Health

Holland Village Crowds On Phase 2 Day 1 Cause Concern, Patrols To Be Stepped Up

Photos Of Holland Village Crowds Spur On More Patrols At Nightspots

UPDATE (20 JUN, 5.30PM): One restaurant in Holland Village, the British Indian Curry Hut, will be shut down immediately, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong in a Facebook post in response to the photos.

All outdoor refreshment areas on Lorong Mambong will also be removed, and fines have been issued to several people found in violation of safe distancing rules.

The dust has settled, and the first day of Phase 2 is over.

What’s left are the happy memories of finally meeting your friends again, full bellies — and inevitably, lots of photos of the crowds that formed across Singapore as Singaporeans went shopping and eating again.

One such crowd at Holland Village, purportedly on Friday (19 Jun) night, was of particular concern to netizens, such that a photo of it was shared widely over the Internet.

Source

Many people in photo not wearing mask, standing near one another

As the photo circulated over Facebook on Friday (19 Jun) night, it became clear that it was taken at Lorong Mambong in Holland Village, a street lined with restaurants and bars that’s a popular hangout spot.

From the photo, it can be surmised that what’s most concerning to netizens is that many of the people can be seen not wearing a mask over their faces.

We understand if you’re eating or drinking, you don’t have to wear a mask, though they also seem to be also crowded fairly close to each other, adding to the concern.

 

Holland Village back to its bustling self

Another video that was posted on Friday night showed that the street had indeed returned to its bustling self, with crowds standing on the street and seated at tables on the sidewalk.

The netizen who posted this video on Facebook captioned it with, “Finally!Welcome back holland village”.

Source

Minister Masagos says patrols will be stepped up

The photos have apparently been brought to the attention of Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli, who updated his Facebook post on Friday night to address the issue.

Source

In his update, he said that people had shared photos of crowds at Holland Village.

He said the authorities would address the situation by stepping up patrols of nightspots, and taking “enforcement actions” against breaches of safe distancing measures.

Will it be something like what happened to those who gathered at Robertson Quay? That was during the ‘Circuit Breaker’ though.

Crowds at other places too

Mr Masagos also noted that he understands there are crowds gathering at other areas besides Holland Village.

Perhaps he was referring to scenes like this one at East Coast Road, which was also sent in to him by a netizen.

Source

Source

Netizen questions whether bars can open

Over on Reddit, a commenter in a discussion on the Holland Village photo questioned whether such bars were allowed to open.

Source

He pointed to the Ministry of Health circular on Phase 2 that clearly says that “entertainment venues such as bars, nightclubs” are not allowed to open yet, as these are “settings where large numbers of people are likely to come into close contact, often in enclosed spaces, and for prolonged periods of time”.

In Singapore, Covid-19 clusters have emerged in bars like Hero’s in Circular Road and Ce La Vi in the Marina Bay Sands.

However, he says that those on Lorong Mambong may be registered as restaurants that have a bar.

He also pointed out that according to an Urban Redevelopment Authority circular on Phase 2, the sale and consumption of alcohol in all F&B establishments won’t be allowed after 10.30pm daily.

Photo of Holland Village crowds alarming but not surprising

While the photo, if it was taken on Friday night, is alarming, it’s also not surprising that people will flock to bars on the very first night of Phase 2, especially as it’s a Friday.

And besides the few areas outside the bars and restaurants, at least the crowd didn’t take up the whole road, as seen from the video.

However, it’s still advisable for people to keep at least 1m from one another and wear their masks when not eating or drinking.

Do stay safe and be responsible while out and about, not just for your own health but that of others in the community.

Featured image adapted from Facebook.

Jeremy Lee

Analog person making do with a digital world.

Recent Posts

Serangoon HDB flat sold for S$1.208M, becomes most expensive unit in the estate

Prices in Serangoon are rapidly escalating, with a 7.01% increase in the average price this…

29 Mar 2024, 3:29 pm

Scissors penetrate Thai girl’s skull after 4-year-old brother throws them to imitate TV show

The depth of penetration was 2.54cm, or an inch. 

29 Mar 2024, 2:25 pm

Mother of US toddler who died after being left alone for 10 days gets life imprisonment

The judge said she committed "the ultimate betrayal".

29 Mar 2024, 12:25 pm

Expats find S’pore too costly to live in: Many are feeling the pinch & want to leave

Despite the country being an attractive place to live in, elevated costs are causing many…

29 Mar 2024, 10:20 am

S’pore checkpoints see massive jams before Good Friday long weekend with more than 4 hours’ wait

The queue at Tuas was four hours and 40 minutes long at 11.16pm.

29 Mar 2024, 7:23 am