On Tuesday (24 Mar), Singapore announced the closure of all night clubs, tuition centres and cinemas to contain the spread of Covid-19. This arrangement will last till 30 Apr.
However, the policy will only take effect at midnight on Friday (27 Mar), and nightlife operators are planning “farewell parties” before the temporary suspension of services.
This has prompted the Singapore Tourism Board, Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Police Force to issue a joint statement warning them to practise social distancing measures for the safety of their revellers.
The statement, posted on Facebook on Wednesday (25 Mar), carried a reminder that the measures implemented by the authorities the day before were intended to contain the spread of Covid-19.
It also told nightlife operators to “strictly implement safe distancing measures” from the Ministry of Health (MOH), meaning:
It remains to be seen whether these parties, typically packed wall to wall with revellers, can adhere to these measures or not.
Some of the nightlife operators who are planning farewell parties include Cherry Discotheque.
Others like Magic Carpet Club and Canvas Singapore are also introducing promotions before closing for more than a month.
While these venues are limiting the number of people allowed in the venue to fewer than 250, this still means a large group of people will be gathering on the two nights before stricter measures kick in.
If the clubs are having difficulty enforcing these measures, they have another reason to try — government agencies will be deployed at club venues to ensure enforcement.
This also includes the police.
As the statement mentioned that the measures are enforceable, that means that there will be consequences if nightclub operators do not adhere strictly to the rules.
The police will not only be looking at the situation in the clubs, they will also be outside on the roads to make sure everything is in order.
The statement said the Traffic Police is will be “conducting island-wide enforcement operations against drink-driving” during this time.
The statement concluded by urging all to “exercise good judgement and social responsibility”.
While we hope revellers who have been drinking will be able to exercise good judgement, if you are intending to attend one of these farewell parties, do your part by maintaining social distancing and skip the party if you are unwell.
While these measures might seem inconvenient at the moment, they’re essential in keeping you and your loved ones safe in this difficult period.
Let’s not take our health and safety for granted.
Featured image adapted from The Honeycombers.
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