SINGAPORE — The authorities have drawn up safe distancing measures that retail and food and beverage businesses in Singapore can adopt to stem the spread of Covid-19.

These measures, issued on Friday (March 20) in the form of an advisory, are aimed at preventing large numbers of people from gathering in close proximity over a prolonged period of time.

The measures for retail establishments include crowd and queue management, where it is recommended that customers stand at least a metre apart from each other when queueing.

Establishments are also advised to use self-checkouts and cashless payment systems to speed up the processing of payments and reduce cash-handling.

Where possible, the number of shoppers within a store should be limited by letting them in progressively.

Service staff should also be trained to provide clear communication on safe distancing measures, and signs of these practices should be put up within the store.

As for food and beverage establishments, they should put in place a queue management system, such as by taking down diners’ details and calling them when there are seats available.

Where queues are unavoidable, queueing areas should be clearly marked to space customers out by at least a metre apart.

Establishments should also adopt mobile ordering and payment solutions.

The advisory, issued by the National Environment Agency, Enterprise Singapore and other Government-linked bodies, came a week after a multi-ministry taskforce in charge of the Covid-19 pandemic put out safe distancing advisories for workplaces and public venues.

SAFE DISTANCING MEASURES IN PLACE

During a media tour of Nex shopping mall in Serangoon on Friday, TODAY observed that several businesses had already put in place some form of safe distancing measures.

At Putien restaurant, red tape was pasted on some tables, indicating that these are not meant to be sat at.

At the checkout counters at NTUC FairPrice, there were markings on the floor placed one metre apart to guide people on where to stand while queueing.

Messages in English and Mandarin were broadcast over the store’s speakers every half an hour to remind people to keep a safe distance.

“At the same time, we are also setting up a new cleaning regime to make sure that the areas with frequent touches such as trolleys get cleaned more often,” said Mr Seah Kian Peng, chief executive of NTUC FairPrice.

Some shoppers whom TODAY spoke to had mixed reactions on the safe distancing measures.

“It is effective as people usually stand very near (each other),” said Mr Tan Kok Seng, 60, a storekeeper.

But Mr Ben Tan, 26, a GrabFood delivery rider, believes that the measures are “not practical” and “eats up space”.

“It just takes one person to cough and you may get the virus. I would rather people wear masks,” he said.