Oh man! Singapore in instituting the Rule of 2 this Sunday.
Only 2 people are allowed to be together outside. Safe to say Covid cases are rising in Singapore. I gather the kids to tell them the bad news.
MsC says, "So no playground?" "Well, they haven't been closed," I reply, with the image of last year's caution taped off playgrounds seared into my mind. MsE turns to MsC saying, "So you and Kickie can play together; But I'll be so sad I'll cry." "I'm going down tonight," MsC says firmly. "The rules don't start till Sunday, so okay, but you need to wear your mask the whole time," I negotiate.
Later MsE shouts for MsI to hurry and get ready, "Come on it might be our last time at the Playground."
I try not to panic. The playground isn't even really on my radar. I'm worried about how we will be able to step out the door. Can I even take MsE and MsI outside at the same time? Will it just be one child and me? They can't play with another child if I'm there and they can't be outside alone. We'll have that conversation in a few days, when it's more relevant to them, and I understand the rules better.
Last year, when Singapore had the Rule of 1, where one person was allowed to be outside at a time, Singapore ruled that adults could accompany small children. I can't remember the definition of small. Is MsC no longer considered small? I'm hoping it was children under 10, if not 12. MsC can go outside alone, but do I trust her to navigate ensuring she is only with one other child, and no one else?
Last night Jonathan and I agreed to no more play dates inside our house or others. We told MsC she could only play with kids outside from here on out. Should I back peddle on that decision? If I don't, it means we likely won't be playing with any friends until things are back to normal. Maybe, sticking to just our household is exactly what we need to do right now.
Jonathan's randomly texting me updates on it from the bedroom where he's working. He texts:
"Someone at work:
personally called and asked MOH [Minsitry of Health]:
Still can't go out together at one time if it is more than 2 people, even if the people are from the same household.
Young kid/baby/toddler is counted as 1 person; so can only go with mommy OR daddy OR nanny OR other guardian."
I refuse to believe it, yet. If you have more than one child, how do you take 2 kids to the bus stop for school, go the market, take one to the doctor? And what? Leave the other one at home? Alone? I don't doubt the person at Ministry of Health said it. What I doubt is that that is what the clarification which will be published after will be.
Either way this is not going to be a fun few weeks.
The rules say no dining, only take away now. Jonathan texts, "Are you comfortable going out on Saturday like usual?" Yes, just like the last time Singapore instituted no dining out, I'll take me meal out while I can. Either the restaurant will be packed with people trying to get in their last restaurant meal or it will be deserted as people hide out at home. Hard to know which it will be. Either way, the place we go has well spaced tables and is well ventilated.
My friend messages me, "We can still do take-away coffee next week, if you're up for it?" I'll probably need a coffee and a walk with an adult after I spend all next week in the house with the kids.
It's been 40 minutes, since I first heard about the rule escalation and already the messages from the kids' classes are rolling in.
Art Classes have been "suspended." Credits to be issued, which will not expire. They say they had too many large classes to figure out how to deliver them safely under the current conditions.
MsC's drama class just emailed to say they're going ahead with an early early dress rehearsal next week. They will film it, just in case they have to cancel classes before the final production in a few weeks. They're letting parents know to expect the final performance will to be live-broadcast and us as a live audience is very unlikely. That's a shame for all these kids kids who've been working on this Broadway Musical since January.
Jazz class is a bit more unclear. Indoor strenuous exercise classes are to be cancelled. I imagine the Dance studio will have to clarify where they fit, and we'll hear tomorrow.
Despite being touted as just a revert to Phase 2, this is looking a lot like the "Not-Lockdown Lockdown" again. I would take a bet that there will be more rules coming. This is how Singapore does this; they give us a few days to institute the rules and then when you've got those ones figured out, they give you the next set of rules to add on top. It's like a series of mini-freak outs, but each new set of rules does feel manageable.
Oh!No! I just remembered what happened last time.
Please, just don't close the pool. I can live with most things; but looking off the patio everyday, at caution tape around the pool was not good. We could see it out every window. It was an inescapable reminder that Covid was out there waiting for us to slip up.
Ugh! I just re-read the new rules; this goes till June 13, 2021.... at the least.