As many of us make our way to Chinatown to enjoy the festive atmosphere, authorities have also stepped up measures to control the crowd amidst an ongoing pandemic.
In a bid to thin the crowds, the street light-ups in Chinatown will be turned off for the coming weekend (5-7 Feb) as well as on Chinese New Year’s Eve (11 Feb)
Visitors should cater more time for queuing to enter busy streets in the precinct as well.
In a press release today (5 Feb), the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) announced that light-ups along South Bridge Road, New Bridge Road, and Eu Tong Sen Street will be turned off this weekend (5-7 Feb) and on CNY Eve (11 Feb).
This is part of efforts to “better space out the crowds” leading to and during CNY, according to MSE.
Visitors are encouraged to check out the light-ups on weekdays instead.
Alternatively, Singaporeans can also visit the Chinatown Festivals website for a 360-degree virtual tour of the light-ups, starting from today (5 Feb).
To better manage the flow of passengers, the up-riding escalator at Chinatown MRT Exit A leading to Pagoda Street will be closed when the ground level gets too crowded.
According to MSE, passengers will then be redirected to alternative exits instead.
Access to Pagoda and Trengganu Street will also be managed during peak hours and weekends.
Additionally, Temple Street might reportedly be closed for vehicles depending on the ground situation.
Therefore, visitors should factor in additional time for queuing to enter busy stretches of Pagoda and Trengganu Street.
As important as it is for many of us to celebrate this CNY and embrace the festivities, let’s continue to keep in mind that we are in the midst of an ongoing pandemic.
Keeping community transmission rate low is a joint effort. Together, we can protect our loved ones while celebrating the Year of the Ox.
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Featured image adapted from People’s Association on Facebook.
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