For some in Singapore, "complacency may be setting in" even while the "long battle" against Covid-19 pandemic continues, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said, in a Facebook post on July 21.

One example of such complacency, Masagos shared, was the situation at beaches at East Coast Park and Sentosa, over the weekend.

Beaches "extremely crowded"

The beaches were "extremely crowded", with "many groups comprising more than 10 people who were from extended families, or were friends congregating", the post stated.

There were also cases where Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDAs) and Enforcement Officers (EOs) encountered "aggression and non-compliance" when they advised large groups to disperse.

"I seek everyone’s cooperation in continuing to observe these safe distancing measures during Phase 2", Masagos said.

During Phase 2 of Singapore's re-opening after the Circuit Breaker period, social gatherings must be limited to at most five people, and masks must be worn at all times, with limited exceptions.

Masagos said that SDAs and EOs "will continue to walk the ground", to advise members of the public to adhere to safe distancing measures.

"We will be stepping up our enforcement", he added, saying that SDAs and EOs "will not hesitate to issue fines on violations".

Crowded segments of beaches to be temporarily closed

The response by NParks to the situation at beaches includes segmenting "more popular beachfronts" at East Coast Park, Masagos said.

NParks will temporarily close segments of beaches that get too crowded, Masagos said.

Groups with more than five people will also be turned away.

Members of the public are also advised to scan the SafeEntry QR codes set up at designated entry points at parks and along beachfronts before entering these spaces, in order to facilitate contact tracing.

Top image by NParks, via Masagos Zulkifli on Facebook