Even as Covid-19 cases in Singapore taper down, Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDAs) would still often be seen on patrol, ensuring people adhere to safety measures.
On Monday (21 Mar), Facebook page Singapore Incidents shared a video of 2 SDAs in a restaurant at Millenia Walk.
They were seen using a measuring tape to measure the distance between diners.
In the video, one diner can be heard saying that he was “traumatised” by the SDAs’ actions.
The video soon went viral, garnering over 2,000 shares at the time of writing, leading many netizens to question the need to use a measuring tape to ensure safe distancing.
At the start of the video, an SDA is seen using a measuring tape to measure the distance between 2 diners at Kyo-Ya Dining restaurant at Millenia Walk.
As he was doing this, another SDA snapped photos of him using his phone.
The scene drew the attention of some diners who turned to see what was happening.
In the video, one diner, whose chair was used for the measurement, looked visibly uncomfortable, constantly turning back to see the commotion.
After a short while, the diner proceeded to stand up from his seat.
The video then panned across the restaurant, showing that it was largely vacant.
Identifying himself as one of the owners of the restaurant, the man behind the camera later spoke up, saying, “My guests all gone.”
While acknowledging that they were just doing their jobs, he also asked the SDAs why they came to his restaurant to do “this sort of thing”.
He then headed outside with his business partner and the SDAs for a talk.
Immediately, the other restaurant owner, donning a white shirt, questioned the SDAs about a long queue with over 50 people in the mall that they had allegedly failed to take action against.
The owner behind the camera stopped him, asking the SDAs to proceed to other restaurants.
At this point, the SDA tried to raise the issue of the 1m safe distance between diners.
As the SDAs were still in discussion with the owner, a diner approached. Speaking to the owner with the camera, he said,
I can let you know my contact number, they traumatised my eating experience, I can go on record.
The owner then pointed out the customer to the SDAs, asking them to listen to what he had to say.
Several discussions appeared to be ongoing at once as one SDA spoke to the owner in white about safe distancing while the other owner went on to accuse them of “traumatising people”.
After a while, the SDAs walked away towards the bar beside the restaurant while the owner kept the camera trained on them.
When they were about to pass the bar, the owner called them back to ask why they did not use a measuring tape to check the safe distancing there.
The SDAs were then seen speaking to staff at TAP.
After watching the video, netizens questioned why there was a need to measure the distance between the seats when they were occupied.
This Facebook user noted that the action makes customers “uncomfortable and uneasy”.
Many shared the sentiment that SDAs could have waited for guests to vacate their seats instead of disturbing them.
Another netizen, who claimed to be an SDA himself, acknowledged that it was not an easy job. Nonetheless, there is no need to use a measuring tape.
He urged the SDAs, business owners, and the public to show more patience.
MS News has reached out to the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) for comments and will update the article accordingly when they get back.
Undeniably, SDAs have the challenging job of enforcing rules on the ground without causing too many disruptions.
Just a few days ago on 15 Mar, Singapore streamlined our Covid-19 rules so safe distancing is no longer needed in mask-on settings.
However, it is important to remember that in other, riskier settings, safe distancing is still a necessity due to the volatile nature of Covid-19 transmissions.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Singapore Incidents on Facebook.
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