As the world battles with the spread of COVID-19, containing infected clusters and racing with time and burnt out medical personnel in treatment for the stricken, Singapore's relative normalcy is hard won and appreciated. Encouraging social distancing means that people will keep to their homes, and try to keep the vulnerable away from crowded spaces and private gatherings.
I scan the Ministry of Health's (MOH) daily updates on its website. I have no interest in subscribing to any text service for crucial news. That's what the media outlets are for. The situation changes weekly. Travel restrictions and quarantines have sprouted all over. But most of the world is in lockdown till end April. We're not in lockdown yet. I have no doubt that we'll come to locking down the whole city for a month, closing businesses and public facilities, leaving only essential venues open. Every business, public facility, restaurants and retail stores are in full-on cleaning mode, disinfecting surfaces every hour or so, hoping to minimize and combat the spread of viruses.
The question at the top of my mind is, 'Should I still go to the gym and pilates studios?'
I wrote this draft post before receiving the email from the gym on Tuesday night. It informed us about a gym-goer who had been tested positive, and she was at a personal training session, and her trainer is being tested too. Anyone else who clocked in on the same day and the same time frame will likely get a call from MOH doing contact tracing and advising. The man was right there at that time-frame. My first thought, thank goodness it's a female, and she wasn't in a class! Ugh. If not, we'll all kena a Stay-Home Notice.
THEN LATE LAST NIGHT, the gym sent another email to inform us of a second confirmed case, whose visit timings overlap the first, and the gym-goer went to the gym on the following day as well, criss-crossing the timeline with the man's again, and also MINE. UGH. The chances of us getting infected are low. We didn't even share the same breathing space, but still... access points at the lounge, the water-cooler, towel racks.
Singapore gyms and pilates studios are still in normal operations, except with heightened focus on cleaning, temperature-checks and travel declaration. Any venue with COVID-19 cases will simply close for deep cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces, then re-open. These venues work on trust. People who are sniffling (from non-sinus issues and allergies) and a tad unwell shouldn't be hitting the exercise mats and machines anyway. If you're not 100%, just stretch out at home or go take a short run outdoors to see if that helps with clearing light bugs and the respiratory system. People are already unhygienic enough and don't even bother wiping down machines or chuck their towels in the right places. All the more, they shouldn't be dicks now.
My gym and pilates studios aren't safe from COVID-19 infections and new clusters. It has already happened. It will happen again. It will be a calculated risk I take when I pop in. I have no doubt that I will eventually be in the same studio as a gym member who has been infected and tested positive. I expect whichever outlet of the gyms to close for deep cleaning as and when necessary. For that reason, I restrict the outlets I go to, just for easy tracking.
As disappointing as it is, we've canceled many social meetings with the elderly and immunocompromised for the week. No birthday meals with more than eight people, no seeing the parents, no seeing the friends' parents, etc. I'll be cautious and keep up with the personal hygiene, ensuring that I'm 100% before I head out anywhere. I will still go to the gym and pilates studios, and limit contact with people, as well as minimize social meetings. Till a full lockdown is imposed.
I scan the Ministry of Health's (MOH) daily updates on its website. I have no interest in subscribing to any text service for crucial news. That's what the media outlets are for. The situation changes weekly. Travel restrictions and quarantines have sprouted all over. But most of the world is in lockdown till end April. We're not in lockdown yet. I have no doubt that we'll come to locking down the whole city for a month, closing businesses and public facilities, leaving only essential venues open. Every business, public facility, restaurants and retail stores are in full-on cleaning mode, disinfecting surfaces every hour or so, hoping to minimize and combat the spread of viruses.
The question at the top of my mind is, 'Should I still go to the gym and pilates studios?'
I wrote this draft post before receiving the email from the gym on Tuesday night. It informed us about a gym-goer who had been tested positive, and she was at a personal training session, and her trainer is being tested too. Anyone else who clocked in on the same day and the same time frame will likely get a call from MOH doing contact tracing and advising. The man was right there at that time-frame. My first thought, thank goodness it's a female, and she wasn't in a class! Ugh. If not, we'll all kena a Stay-Home Notice.
THEN LATE LAST NIGHT, the gym sent another email to inform us of a second confirmed case, whose visit timings overlap the first, and the gym-goer went to the gym on the following day as well, criss-crossing the timeline with the man's again, and also MINE. UGH. The chances of us getting infected are low. We didn't even share the same breathing space, but still... access points at the lounge, the water-cooler, towel racks.
Singapore gyms and pilates studios are still in normal operations, except with heightened focus on cleaning, temperature-checks and travel declaration. Any venue with COVID-19 cases will simply close for deep cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces, then re-open. These venues work on trust. People who are sniffling (from non-sinus issues and allergies) and a tad unwell shouldn't be hitting the exercise mats and machines anyway. If you're not 100%, just stretch out at home or go take a short run outdoors to see if that helps with clearing light bugs and the respiratory system. People are already unhygienic enough and don't even bother wiping down machines or chuck their towels in the right places. All the more, they shouldn't be dicks now.
My gym and pilates studios aren't safe from COVID-19 infections and new clusters. It has already happened. It will happen again. It will be a calculated risk I take when I pop in. I have no doubt that I will eventually be in the same studio as a gym member who has been infected and tested positive. I expect whichever outlet of the gyms to close for deep cleaning as and when necessary. For that reason, I restrict the outlets I go to, just for easy tracking.
As disappointing as it is, we've canceled many social meetings with the elderly and immunocompromised for the week. No birthday meals with more than eight people, no seeing the parents, no seeing the friends' parents, etc. I'll be cautious and keep up with the personal hygiene, ensuring that I'm 100% before I head out anywhere. I will still go to the gym and pilates studios, and limit contact with people, as well as minimize social meetings. Till a full lockdown is imposed.
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| Extracted from NYT's 'Wondering About Social Distancing?' by Apoorva Mandavilli published on March 16, 2020. |
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