Even though the Circuit Breaker is over and we’re allowed to make social visits, there are still several safe distancing rules in place.
Some question why we need these strict regulations at all. Surely residents are prudent enough to take the necessary precautions to safeguard their own health?
See, some residents do need to be told what to do. And even then, there’ll be a few who are determined to break the rules.
Loudhailers Installed in East Coast Park to Curb Crowds But People Are Allegedly Still Crowding There
If you went to East Coast Park yesterday (26 July) for a nice picnic, you might have thought a violent crime occurred there.
That’s because several police officers could be seen patrolling the beach, as well as safe distancing ambassadors, reported TODAYonline.
No real crime took place, of course, except people’s indifference to safe distancing rules.
Since so many were flouting the rules, safe distancing ambassadors who were patrolling the more crowded areas of the beach with loudhailers blared this message on loop: “For your safety, groups of more than five people are not permitted. Intermingling is not allowed.”
You know the situation is bad when you have to shout your message into the ears of errant residents.
According to NParks, the loudhailers had been in use since last weekend, when the one-week school holiday begun.
On 18 and 19 July, beaches at East Coast Park and Sentosa were extremely crowded, with many groups comprising more than 10 people who were from extended families, or were friends.
As you know, social gatherings are limited to five participants per group.
Still, even though the then-Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli warned against complacency after last week’s crowds, people continued to flock to beaches in groups of more than five.
Maybe they just happened to meet at the beach?
Nope. Two groups actually admitted in an interview with TODAYonline that they had broken the rules.
In fact, they tried to get around the rules by sitting further apart and leaving the group whenever enforcement officers were nearby.
According to images from Facebook Page Singapore Atrium Sale, some parts of the ECP car parks were also cordoned off, to reduce crowding.
Why Crowding at the Beach is Dangerous
Crowding in any public area is not a great idea during the coronavirus pandemic, but filling up beaches is especially risky.
Why?
Because when you’re not swimming or building sandcastles at the beach, you’re gorging on food and guzzling drinks.
And unless you’ve figured out a way to eat and drink without removing your mask, this means that a large number of bare-faced people are in very close proximity to each other, which facilitates transmission of the coronavirus.
So, if you’re planning to go to the beach and you have more than five family members, you’ll sadly have to choose the ones you like the least and ask them to stay at home.
Sure, it’d be nice if the whole of Singapore could throng the beach and have one large national picnic, but we should be thankful that we can go to the beach at all.
Do you remember how boring life was during the circuit breaker?
If all of us flout the rules thinking everyone else will follow them, no one will follow the rules.
That’s just how humans are. It’s time we accept that.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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