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Samuel Devaraj
The new role
December 31, 2020
Twelve people allegedly posed for photos up close without wearing masks, violating safe distancing rules, while on a cruise ship recently.
A reader reporting to The New Paper said that their social media activity indicated that they boarded the Royal Caribbean cruise on December 17.
Two photos posted to Instagram on December 21 show the group posing together, one in a group of 11 and one in a group of 12, allegedly violating the rule of five that was in effect during phase two, which ended on Sunday.
The reader, who also informed the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) about the alleged infringement, told TNP: “It was disappointing that this group of people behaved so irresponsibly when we have front-line staff, healthcare workers and many others working so hard to keep Covid-19 at bay. “
Annie Chang, STB’s cruise director, said the agency is aware of the alleged incident and is investigating it.
Ms Chang said: “We seriously consider any breaches of safe management measures on cruise ships leaving Singapore.
“The safety of passengers and crew is our priority, and regular on-board inspections are carried out during voyages to ensure compliance with all current security management measures.”
Measures include ensuring that the prevailing maximum group size is not exceeded, that different groups are not mixed, and that passengers wear a mask.
Angie Stephen, the Royal Caribbean Group’s managing director for Asia-Pacific, said she is investigating the case, which allegedly took place aboard one of its cruise ships.
Ms Stephen said: “We have clear demarcations throughout the ship and other signs in place. Additionally, our crew members are trained to remind guests to adhere to health and safety regulations on board.
“We would like to remind our guests that any breach of the rules will result in enforcement action, including denied boarding or expulsion from the ship.”
In another case, a video posted on Facebook shows a group of 10 people very close on board a yacht.
The user who posted the video last Saturday said it was taken near Lazaro Island on the same day.
In the 15-second video, the group of men and women can be seen dancing. While none of them wore a mask, three can be seen wearing Christmas hats.
A spokesman for the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority said it has been informed of the video and is investigating.
The spokesperson added: “MPA seriously considers any breaches of Covid-19 regulations and will not hesitate to take action against such breaches.
“MPA regularly patrols our waters. We urge the public, as well as boat owners and operators, to be responsible for and comply with all safe management measures for Covid-19, including wearing a mask and adhering to limits. of passengers aboard pleasure boats “.
