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

Reading Time:3 minutes

Bubble tea, a popular drink that comes with chewy tapioca balls. Outlets that sell only beverages, packaged snacks, confectioneries or desserts must close for at least two weeks as part of Singapore’s coronavirus containment measures. Photo: Handout

Published: 11:15pm, 21 Apr 2020Updated: 12:30am, 22 Apr 2020

Fans of bubble tea lined up at shops and submitted online orders for the popular drink in Singapore on Tuesday night, after the government announced THAT outlets selling the popular drink were among the food and beverage establishments required to close for at least two weeks.

Authorities said the closure could be extended to June, amid stricter measures to ensure social distancing during Singapore’s partial lockdown, dubbed a circuit breaker to stop the transmission of the deadly coronavirus.

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.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x