Chinese New Year is just around the corner and many of us will be prepping for the festivities ahead.
Huge crowds have been spotted along the narrow streets of Chinatown on 30 Jan, a worrying sight in light of relatively recent community cases of Covid-19.
An infectious diseases expert shared that Singaporeans may have grown weary of Covid-19 restrictions based on the crowds.
Meanwhile, safe distancing ambassadors are finding it tough to keep crowds safe and urged public cooperation.
In a Facebook post, a netizen shared images of a crowded Chinatown on 30 Jan.
His caption roughly translates to, “The Year of the Ox is nearing and the crowds are returning to Chinatown”.
The narrow walkways, flanked by stalls selling CNY snacks and decorations, were seen thronged with people.
In a way, the area looks to have returned to its past liveliness before the pandemic — the only difference being that the people are clad with face masks.
The masks are a sobering reminder that there is an ongoing pandemic, even though various rules have been relaxed.
Infectious diseases expert Leong Hoe Nam told The New Paper (TNP) that there’s too many people at Chinatown, which is ‘exactly what Covid-19 would want’.
He added that Singaporeans are experiencing ‘Covid fatigue’, and that he expected the situation to turn out the way it has.
He also noted that just wearing masks alone isn’t enough, as they have to be of good quality and we must have good hand hygiene along with the mask-wearing.
Safe distancing ambassadors told TNP they’ve to ensure everyone is practicing safe distancing, and it’s difficult to control crowds during a weekend.
Apparently, teams in other areas have been activated with police officers to help, they said.
However, another ambassador said they also need the cooperation of the public to keep crowds safely distanced.
While it seems like business is returning for many shops, it is worrying to see huge crowds in Chinatown as there’s little space for safe distancing.
Should you need to visit similarly crowded areas, do remember to mask up properly and frequently sanitise frequently.
If we do things right, we can all enjoy a safe Chinese New Year, even if we have to make some sacrifices.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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