Minister: Town Councils Will Close Badminton / Basketball Courts if People Continue to Gather There

The Covid-19 situation in Singapore is getting better with every passing day.

The number of daily infections in the past week have remained under 100 for the most part, with zero community cases reported twice in the last three days.

This means everything can go back to normal, right?

Reader: Yup, that sounds about righ-

WELL, YOU’RE WRONG. YOU’RE WRONG!

Reader: Alright alright please stop shouting.

As we’ve witnessed time and time again, the coronavirus will come back with a vengeance if you ease restrictions and claim victory too soon.

And that’s what the Singapore government believes in as well.

Despite the risks, however, some Singaporeans are still flouting Covid-19 regulations, all in the name of recreation.

Town Councils Will Close Badminton / Basketball Courts if People Continue to Gather There

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu has warned residents that town councils will close game courts and community facilities if safe distancing rules are not adhered to.

In a post on Facebook, Fu said that while she appreciated the importance of leading an active lifestyle, safety is the government’s “utmost priority”.

For those who don’t know, Fu was recently appointed Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in PM Lee’s cabinet reshuffle, which means she’s basically the country’s discipline master now.

As Fu noted, public areas such as game courts, beaches, parks, as well as community facilities have reopened since the country shifted to Phase 2 of its safe reopening.

This was because the Covid-19 situation had improved, and infections started to dwindle.

Still, the authorities were cautious and implemented safe distancing measures at these areas which included:

• maintaining a safe distance of at least 1m between individuals or groups
• limiting the group size for any activity (social or sporting) to a maximum of 5 persons
• prohibiting intermingling between groups

Members of the public are also required to wear masks at all times unless eating, drinking, or engaging in strenuous exercise.

However, Fu said the authorities have received complaints that people have been flouting these rules lately at game courts located in various HDB estates.

The minister said that large groups of residents continue to gather frequently at game courts despite the efforts of safe distancing ambassadors and enforcement officers.

Some of them don’t even wear masks when they’re not engaging in any sports or strenuous activity.

“We take these breaches very seriously”, she said.

Should these breaches persist, Fu warned that the town council will close game courts and community facilities where safe management measures are not adhered to.

“I sincerely hope that all of us can continue with our sporting activities in a socially responsible way. Remember that community vigilance is our first line of defence. We are responsible for our own health, and the safety of our loved ones”, the minister said.

Fu also urged residents to report those who violate safe distancing rules through the OneService app so that agencies can investigate the matter.

Badminton Group Suspended by SportSG For Breaking Rules

Remember that badminton group that flouted safe distancing rules at the ActiveSG Jurong East Indoor Sports Hall last month?

Even though all sports activities are limited to no more than five participants, the organiser of this badminton group booked six courts.

His group, which met through online platform Meetup, had booked six courts because they had 29 players.

This wasn’t just a problem because it was against the rules, but because one of them ended up being a Covid-19 patient.

All 29 players in the group later had their ActiveSG membership accounts suspended by SportsSG.

They claimed the rules were vague, but it wasn’t a convincing argument.

If you want to continue smashing shuttlecocks and bouncing big red balls on the court with your friends, please abide by the safe distancing rules in place. It’s not rocket science.