The COVID-19 pandemic has infected thousands of people here, prevented us from travelling, and separated us from our loved ones, but it’s led to something much worse that few are talking about.
Reader: Forcing us to wash our hands after using the bathroom?
What? No. I’m talking about taking away our ability to shop.Â
Reader: Okay that’s much worse.Â
For Singaporeans, shopping is a national sport. And even now when malls have reopened to the public, some shopping centres have entry restrictions, meaning you can only visit them on certain dates.
But that may not be the case much longer.
Lucky Plaza & Penninsula Plaza Entry Restrictions Lifted from 10 Apr
Get out your wallets, purses, and face masks, because the weekend entry restrictions to Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza will finally be lifted on Saturday (10 April)!
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) said in a joint statement that the restrictions managed to reduce crowds at both malls and helped with the management of queues and pedestrian traffic around the perimeters of the malls.
Another reason the authorities decided to ease the restrictions is that both malls also demonstrated greater compliance with safe management measures.
In fact, the number of composition fines issued to businesses and individuals has decreased by 70% since the restrictions were introduced.
Restrictions Based on the Last Digit of ID Number
Those who have been shopping online in their sofas since the circuit breaker may not have known about these restrictions, so here’s a quick recap.
On 29 Aug last year, STB and ESG implemented restrictions at both malls to reduce crowding and pedestrian traffic.
The restriction was based on the last digit of the identification number for each visitor.
So, shoppers with an even last digit on their cards were allowed to visit the malls only on even dates, while those with an odd digit could only visit on odd dates.
Visitors Still Advised Not to Visit Malls During Peak Hours
Despite lifting the restriction, the authorities urged visitors not to rush to the mall immediately or visit during peak hours.
Instead, they should plan their visits during weekdays or non-peak periods on weekends.
Crowds have reduced and the malls are complying with safe management measures, but that doesn’t eliminate the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak.
Plus, if we get carried away and crowds start to form once more, the authorities said they will reimpose entry restrictions if necessary.
Government agencies will also continue to step up enforcement checks.
Featured Image: Google Maps
Here’s the REAL reason why everyone is hanging plushies on their bags, simplified for you:
