NEA extends crowd management measures to other markets from 7 April following successful trial at Serangoon Garden Market. Written advisories were issued to patrons who did not comply with safety distancing measures.
Singapore, 5 April 2020 – In view of the evolving COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) situation, the National Environment Agency (NEA) commenced a trial at Serangoon Garden Market on 4 and 5 April 2020 to study how crowd management could be conducted in a market setting, where the entry and exit points of the market were monitored and controlled to avoid overcrowding at the market. The trial was conducted smoothly, and NEA will be extending the crowd management measures to other markets where the physical layout makes it feasible to do so, and for popular markets where some form of crowd control management may be necessary especially on weekends. These crowd management measures will commence at Tiong Bahru Market and Bukit Timah Market from 7 April 2020, and be progressively introduced at the markets at Geylang Serai, North Bridge Road, Tanglin Halt, Beo Crescent, Taman Jurong and Kallang Estate. The number of patrons who can enter each market at any time will be derived from its size and space availability in the markets. A queue may form when the capacity of the market is reached, and patrons are advised to keep a separation of at least 1 metre if queuing to enter the market. Patrons who frequent these markets are strongly encouraged to visit the markets on weekdays or during the non-peak hours on weekends.
Markets
2 Over the weekend from 4 to 5 April 2020, NEA observed an average increase of 25% in the crowd levels at 80% of the 83 markets, with almost 30% of the patrons who visited markets being elderly. NEA strongly advises members of the public to visit markets on weekdays, where the crowd is about 30% less than weekends. With more telecommuting, members of the public may be in a better position to adjust their marketing hours, and visit the markets early on weekdays. Such small adjustments will also make for a more pleasant visit to the markets and a safer environment for all. Even on Mondays, fruit stalls and some vegetables stalls at most markets are open. If patrons must visit markets during the weekends, they should consider going early since stalls open as early as 5:00am, and avoid the usual peak period between 7:30am-10:00am. NEA reminds patrons in vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and children, to avoid visiting the markets on weekends.
3 When at the market stalls, patrons must observe safe distancing. To date, a vast majority of markets already have queue markings in front of stalls to guide patrons to maintain at least one metre separation from one another. While patrons’ adherence rates have improved from about 20% when these markings were first put in early last week, to almost 50% on 5 April, more patrons need to come onboard and maintain the 1 metre separation when queuing or making their purchases at market stalls. In particular, patrons buying vegetables and fish should observe safe distancing when making purchases, and not crowd in front of the stalls. NEA is monitoring the situation at markets closely, and will take enforcement as necessary on persons who intentionally do not practise safe distancing even after advice has been given by NEA officers.
Cooked Food Sections of Hawker Centres
4 On 5 April 2020, NEA officers conducted surveillance at breakfast, lunch and dinner time. A total of 43 written advisories were issued to patrons who sat on seats which had been marked out and who stood in a queue less than 1 metre away from other patrons at the hawker centres. These data are from the enforcement rounds conducted over breakfast and lunch-time, and enforcement rounds over dinner time are continuing. While all were compliant following the advisories, NEA urges all patrons to practice safe distancing by following the markings at the cooked food sections of hawker centres, which have been in place since 1 April 2020.
5 As announced on 3 April 2020, dining-in will be disallowed at the dining areas of cooked food sections of hawker centres, with effect from 7 April 2020 until 4 May 2020 (inclusive). During this period, patrons can continue to make cooked food purchases at our hawker centres by only using food deliveries or through takeaways. No one should gather or loiter at the dining areas of our hawker centres. While patrons and delivery riders can continue to enter the hawker centres to do take-outs or fulfil delivery orders, there should be no consumption of food or drinks at the dining areas within the hawker centres during this period. When queueing at the stalls or waiting for their takeaway orders, patrons and visitors should maintain a 1 metre separation from any other person in the hawker centre, and follow floor queue markings in front of the hawker stalls where available. All patrons and visitors are reminded to follow the guidance and instructions of NEA officers. Non-compliant patrons and visitors may face enforcement action. SG Clean Ambassadors and volunteers will be deployed to assist patrons and visitors.
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