SINGAPORE — Parliament opened for sitting on Wednesday (March 25) with new safe distancing measures in place to help mitigate the risk of spreading Covid-19.

On Wednesday, Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House were required to sit at spaced intervals, both within the Chamber and extending to the galleries at the other levels.

“This is the first time ever that we have spread out the seats for Members in such a manner, and over two floors,” Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said in a speech.

MPs have also been told to take their refreshments in separate groups and locations to avoid mingling, said a media statement issued by the Office of the Clerk of the Parliament.

Mr Tan said that it is “not business as usual” as the country deals with Covid-19.

“We will face varying degrees of inconveniences and disruptions to our daily lives, routines, and even our economy, which has a very real impact on all Singaporeans. Yet, we must take all precautionary measures seriously and fully comply with them to prevent its further spread,” said Mr Tan.

Other measures include getting MPs to use different routes to access the Parliament Chamber and the various meeting rooms.

To complement the maintenance of good personal hygiene, different groups will use separate restrooms, said the Office of the Clerk of the Parliament spokesperson in the press release.

Visitors and media personnel in the galleries will also have to sit at spaced intervals, said the spokesperson.

The enhanced measures, which have come into force since the last sitting on March 6, come in the wake of stricter nationwide measures to limit close contact and large gatherings of people in close proximity over a prolonged duration.

Mr Tan said that Parliament will continue to monitor all advisories to see if further precautionary measures should be implemented for forthcoming sittings.

He said that since February, both staff and visitors at Parliament House have been subject to the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus, including having their temperatures taken before entry, requiring them to declare their overseas travel history and maintaining a contact list for all visitors.

The Secretariat workforce has also been split into separate teams, with distancing measures rolled out for all staff, he added. These measures include telecommuting, staggering working hours, splitting shifts and working from separate locations within the House.

Mr Tan said that Parliament has also reduced and set limits on the number of students for educational tours of the House.

“We will do our best in ensuring that these adjustments do not compromise the quality of services and operations that remain available and uninterrupted to honourable Members and the public,” said Mr Tan.