SINGAPORE - A network of SG Clean ambassadors has been launched to coordinate efforts to promote personal hygiene and social responsibility in a bid to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor, who launched the initiative on Sunday (March 29), said: "SG Clean ambassadors can spread (the message) to their friends and family members and to patrons that they may meet. I think it's important to accelerate this messaging, and it's critical now."
The SG Clean Ambassadors Network comprises volunteers and partners who are committed to driving awareness about SG Clean, a nationwide movement encouraging various habits and social norms in keeping Singapore clean.
Volunteers can register their interest with the National Environment Agency (NEA) and get training materials from the agency to become SG Clean ambassadors. The NEA said it aims to train more than 2,000 people.
For example, the public is encouraged to keep all surroundings well-ventilated and clean, and to practice safe distancing measures in public places such as hawker centres and coffee shops by standing at least 1m apart from one another when queueing for food.
Patrons at eating places should also sit only on seats without markings, or use alternate seats if there are no markings available.
Safe distancing measures may be "inconvenient" but they are "important and necessary" to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, added Dr Khor, who was speaking at a coffee shop in Bukit Batok West.
If hawker centres and coffee shops are too crowded, buy food to take away instead, she said, adding: "It's actually for your own safety."
Stricter safe distancing measures were put in place last Friday to keep people at least 1m away from one another in public places.
Anyone who intentionally sits down less than 1m from another person in a public place or on a fixed seat marked as not to be occupied or who stands in a queue less than 1m away from another person could be guilty of an offence.
They can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or face both penalties upon conviction.
Dr Khor said: "We know that the global cases of Covid-19 are still rising, so at this juncture, we do not know how long this crisis will last.
"And therefore it is critical and important for everyone to play a part, to adopt good hygiene practices and positive social responsibility and comply with safe distancing measures to keep our public spaces safe and clean."
