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SINGAPORE – Sentosa’s beaches were packed with people on Sunday (October 4), about two weeks before guests are required to book their visits during peak periods.
Groups of friends and families were seen on the beaches of Palawan, Siloso and Tanjong, where some were tanning, playing volleyball or picnicking. Others jumped into the water, swimming or kayaking near the shore.
For college students Charlene Lee, 19, and Nicole Lin, 20, the upcoming reservation requirement was one of the reasons for their visit to Siloso Beach on Sunday.
“In the future, we would be too lazy to book,” Lin said.
Since July, the island’s three beaches have been segmented into seven zones, each with a capacity limit of between 100 and 350 people to allow safe distancing.
The zones also have specific entry and exit points, where visitors must register and exit using the digital SafeEntry system.
On Sunday, other safe driving measures were implemented on the beaches, such as “safety rings” indicating the places where groups of up to five can gather.
Safe-distance ambassadors were also seen patrolling the beaches.
In the beach areas of Palawan and Siloso, visitors received wristbands upon admission. These allowed them to access only the respective area where the bands had been delivered.
A Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) spokesperson told The Straits Times that the bracelets have been phased in to familiarize Sentosa bathers with the upcoming reserve requirement.
Beginning October 17, bathers will need to make online reservations prior to their visits during peak periods such as weekends and holidays.
In a statement last month, SDC said that the online reservation system will begin accepting reservations from October 10, for visits beginning October 17. It will be tested for an initial period of three months.
Guests can reserve entry to an area up to seven days before their intended beach visit, subject to capacity limits.
They can choose between two time slots to visit, in the morning (from 8 a.
On the day of the visit, guests would receive wristbands at the beach entrance kiosk in the selected area, after presenting the booking confirmation email for verification.
Some bathers ST spoke to said the reservation requirement would deter them from visiting the beaches.
College student Terence Lee, 24, hopes he will visit the beaches less often once it goes into effect.
“I usually only come when I’m free … I don’t know my schedule beforehand,” said Lee, who also works part-time.
Slots may not be available to reserve when you decide to hit the beaches, he added.
Full-time military man Faliq Shazran and his girlfriend, Nurul Amirah Ali, both 22, said having to make a reservation would make visits to Sentosa’s beaches inconvenient.
However, Nurul said the measure would help prevent situations in which visitors would have to wait their turn to go to beaches that have reached their capacity limit.
A 40-year-old financial controller agrees that the reservation is necessary and wanted to be known only as Mr. Lim.
“People wouldn’t waste their trip coming down,” he said.
He also said that he will continue to visit Sentosa beaches with his family and is already planning to do so during the school holidays at the end of the year.
“We have nowhere (else) to go,” he added.
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