Covid-19: FairPrice urges all shoppers to wear masks in stores
People lining up in the checkout queue at NTUC FairPrice supermarket at Woodlands Civic Centre on April 3, 2020.
SINGAPORE — All shoppers who go to NTUC FairPrice stores to buy groceries are “strongly encouraged” to wear masks while doing so, the supermarket chain said in a statement on Thursday (April 9).
“This is in line with the Ministry of Health’s latest approach of encouraging people to wear masks and to continue ensuring the safety of its shoppers and staff,” it added.
Mr Seah Kian Peng, FairPrice group chief executive, said: “To protect both our staff and customers, we strongly encourage our shoppers to wear masks while shopping at our stores.
“Wearing a mask complements safe distancing measures, provides some basic protection and also protects others should one be infected but unaware.”
The Republic is into the third day of its “circuit breaker” period to curb the spread of Covid-19.
From April 7 to May 4, members of the public are to stay at home and avoid gatherings with those outside their household, but they can still go to supermarkets to purchase essentials.
FairPrice said it has also put in place other precautions to enhance safety at its stores, such as limiting the number of customers within each store when necessary to allow for safe distancing.
The new measures are on top of existing precautions that include floor markings at checkout queues and stepped-up cleaning regimes. All food sampling activities have also ceased.
“Staff will be on hand to direct customers on their movements in and out of stores,” said FairPrice.
