At eateries, malls, universities and practically everywhere else in Singapore, tape is being laid as social distancing markers to keep people apart and, hopefully, healthy.
Photos of floors, tables, and seats crossed out with tape and shared online have spawned at least two Instagram accounts documenting the practical bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 which as of this morning has infected 879 people.
Some are artful, and others just plain confusing.
Antisocialsocialdistancing, which along with Tape_measures has been sharing such images on Instagram, posted a photo contributed by follower Gideon Kong showing intricate tape marks at an outdoor auditorium at The Star Vista mall in Buona Vista.
“When social distancing tape can look like art too,” the caption read.
Even vending machines have tape marks showing where to stand and where to wait, as shown in another photo posted Sunday.
“No use venting, even the vending machines couldn’t say no to social distancing too,” the caption read.
View this post on Instagram
Singapore University of Technology and Design / 26 March 2020 [📷: @calvin.chua]
Some of the marks can be confusing, like ones plastered at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, a photo of which was posted yesterday.
“I would literally not know where to stand 0/10,” Instagram user @Princesspoppycock commented with a failing grade for the effort.
View this post on Instagram
CAUTION CORONA 🚼 #covid_19 #singapore #ikea #ikeasingapore 📸: @cheapd0nuts
Taking a slightly different look is Swedish furniture retailer Ikea, which used on-brand, big yellow dots to mark spots in its toilets, a photo of which was shared by Antisocialsocialdistancing.
Another creative approach is that of Double Up Coffee cafe on Jalan Klapa, which jokingly spooked its customers by branding its social distancing markers as “Hantu COVID” or COVID ghost.
Singapore announced Thursday night it was legally enforcing “safe distancing” measures, which requires that public places ensure people are either standing or sitting at least 1-meter apart, except on public transportation. Members of the public who do not comply face up to six months’ jail and a S$10,000 fine under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Spaces are also being marked at a number of workplaces. According to a woman named Lisa Enckell last week in Singapore, officers from the Manpower Ministry visited the office of venture capital firm Antler Global “to ensure we adhere to social distancing.”
I’ve been working from home for the past two weeks, but some in our team are still in the @AntlerGlobal office in Singapore. Today, Ministry of Manpower visited with a red tape to ensure we adhere to social distancing. Are we saving these pics somewhere for the history books? pic.twitter.com/D1C2gAFerw
— Lisa Enckell (@enckelli) March 26, 2020
Besides toilet paper rolls, masks and sanitizers, rolls of tape may be the hottest selling items in Singapore.
Other stories you should see:
Standing too close to one another in Singapore could now land you in jail
Decongestion Pricing: Singapore roads to go (mostly) free next week
Fairprice supermarket further limits shoppers buying paper products, rice
Cash relief for Singaporeans coming in S$48B aid package
