Fencing, mandatory SafeEntry check-in at over 20 markets
Stricter access as virus cases rise; unvaccinated people urged to stay home
Tighter measures will be implemented to manage access to wet markets where Covid-19 clusters or cases have surfaced.
From today, mandatory SafeEntry check-in requirements will be enforced at more than 20 markets, and temporary fencing will be put up by the National Environment Agency and town councils, said the Health Ministry (MOH) yesterday.
At the same time, unvaccinated individuals, especially seniors who are most at risk of serious illness, are urged to stay at home, given the rise in community cases.
MOH said it is particularly concerned because wet markets serve a range of customers, including the elderly, some of whom remain unvaccinated.
The additional controls will better enable contact tracing to ring-fence cases, MOH noted, adding that similar controls had already been implemented at 13 markets since the circuit breaker period last year.
Customers will not be allowed to enter once the number of people in each market reaches the stipulated allowable capacity.
At the weekend, Covid-19 clusters have been detected at two markets - Hong Lim Market and Food Centre and Chong Boon Market and Food Centre. These clusters were likely "seeded" by fishmongers and stallholders who had visited Jurong Fishery Port to collect stock to sell at these markets and food centres, said MOH.
The cluster at the port stood at 63 cases as at noon yesterday.
Cases have also been detected at Amoy Street Food Centre, Chong Pang Market and Food Centre, Whampoa Wet Market, Telok Blangah Crescent Block 11, Taman Jurong Market, Redhill Market, Geylang Serai Malay Market, Geylang Bahru Market, 527 Ang Mo Kio Market, 726 West Coast Wet Market and Bukit Timah Wet Market.
All unvaccinated individuals, especially the elderly, should stay home as much as possible over the next few weeks, the MOH stressed.
"We urge members of the public to reach out to your elderly relatives or neighbours who remain unvaccinated to see what assistance they may require, for example, to buy daily necessities."
It also reminded people to limit their social gatherings.
"With the upcoming (Hari Raya Haji) public holiday on July 20, individuals should continue to limit their overall number of social gatherings to not more than two a day, whether it is to another household, or to meet with friends and family members in a public place."
And as earlier announced, groups dining at food and beverage outlets will be limited to two people from today, down from five. However, up to five fully vaccinated individuals will still be allowed to dine together in restaurants, though not at coffee shops or hawker centres, where the limit stays at two.
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