[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: Police will investigate criminal force cases against distancing security officers, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said on Wednesday (April 15), as he condemned such acts as “unacceptable”.
Singapore has introduced increased safe distancing measures as part of a one-month circuit interruption period to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Other measures as part of the circuit breaker, which began April 7, include closing non-essential workplaces and schools and implementing physical distancing precautions.
On Tuesday, authorities announced that it would be mandatory for most people to wear a mask when leaving the house.
READ: COVID-19: Mask required when leaving home, says Lawrence Wong
Many Singaporeans understand the importance of such measures, Masagos said in a Facebook post.
“But there are some who are recalcitrant,” he added.
“It bothered me to know that criminal force has been used against a good number of our front line officers,” he said.
Earlier in the day, a law enforcement officer was slapped by a man who failed to comply with safe distancing measures, the minister said.
In another case, a “wandering public ambassador” hit a safe distancing ambassador when told to wear his mask correctly.
“Let me say categorically that such behavior is unacceptable,” said Masagos.
“We will take action against these people, and we will not hesitate to do the same if there are other similar incidents.”
The incidents are “but two of the cases” that the police will investigate, he said.
To facilitate the application of safe distancing measures, members of the public will now be able to send comments and report cases of misconduct through the OneService application, Masagos said.
Those sending information should only send photos they took themselves, and should also provide as much detail as possible to facilitate the application, the minister said.
Starting Thursday, safe distance ambassadors and compliance officers will also receive passes to help people better identify them, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) said in a press release.
Compliance officers may also wear a red armband.
“These new identifiers will help the public to better identify (law enforcement officials) and ambassadors, and will make it easier for officers to enforce safe distancing measures,” the ministry said.
Compliance officers and safe distancing ambassadors can be identified through these passes. (Photo: Facebook / Masagos Zulkifli)
An SG Clean Ambassador pass. (Photo: MEWR)
On Wednesday, Singapore experienced an increase in COVID-19 cases and reported a record 447 new infections.
So far, 3,699 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus, ten of whom died from disease-related complications.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
