You can call it what you want: lockdown, Movement Control Order (MCO) (Malaysia’s fancy name) or circuit breaker measures but one thing is true.
They want you to stay at home.
But it’s not all bad, especially when the measures were implemented to help us prevent further spread of the virus and at the same time #Savelives.
And here’s its progress:
MOH Updates Progress on Circuit Breaker; 3,000 Officers Now Deployed to Catch Offenders
According to the MOH website, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce has introduced stringent measures as part of a nation-wide circuit breaker in order to break the chain of coronavirus transmissions which began on 7 April 2020.
Since it was first announced, there have been various amendments.
For instance, wearing masks when you’re out and about is now compulsory.
If you fail to adhere to the measures, you could be fined $300. That’s half of the money the government just gave, so bear that in mind.
Updates
Here are some updates on the progress of the Circuit Breaker measures.
Singaporeans have made significant efforts to stay at home and reduce movements and interactions except for essential purposes like buying groceries.
Public transport ridership and traffic volume have dropped by over 70%.
In the same vein, a whopping 80% of the workforce is now working from home.
30-40% of individuals are out on weekdays while 20-30% are out on weekends.
3,000 Enforcement Officers Deployed Daily
However, it’s no surprise that there has been a handful who opt to flout the rules.
This is why as many as 3,000 enforcement officers and ambassadors from over 30 agencies will be deployed daily to public spaces in HDB estates across the island to make sure that Singaporeans abide by the safe distancing measures.
In addition, crowd control measures have been implemented to limit entry to popular parks and wet markets.
However, that’s not to say that there hasn’t been good progress. For example, foot traffic has fallen by as much as 50% at hotspots.
Now if you’re wondering how they know these figures, it’s because drones have even been deployed at some parks and nature areas to monitor visitorship.
The government is watching.
Public spaces like stadiums, playgrounds, fitness corners, beaches, open fields and elderly activity corners have been closed off to discourage social gathering.
Over 6,200 Warnings & Over 500 Fines
Since 7 April, over 6,200 warnings and over 500 fines have been handed to individuals who fail to abide by the safe distancing measures.
Lest you’re unaware, you will be fined $300 for the first offence and $1000 for the second offence, while those who still don’t want to listen will be prosecuted in court.
Although enforcement officers have reported that more have complied with safe distancing measures, they emphasise that we cannot be complacent.
At the end of the day, all of us has a role in making this circuit breaker count, lest it gets extended.
So please, just stay at home.
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