Expats Warned To Take Singaporean Anti-virus Rules Seriously

Expats living in popular areas of Singapore will now need to find another source of takeaway booze.

As in many other world countries attempting to knock back on their coronavirus numbers, social distancing in Singapore as a way to prevent becoming infected is going by the board once alcohol consumption takes over. As a result, several popular eateries in a known expat area were caught selling take-out alcoholic drinks and are now prohibited from providing booze to thirsty foreigners.

Singapore is now taking social distancing very seriously, as it now seems to be the only way to halt the deadly virus in its tracks. As a result, those seen not adhering to the city’s social distancing rulings are likely to be fined S$300 for a first offence. At the present time, the state’s recently extended partial lockdown is in its seventh week, with officials telling local reporters the spread of the virus can only be stopped if everyone follows the letter of the law. The offending area of Robinson Bay is located close by the city’s financial district, and is a favourite stopover after work for many expats working in the sector.

Social media pics showed groups forming outside a well-known restaurant, with half-empty beer glasses on outdoor tables. Worse still, many of those in the pics were breaking the law by not wearing masks. According to local media, police are now investigating and have requested local expats to report any violations using a recently-introduced app. Sadly, the popular expat professional destination is one of Asia’s worst as regards coronavirus infections, most of which are within the foreign community.

Last Monday, the total tally reached over 28,000 and resulted in the partial lockdown being extended as well as the closure of schools until at least the first of June. Numbers of foreigners arrested and brought to court for defying the city-state’s anti-covid-19 rules are high, with many having their work permits cancelled and receiving permanent bans from re-entry. However, Singaporean locals are having a worse time, with one who’d left home in order to buy and eat pork-rip soup ended up in prison for six weeks.