There is Even Social Distancing in NS IPPT / RT Whereby You Have to Clean The Station Yourself

When news of non-ticketed mass event above 250 must be cancelled hit Singapore, I’m 101% most of us would be thinking: that means all RT or IPPT cancel lah?

While it’s not certain whether there are often more than 250 people in a session (no one’s counting), it’s a fact that it’s a mass event with many sweaty men exercising and sharing water coolers together.

Would IPPT or RT be cancelled?

Well, no; life goes on because defending the country’s a 24/7 job.

Though, with special precautionary measures.

Social Distancing in IPPT / IPT / RT

For the uninitiated, we NSmen who’ve completed our 2-year NS have to pass a physical fitness test (IPPT) annually, otherwise we’d be subjected to 20 sessions of physical training (RT).

To know more about the obligations we NSmen have to fulfil other than the usual two-week paid chalet ICT, you might want to check out this video:

(Check out our YouTube channel for more information and entertaining videos!)

Last month, non-ICT IPPT / IPT / RT were temporarily cancelled as all Fitness Conditioning Centres (the places we go for our IPPT / IPT / RT) were closed.

It reopened this month and with a spike in COVID-19 and more talks about social distancing, you’d have thought that they’d be closed again.

You think wrong.

Instead, precautionary measures, including interesting social distancing measures, would be implemented.

For example, people are seated one metre apart during briefings…

…though you’ve got to admit that we do that even then there’s no social distancing.

Anyone who’s used the IPPT station machine must clean it himself…

…because it’s the army man, so everyone would be familiar with cleaning though it’d be funny to see a Colonel (NS) cleaning it.

And of course, each group would comprise no more than 40 participants and each session would be less than 250 participants.

Which means you’d have to book fastly because slots appear to be limited now.

Here’s the post by The Singapore Army Facebook Page:

And lest you can’t read what’s written:

SAF Fitness Conditioning Centres (FCCs) have implemented additional measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Each Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), IPPT Preparatory Training (IPT) and Remedial Training (RT) session is kept to 250 participants or less. Within each session, activities are conducted in groups of no more than 40. Separation between participants is also kept at 1 metre.

The FCC trainers will also check that the participants wipe down and sanitise the stations after use. Hand sanitisers are also available for use.

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So to all buibuis who’re thinking that they can siam exercising again: you wait long long.