Letter from... Singapore

By Zhi Wei Kang, Executive

Now we’ve moved to the second phase of the staggered exit from our “circuit breaker” lockdown. For many of us this is the day that we’ve been waiting for, as we can meet with friends once again albeit only in groups of up to five. Retail shops have reopened and dining in at restaurants is now allowed, again only in groups of up to five per table. Sports and recreational facilities have reopened including swimming pools, gyms and yoga studios. 

All the usual safe-distancing measures and emphasis on personal hygiene continue to apply and even though we must still go about with face masks and hand sanitisers, I’m happy to see a hint of normalcy return to our lives after months of disruption. My friends and I are glad to abandon our Skype get-togethers over meals, but what we look forward to the most is being able to once again play Mahjong together. Fortunately, the game requires only four players and therefore is in line with government guidelines! Although our Mahjong sessions aren’t as dramatic as the ones in the movie Crazy Rich Asians, we’re excited to be able to hang out again.

While the way we live will never be the same, the reopening of our economy feels like the light at the end of the tunnel. We’ll remain cautious and vigilant and hopefully will be able to avoid another outbreak.