The number of coronavirus cases in the community is dropping, some circuit breakers restrictions have been eased, and things are finally looking up.
So, sneaking off to meet a few friends is ok, right? Since things are better and none of your friends have Covid-19. Right?
Reader: Yup, that sounds about righ-
*slap*
Reader: What the- was I just slapped by an article?
Yes, you were, and if you go off to meet your friends during the circuit breaker you’ll get an even bigger slap on the wrist in the form of a hefty fine.
Reader: My cheek hurts
But some people continue to go out and gather in groups despite knowing the rules, even if it endangers their friends, family members, and themselves.
7 Youths Gathered for Drinks Together from 4am Onwards & All 7 Youths Got Fined Together
When a resident living at Woodlands Circle was woken up by laughter at 4am, he probably wondered if the Joker had come in the middle of the night to murder him.
But then he looked out his window and realised that the noise was coming from a group of seven youths who gathered at a park nearby for some drinks and chit-chat.
The group, made up of six men and one woman aged between 23 and 25, was sitting on a bench near a barbecue pit that had been cordoned off as part of safe distancing measures.
Yes, not only did they flout the circuit breaker rules, they chose to do it at a place that had been cordoned off.
A video of the law-breaking youths was later uploaded to social media.
The video starts off with the group chatting and laughing wildly like a pack of verbally-gifted hyenas. A few minutes later, one of them notices that two police officers are approaching and he puts his head in his hands.
Did they think that people who enter cordoned-off areas became invisible or something? Why was he so surprised that the police managed to find them?
According to Stomp, all the youths were each issued with a notice of composition for breaching safe distancing measures under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.
A notice of composition means they were fined either $300 or $1,000, depending on how many times that have breached safe distancing measures.
Though it looks like some of them weren’t wearing masks, so that would probably have been taken into consideration too.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the group had been drinking and eating for hours before the police arrived.
The resident said that this was not the first time the group has loitered at the park.
They also left the trash behind at the table after leaving the park, creating more work for cleaners, the resident added.
This would be the perfect time for uncles and aunties all over Singapore to come together to go tsk tsk at this group, but unfortunately, we can’t do that right now.
We Can’t Be Complacent
Speaking of things we can’t do right now, I’m sure you’ve seen videos on the internet of athletes celebrating too early.
It’s cringy and hard to watch, but that could happen to us too if we get complacent.
As Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said, despite a fall in community and unlinked cases, Singapore is “not out of the woods” yet.
So, keep adhering to the circuit breaker rules, even if we have a low number of cases over the next few weeks.
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The coronavirus is like a tiger in a bush behind a gazelle drinking water: it’s ready to attack and will pounce the minute it sees an opportunity.
We only have a month to go (I think), so let’s continue to stay at home as much as possible, and avoid meeting our friends for now.
Reader: But what is life without friends?
Sure, but what is life without life?
Reader: Point taken.
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