SINGAPORE — Fully vaccinated seniors aged 60 and above can look forward to the resumption of some classes and activities at 21 community clubs and integrated community hubs from Nov 1.

These include paper quilling, line dancing, chair yoga, qigong, teochew opera, movies and guided tours.

It is part of a pilot by the People's Association (PA) to provide elderly residents with "a safe environment to stay healthy and active, and renew social bonds", said the agency in a media release on Friday (Oct 29).

Physical classes have been suspended amid the Covid-19 outbreak, with many of the PA's lifeskills and lifestyle courses moving online.

The PA noted, however, that this has impacted seniors’ daily lives, as some have found it difficult to be confined at home.

"Seniors have also shared with our staff and volunteers that it has become increasingly lonely to stay home. They hope that social activities can be resumed soon so that they can reconnect with their friends and maintain mental health and well-being," said the PA.

The list of programmes that will resume is non-exhaustive, said the PA.

"These classes and activities do not require the sharing of common equipment, thereby reducing the risk of transmitting the virus through common touchpoints," it added.

Seniors who have recovered from Covid-19 will also be allowed to participate in the programmes.

Indoor mask-off classes will be held in groups of two, with up to 30 people in a session.

For outdoor classes and indoor mask-on classes, up to 50 people can be in attendance, in groups of two.

"For mask-off activities such as exercises and/or those with movement between locations, for example walking tours, seniors must declare a negative antigen rapid test result before they can participate," said the PA.

There must be at least 2m distancing between individuals for exercises and 3m between groups.

"PA will deploy its staff and grassroots leaders, who are fully vaccinated, or Covid-19 recovered, during these selected activities and classes to ensure strict adherence to the safe management measures," said the agency.

Indoor mask-off activities such as singing, which are considered high-risk activities, will not resume. The same goes for classes with common equipment such as karaoke, mahjong and chess.

Those who are unvaccinated will not be able to take part in the activities, even with negative pre-event testing results.

The programmes will also not be open to younger groups of people, to prevent the risk of seniors getting infected, said the PA.

It added that it will monitor the participation rate as well as the Covid-19 situation before deciding if it will expand the initiative to include more activities or extend it to other CCs or community spaces. CNA

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