Singapore's prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday announced a new raft of restrictive measures in the country's ongoing fight against the coronavirus.
Although refraining from using the word lockdown, Lee said that Singapore would apply “circuit breakers” that include closing most workplaces, except for essential services and key economic sectors.
Food establishments, markets and supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, utilities, transport and key banking services will remain open. TradeWinds understands that port operations and bunker services are categorized as essential services.
Tightening restrictions
Restrictions on movements and gatherings of people have been tightened, with residents of the island state told that should only go out only for essential things, such as going to work if they are employed in essential services or key economic sectors, to buy food or to exercise.
The restrictions will be in force for an initial one-month period.
Lee stressed that Singapore had enough food supplies to last through this period and beyond.
The measures were announced following a spike in the number of coronavirus cases. A total of 1,114 people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Singapore as of Friday afternoon.
Several Singapore-based shipping-related companies contacted by TradeWinds said that they did not expect the new measures to significantly impact their ability to operate as they had already shut down their physical offices and asked their employees to work remotely from home.
Shipyard surprise
Lee's announcement appears to have caught Singapore's shipyards by surprise. Sources within the sector say that they are still checking on how the new restrictions will apply to them.
Some believe the chances of shipyards being closed down are on the high side as they are not part of the essential supply chain.
Earlier on Friday, it was revealed that Keppel Shipyard had emerged as a new cluster for coronavirus cases.
Three confirmed cases were linked to Keppel's 51 Pioneer Sector 1 site and about 100 personnel who had direct contact with Covid-19 patients linked to the shipyard were placed on a 14-day leave of absence.
