Today (24 Feb), the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced that the new changes to the existing COVID-19 safety management measures, which were supposed to come into effect in 25 Feb, will be postponed and revised.
A new date will be announced later.
This announcement hardly comes as a surprise given the surge in the daily COVID-19 cases, wherein there were a total of 26,032 new cases on Tuesday (22 Feb), and how it only dropped marginally to 20,312 new cases yesterday.
Things are a bit iffy right now, to put it lightly.
Therefore, the current rules will remain in place for the time being.
The Previously Announced Streamlined Safety Measures
Back on 16 Feb, MOH had announced the relaxation and simplification of the COVID-19 Safety Management Measures (SMM).
The measures being dialled down was a slow and steady step towards returning back to normalcy, but the Omicron Variant has decided to throw a wrench in things.
The streamlined SMMs originally involved:
- Still having to wear masks outside but safe distancing measures don’t apply when masks are on. When dining at restaurants without masks, the one-metre social distancing rule still applies.
- For social gatherings, the maximum capacity remains at five, though for households, it has changed from only being able to receive five visitors per day to five visitors at any time.
- 50% of the employees are allowed to return to workspaces.
- Sports events can be carried out with up to 30 fully vaccinated individuals at supervised and/or approved facilities.
- Event size limits for weddings, religious services, and business events will be lifted on 4 March.
The main and most important changes involve the allowing social gatherings at workplaces again, and resuming sport events, albeit at a smaller and contained level.
They were all good news, but it has been shelved again until the worst of the Omicron wave passes.
Hang in there, folks.
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Reasons for the Changes
MOH had originally intended to make large amendments to the pre-existing regulations which had accumulated over the two years, since they had become long and overly complex in some respects.
It had also been the Ministry’s intention to introduce the changes in phases, with the dates being one week apart, on 25 Feb and 4 Mar.
Judging from the current circumstances, however, and the additional work necessary to sift through the detailed rules in various settings, the Multi-Ministry Task Force “has decided to consolidate and streamline the SMMs in one go instead”.
That being said, when the new date is eventually announced, we can probably expect more changes to the current COVID-19 SMMs, leaning towards the side of removing or reducing the restrictions.
Fingers crossed that the endemic is in sight.
Meanwhile, remember to stay safe!
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Featured Image: Shutterstock / Evgenia Pichkur