It was barely a few weeks ago that we saw Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urging Singaporeans to go on staycations and visit local attractions.
Sadly, the Covid-19 situation took a turn for the worse, and the government has kicked of a slate of measures termed Circuit Breakers that started on 7th April 2020.
These measures have seen the closures of schools, workplaces, and all non-essential businesses and services until 4th May 2020.
While Food and Beverage (F&B) establishments like restaurants and hawker centres continue to open, only takeaway and delivery options are available.
Unfortunately, this means that for anyone who had any staycation plans this month will have to cancel or reschedule as staycations won’t be allowed during the Circuit Breaker period.
In case you’re wondering, no, not all hotels will be closed.
Selected hotels will remain open, but these hotels are ones that have been tapped to support the efforts of the government with regards to Stay Home Notices (SHN), Government Quarantine Facilities (GQF), or Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) services.
This ensures that the accommodation needs of students returning home, healthcare workers, foreigners, and foreign workers affected by travel restrictions will be catered for. This is also not forgetting existing occupants of the hotels.
So, this means staycation packages that were offered previously are now voided and if you do not fall into any of the above categories, you won’t be granted a stay at the hotels.
Moreover, facilities in the hotels will also be closed during the Circuit Breaker month, so buffets will also not be available sadly.
These are definitely difficult times for the entire travel, tourism, and hospitality industry and it’ll take our collective efforts to get through this as fast as we can.
But I guess till then, staycations will be off the table.
