Coronavirus: Singapore gets strict on ‘circuit breaker’ offenders as it reports 191 new cases, eighth death

Anybody not abiding by the partial lockdown rules will be fined US$212 for their first offence, instead of being issued with a warning

Singapore also closed beaches and will make it mandatory for commuters to wear masks on public transport, to curb the spread of Covid-19

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A woman looks at a closed public beach at East Coast Park amid the spread of the coronavirus disease in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:46pm, 11 Apr 2020Updated: 2:52pm, 12 Apr 2020

Singapore’s health ministry confirmed 191 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, taking its total number of infections to 2,299.

The city state also reported its eighth death from the disease, a 90-year-old man who tested positive for the coronavirus on April 3 and was admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases that day. He died on Saturday morning.

The country’s Ministry of Health said 51 of the new cases were linked to foreign worker dormitories and 21 were linked to other cases or clusters.

People observe social distance as preventive measure against Covid-19 as they walk and jog along the Kallang Riverside Park in Singapore. Photo: AFP

The government has imposed a partial lockdown until May 4, calling it a “circuit breaker” period, in which everybody is asked to stay at home at all times except for essential needs such as buying food or visiting a doctor. When outside, people must maintain a safe distance from each other.

From Sunday, anyone who is not abiding by these “circuit breaker” measures will be fined S$300 (US$212) for their first offence, instead of being issued with a warning, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said on Saturday.

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