SINGAPORE: From next Monday (Aug 29), people in Singapore will not be required to wear a mask except on public transport and in healthcare facilities, announced Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Aug 24).
Masks will still have to be worn on transport modes such as the MRT, LRT and public buses, as well as in indoor public transport facilities like boarding areas at bus interchanges and MRT platforms, said Mr Wong, speaking at a press conference held by the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force.
But they will not be required at airports, naturally ventilated bus interchanges and in the retail areas of bus interchanges, MRT and LRT stations.
Masks will be optional on private transport modes such as taxis, school buses and private bus services, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a separate press release on Wednesday.
Healthcare facilities, residential care homes and ambulances will keep their mask-wearing requirement. These include welfare and sheltered homes for the aged, as well as adult disability homes.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first announced the easing of Singapore's mask-wearing requirements in his National Day Rally speech last Sunday.
Mr Wong said on Wednesday that masks remain required on public transport and in healthcare facilities because these are "essential areas where essential services are being carried out in enclosed and crowded spaces, and which are frequently used by vulnerable persons".
For workers in certain sectors, masks will continue to be required, the Health Ministry said. For example, food handlers will still have to wear masks in accordance with the Singapore Food Agency's hygiene requirements.
"Mask-wearing remains an effective way for us to minimise the risk of disease transmission," the ministry said in its press release.
"Even though we are currently in a state of the pandemic where mask-wearing in many settings would no longer be mandatory, members of the public are encouraged to continue to exercise responsibility and caution, such as wearing masks when in crowded places, or when visiting or interacting with vulnerable persons."
Experts have advised that the elderly and immuno-compromised should continue to wear masks in crowded indoor settings to reduce their risk of catching any respiratory infections, MOH added.
Singapore's COVID-19 infection numbers have steadily declined across all age groups since late July, and the number of daily hospitalised cases has halved from its recent peak last month, the ministry said.
Singapore last significantly eased COVID-19 measures on Apr 26, when group size limits and safe-distancing requirements were lifted. SafeEntry and TraceTogether requirements were also removed for most settings.
All employees were allowed to return to the workplace, and the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level was lowered from Orange to Yellow after more than two years.
The DORSCON framework, which gives an indication of the current disease situation, was raised to Orange on Feb 7, 2020, at the start of the pandemic.
The requirement to wear masks outdoors was lifted on Mar 29, along with the doubling of social gathering group sizes from five to 10 people.
Measures for in-person visits to hospitals and residential care homes will also be eased from Sep 1, said the Health Ministry.
MOH previously announced the extension of safe-management measures for visitors until Aug 31.
From Sep 1, each patient and resident will be allowed two visitors at each time. Hospital visitors will have to abide by visiting hours while those at residential homes will have their visits capped at one hour.
Visitors are encouraged to self-test ART negative on the day of the visit, the ministry said. People should also not visit their loved ones if they are unwell.
"Hospitals and homes have the discretion to impose additional visitor limits and/or testing requirements for visitors of vulnerable or unvaccinated patients/residents, and suspend visits if they have active COVID-19 cluster(s) to reduce transmission," MOH said in its press release.
"We seek the public's continued cooperation to comply with the revised SMMs in hospitals and residential care homes, so that we continue to keep patients and residents safe."
Vaccination-differentiated measures – such as requiring those dining in at food and beverage outlets to be vaccinated against COVID-19 – will not change, said Mr Wong.
Currently, vaccination-differentiated checks are only required for large events, and only vaccinated individuals are allowed to dine-in at F&B outlets.
"But businesses no longer check because this one is based on the individual, and we do random spot checks. For now, we are retaining this approach. So for now, there is no change to this because vaccinations are still the best way to protect ourselves against severe disease and COVID-19," said Mr Wong.
"We are reviewing our vaccination policy to transit to a system where we keep our vaccinations up to date."
The Government is studying how to define vaccinations that are up to date, and what the definition should be, he added, noting that the current policy stipulates that the first booster must be taken no later than 270 days after the primary series of COVID-19 vaccination.
"As we translate to this new system, we will at that stage also review and update our VDS (vaccinated-differentiated safe-management measures) requirements."
