To party or not to party is a personal choice with COVID-19 lurking

If you were thinking of attending one of the ‘farewell’ parties planned by nightlife operators before Friday, take note that safe distancing measures are enforceable.

Following Tuesday’s (Mar 24) announcements that all entertainment venues will be closed from Mar 26 , 11:59pm till Apr 30, a number of clubs indicated that they are holding farewell parties.

While nobody is stopping you from attending, you should observe safe distancing measures announced by the Ministry of Health previously.

That means party-goers should ensure that there is at least a safe distance of one metre between them and reduce mingling among fellow participants. Of course, keep your hands clean (and bring a hand sanitiser with you), and avoid touching your face.

Events with more than 250 or more participants will also be suspended.

A joint statement by the Singapore Tourism Board, Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Police Force added that officers from government agencies “will be on the ground to monitor the situation and carry out enforcement action”.

It added: “During this time, we appeal to Singaporeans to exercise good judgement and social responsibility. This will play an important part in keeping fellow Singaporeans and our loved ones safe in the midst of this global pandemic.”

The Traffic Police will also be conducting island-wide enforcement operations over the next couple of days too, so here’s one advice to drivers who are going to party hard – please don’t drive, and take a taxi or a private-hire car instead.

One last party before the stricter measures kick in? Go ahead, you make the choice.

But think long and hard before you head down. Is this worth it, or should you wait until COVID-19 is over?