Last Friday, we were advised to stay at home as much as possible.
But now, we’re “forced” to stay at home.
Reader Bao: I know right. The rain never stops.
No, it’s not the rain that’ll stop you from leaving your house. It’s something known as COVID-19 (TEMPORARY MEASURES) ACT 2020.
Reader Bao: Okay, you don’t need to shout
This is a new set of laws that’s come into practice, and if you don’t comply with them, you’re breaking the laws and also risking the lives of over 5 million people.
And the worst of it all? If many people don’t comply with it, it could lead to a longer Circuit Breaker period, which means you’d have to have more Maggie Mee at home.
Reader Bao: Oh crap, no way. Tell me more about it
There are many new rules in this act, but since most of us are individuals who’re wondering if we can go out to have a stick of cigarette, we’re going to focus on the only 12 reasons you can leave your house from now until 4 May 2020.
Reader Bao: Thank God for Goody Feed.
The Only 12 Reasons You Can Leave Your Home According to the Control Orders
Because reading the laws is as tough as reading the ingredient list in a shampoo bottle, here’s a list of when you can leave the house.
And suffice to say, for any reasons other than these reasons, you can’t leave the house.
To Go to Work In an Essential Business
Some of us still need to go to work if the business is essential, so you can only leave your house if you’re working in an essential business. If not, telecommute or just tell your boss that Ah Gong doesn’t allow you to leave your house. By the way, you can’t even leave your house to retrieve any documents from your office; if you’ve forgotten to turn off the air-con before you leave the office, SP Group thanks you in advance.
To Go to Work in Specified Schools or Childcare Centres
While most schools are closed, there are some that are open with just a few people to allow them to take care of kids of parents who work in a very essential business, like healthcare. In other words, you’re going to work in an essential service as well lah.
To Send Your Child to Childcare Centres If You Are An Essential Service Staff
There would be exceptions for people who work in very essential service, like healthcare, to allow their kids to be sent to selected childcare centres. If you’re one of them, you can leave your house for this purpose.
To Care for the Disabled and Elderly People
If you need to leave your house to help an elderly who’s living alone, you can do so. However, please do your safe distancing well—remember, the elderly are most vulnerable to this virus.
To Buy Essential Items
In other words, food and groceries. But anyways, all shops are closed as well so you don’t really have an option.
To Get Medical Attention
Self-explanatory, isn’t it? For emergency, please call 995.
To Exercise
If you want to exercise, you’d have only one option: go for a jog or walk around your neighbourhood. And you shouldn’t mingle with anyone; keep a safe distance and go home immediately after that.
To Enlist / Book In
Yes, unfortunately for NSFs, you’re allowed to leave your house to book in or out. It’s a different story for BMT recruits, though.
To Comply with the Law
If you’re like these teenagers who needed to go to court because you anyhowly drank a bottle of juice and put it back on the shelf all because it’s fun, then yes, you can leave your house to attend court. Or if an enforcement officer requires you to be somewhere, you can leave your house, too.
To Move House
If you need to move house, you can do so. But of course you cannot anyhowly just move house every day lah.
To Leave Singapore
I don’t know why you’d still want to do that, but if there’s really an urgent need to, you can leave your house to leave Singapore. And remember; when you come back and are infected with the coronavirus, you’d have to pay for the full treatment—and you can’t claim insurance.
To Seek Help or for Emergency
If you’re in an emergency, you can of course leave your house. I know we Singaporeans very law-by-law one, but if your house is on fire, please use some common sense.
And if you’re caught breaking the rules, you could be jailed for up to six months or fined up to $10,000.
So please; all of us now have a special Stay-Home Notice. Let’s just follow the rules so that the Circuit Breaker period won’t extend.
Reader Bao: But you’ve not mentioned whether I can go out to have a cigarette or not leh
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Isn’t this period the best time to quit smoking?
Reader Bao: You don’t CB
We’re all in the CB period.
