44 per cent of people in Singapore tired of rules to limit Covid-19 spread, survey finds

[Homelander]

With seven in 10 Singaporeans saying the Covid-19 outbreak has lasted longer than they anticipated, people are becoming weary of the rules to limit the spread of the virus, according to a Sunday Times survey of 1,000 people.

 

 

These rules include a ban on gatherings of more than five, and the need to mask up when outside.

 

It is natural for coronavirus fatigue to set in, according to experts such as Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

 

"Wearing a mask every time we step out of the house is really not normal behaviour for us," he said, but the experts also agree that the authorities need to manage this to ensure Singapore's collective guard against the virus is not let down.

 

The online survey, which is representative of the Singapore resident population aged 16 and above, and was carried out by online market research firm Milieu Insight, showed that 44 per cent of people here are tired of following the necessary health measures. Of those surveyed, 27 per cent said that having to wear a mask was the most frustrating virus countermeasure.

 

One in five saw checking in with SafeEntry as a nuisance, while 14 per cent were unhappy about having to limit the size of physical gatherings with friends and family.

 

People were also unhappy about not being able to travel overseas, events being cancelled or postponed, and entry to public facilities being limited. Stadiums, swimming complexes and gyms, for instance, have a restricted operating capacity of 10 sq m per person.

 

Nearly four in 10 believed the rules were "a bit strict, but reasonable", while 5 per cent thought they were "overly restrictive".

 

Despite the fatigue, most respondents said they largely understood the rationale behind the rules and followed them.

[ZyringChu]

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