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Masks will still have to be worn on transport modes such as the MRT, LRT and public buses, as well as in indoor public transport facilities like boarding areas at bus interchanges and MRT platforms, said Mr Wong, speaking at a press conference held by the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force.
But they will not be required at airports, naturally ventilated bus interchanges and in the retail areas of bus interchanges, MRT and LRT stations.
Masks will be optional on private transport modes such as taxis, school buses and private bus services, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a separate press release on Wednesday.
Healthcare facilities, residential care homes and ambulances will keep their mask-wearing requirement. These include welfare and sheltered homes for the aged, as well as adult disability homes.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong first announced the easing of Singapore's mask-wearing requirements in his National Day Rally speech last Sunday.
Mr Wong said on Wednesday that masks remain required on public transport and in healthcare facilities because these are "essential areas where essential services are being carried out in enclosed and crowded spaces, and which are frequently used by vulnerable persons".
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For workers in certain sectors, masks will continue to be required, the Health Ministry said. For example, food handlers will still have to wear masks in accordance with the Singapore Food Agency's hygiene requirements.
"Mask-wearing remains an effective way for us to minimise the risk of disease transmission," the ministry said in its press release.
"Even though we are currently in a state of the pandemic where mask-wearing in many settings would no longer be mandatory, members of the public are encouraged to continue to exercise responsibility and caution, such as wearing masks when in crowded places, or when visiting or interacting with vulnerable persons."
Experts have advised that the elderly and immuno-compromised should continue to wear masks in crowded indoor settings to reduce their risk of catching any respiratory infections, MOH added.
Singapore's COVID-19 infection numbers have steadily declined across all age groups since late July, and the number of daily hospitalised cases has halved from its recent peak last month, the ministry said.
Singapore last significantly eased COVID-19 measures on Apr 26, when group size limits and safe-distancing requirements were lifted. SafeEntry and TraceTogether requirements were also removed for most settings.
All employees were allowed to return to the workplace, and the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level was lowered from Orange to Yellow after more than two years.
The DORSCON framework, which gives an indication of the current disease situation, was raised to Orange on Feb 7, 2020, at the start of the pandemic.
The requirement to wear masks outdoors was lifted on Mar 29, along with the doubling of social gathering group sizes from five to 10 people.
RESTRICTIONS ON HOSPITAL VISITS TO EASE
Measures for in-person visits to hospitals and residential care homes will also be eased from Sep 1, said the Health Ministry.
MOH previously announced the extension of safe-management measures for visitors until Aug 31.
From Sep 1, each patient and resident will be allowed two visitors at each time. Hospital visitors will have to abide by visiting hours while those at residential homes will have their visits capped at one hour.
Visitors are encouraged to self-test ART negative on the day of the visit, the ministry said. People should also not visit their loved ones if they are unwell.
"Hospitals and homes have the discretion to impose additional visitor limits and/or testing requirements for visitors of vulnerable or unvaccinated patients/residents, and suspend visits if they have active COVID-19 cluster(s) to reduce transmission," MOH said in its press release.
"We seek the public's continued cooperation to comply with the revised SMMs in hospitals and residential care homes, so that we continue to keep patients and residents safe."
Vaccination-differentiated measures – such as requiring those dining in at food and beverage outlets to be vaccinated against COVID-19 – will not change, said Mr Wong.
Currently, vaccination-differentiated checks are only required for large events, and only vaccinated individuals are allowed to dine-in at F&B outlets.
"But businesses no longer check because this one is based on the individual, and we do random spot checks. For now, we are retaining this approach. So for now, there is no change to this because vaccinations are still the best way to protect ourselves against severe disease and COVID-19," said Mr Wong.
"We are reviewing our vaccination policy to transit to a system where we keep our vaccinations up to date."
The Government is studying how to define vaccinations that are up to date, and what the definition should be, he added, noting that the current policy stipulates that the first booster must be taken no later than 270 days after the primary series of COVID-19 vaccination.
"As we translate to this new system, we will at that stage also review and update our VDS (vaccinated-differentiated safe-management measures) requirements."
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Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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