Singapore to let some businesses reopen May 12

An information notice on prevention measures against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus including advising people to wear facemask or else being prohibited from entering a wet market is pictured in Singapore on April 22, 2020. (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP)

SINGAPORE — Selected businesses will be allowed to reopen from May 12 in a cautious rollback of Singapore’s two-month partial lockdown to curb the virus spread.

The city-state has seen a sharp rise in infections, with 447 new cases Saturday to take its total to 17,548. About 85 percent of its infections are linked to foreign workers living in crowded dormitories.

Despite this, the health ministry said cases in the local community has declined. It said the average daily infections in the community has dropped by more than half to 12 in the past week, while cases with unknown sources have also fallen to an average of six a day.

The ministry said restrictions will be eased cautiously and gradually to avoid a flare-up of the virus. Selected activities such as home-based businesses, food manufacturing, selected food retail outlets, laundry services, barbers and pet supplies can reopen from May 12. Small groups of students will be allowed back to school from May 19.

It said a gradual reopening of the economy and work premises will be phased in, with strict health rules including a digital mobile app to speed up contact tracing. Other lockdown measures remain, including confining more than 300,000 migrant workers in their dorms until the lockdown period ends June 1.