuit breaker period. The circuit breaker, which is Singapore’s equivalent of Malaysia’s movement control order, is tentatively scheduled to end on the 4th of May.
Some exemptions
There are some exemptions for the face mask ruling. Children below 2 years old are not required to wear masks as recommended by medical experts on child safety. Adults that are doing exercises such as running and jogging do not have to wear a mask but they must put it on once they have completed their exercise.
Even with the mask on, everyone is still advised to maintain social distancing and good hygiene. According to Singapore’s Ministry of Health, almost 3,000 enforcement officers and ambassadors have been deployed to public spaces in HDB estates to ensure that people adhere to safe distancing measures.
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