SINGAPORE (June 10): If you thought that you had to jostle for space on your way to work once the circuit breaker formally ends on June 1, you’re not wrong.
According to Google’s Covid-19 Community Mobility Reports, the number of people who went back to work on June 2 rose by 15%, while those who remained home, dipped by 7%.
The deepest plunge for workplaces stood at -83% compared to baseline on April 10, May 1, May 7, and May 25, due to the Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, and Hari Raya Puasa public holidays in Singapore.
Similarly, numbers for public transport ranged between -72% to -75% on the same days, as well as April 26, a Sunday.
Residential numbers for these public holidays were at their highest, with a range of 48% to 55%, including April 24, which fell on a Friday.
For retail, the biggest drop from baseline stood at -70% in late April.
Numbers for the grocery and pharmacy segment came in at -35% in late April.
Parks saw the least number of visitors in late April, and on the first day of May, with some -73% below baseline.
In Singapore, Google used data that was logged from February 15 to June 5.
The report showed a significant slowdown in human traffic in retail and recreational areas, and transit stations (or public transport) from February, before the circuit breaker measures were imposed.
This was probably due to the Ministry of Manpower’s advisory for offices to start practicing split-team work practices to minimise transmissions and work disruptions in early February.
The Singapore government also raised the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) levels to orange from yellow in February, following the discovery of local cases with no links to previous confirmed cases.
The circuit breaker measures, which only allowed the opening of stores selling essential goods and services, took effect from April 7 to May 4. The measures were subsequently extended to June 1, and were lifted formally on June 2.
