Large Crowds Were Spotted in Various Public Areas to Watch NDP Events & Some Even Posted Them on Social Media

If you had spent the whole of 9 Aug 2020 at home, watching the various live-stream videos, you’ll notice something baffling:

Or, if you’ve been on Instagram, you might have seen some of these images:

And if you’re an avid follower of Mr Baey Yam Keng:

View this post on Instagram

Left Padang for Tampines to join residents catch the Mobile Column. But first, some photos and wefies before the convoy arrived. #NDP2020 #togetherastrongersingapore #tampinesnorth

A post shared by Baey Yam Keng 马炎庆 (@baeyyamkeng) on Aug 9, 2020 at 5:12am PDT

PatrioticGranny44: Where’s the safe-distancing? 

Yeah, apparently, we aren’t the only ones to think so as even the mainstream media has picked up on this:

Large Crowds Were Spotted in Various Public Areas to Watch NDP Events & Some Even Posted Them on Social Media

TODAY pointed out that the authorities have appealed for Singaporeans to host a private NDP celebration at home.

To the point that the NDP organising committee splurged to come up with an entire day of programmes that allow Singaporeans to participate in the festive mood right in their own home.

Unfortunately, crowds still turned up at the various “hotspots”, places where the mobile column passed through and the landing zones of the Red Lions.

Safeguards Were Implemented

Back in May 2020, when news that the annual event of fireworks, mobile columns and Red Lions will continue surfaced, the NDP committee knew that crowds will gather despite the Covid-19 situation.

That’s why on top of the festivities they have to deploy, they’ve also put into place additional safeguards including:

• Ambassadors to ensure that people celebrate in a safe manner
• Soldiers to help keep order

The riverside, where people had gathered to watch the fireworks go off, was closed off early to limit the crowd size.

In case you’ve missed it, one of the “additional safeguards” managed to save one elderly man from a gruesome death.

Singaporeans Feeling Safe & Secure

Several Singaporeans that the paper managed to speak to said they were “not too concerned” about the crowd.

“I don’t think there’s anything to worry about because as long as we keep to the rules and keep our distance from others we should be safe.”

Another person said it should be “relatively safer” since it’s an open-air venue and he and his wife made sure to stick to the thinner parts of the crowd.

An extended family was also observed gathering in a group of more than 5, although they kept themselves separated with safe-distancing during their excursion out.

A group of undergraduates who were at Gardens by the Bay said they saw people “around them” not obeying reminders from the ambassadors.

Now that 9 Aug 2020 is over, hopefully, everyone remembers that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic and be mindful of the Covid-19 rules again.

After all, as experts have pointed out, it takes every single person in Singapore to help fight off the coronavirus, not just a group of people at the top of Singapore’s food chain.