Coronavirus: Singapore’s bubble tea fans rush to beat circuit-breaker deadline
- Photos on social media showed deliverymen lining up outside a bubble tea shop, with people queuing at other stand-alone stores across the island
- Singapore’s government said outlets selling the popular drink were required to close as part of measures to contain the spread of Covid-19
Photos circulated on social media showed deliverymen outside a Gongcha bubble tea shop, with people standing around other bubble tea outlets in malls across the island. In one mall, a brawl appeared to have broken out in a queue.
Data from search engine Google showed a surge in searches for the popular tea drink that comes with chewy tapioca balls that was invented in Taiwan but is popular with Asians worldwide.
Several bubble tea lovers also took to Facebook to express their dismay.
“Bubble tea has been my emotional support during [the circuit breaker],” a user wrote on Facebook, in response to the regulations banning social gatherings and eating at restaurants that have been in force since April 7. “Now, it’s taken away.”
The new restrictions are for stand-alone F&B outlets that sell only beverages, packaged snacks, confectioneries or desserts and take effect at 11:59pm on Tuesday.
Those that are located in hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts can continue with their operations, the Trade and Industry Ministry said in a release.
The restrictions may be extended till June 1, depending on Singapore’s infection numbers then.
The country reported 9,125 infections as of Tuesday on the back of a surge in cases among more than 230,000 low-wage migrant workers living in mega dormitories.
While cases within the rest of the community are stable, authorities say they are troubled by a rise in unlinked cases where they cannot explain how a patients got infected.
Singapore extends coronavirus ‘circuit breaker’ measures to June 1
Most F&B outlets will continue to remain open but only for takeaway and delivery services, while hair salons and barbers will also need to close. Pet-supply stores and laundry services must close their physical shops but can do business online.
The suspension of these “less critical consumer services” are part of the government’s measures to further reduce the percentage of Singapore’s workforce who commute daily from 20 per cent to 15 per cent, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday.
Authorities also announced new rules for shopping at supermarkets and wet markets. Temperature screenings will be conducted at all supermarkets and malls from Wednesday, with shoppers entering supermarkets having to provide personal particulars.
Entry to popular wet markets will be restricted with customers allowed to shop there only on designated days, according to their identity card numbers.
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With most offices closed and the government reducing the number of workers deemed as providing essential services, those who are still working during the circuit breaker period will need to log their entry into and exit from their workplaces using SafeEntry, a digital check-in application.
This is to ensure that contact tracing can be done expeditiously, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said.
Additional reporting by Dewey Sim and Kok Xinghui
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