Covid-19: WP to continue holding Meet-the-People sessions to cater to older residents
Workers' Party leader Pritam Singh during a walkabout at Bedok North Market and Food Centre on June 27, 2020 in the leadup to the July 10 General Election.
SINGAPORE — While the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has advised its branches to suspend physical Meet-the-People sessions, the Workers’ Party (WP) said that it will be going ahead with them so as to remain available to its older constituents.
The party, which holds two Group Representation Constituencies, Aljunied and Sengkang, as well as Hougang Single Member Constituency, said that it would operate these physical sessions with a thinner volunteer pool, though, and take added precautions at the sessions' venues.
WP's statement on Tuesday (May 4) came two days after PAP released one saying that it will be conducting these sessions via the phone or virtually to “minimise exposure of residents and volunteers” given the rise in the number of community Covid-19 cases that have no known sources of infection.
"The health and safety of our residents and volunteers is paramount. These measures, though inconvenient, are a reassurance of that," PAP had said.
As for WP, its Members of Parliament (MPs) are requesting all residents to connect with the party via email should they have any pressing concerns.
But “unless otherwise advised”, it would continue with its Meet-the-People sessions “so as to remain available to our senior citizens and elderly residents, including residents who cannot connect online”, it said.
The WP MPs will suspend house visits until further notice, the party added.
“Please take care and adhere to the new measures announced by the multi-ministry task force today,” WP’s statement concluded.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Government’s Covid-19 task force, which is chaired by Education Minister Lawrence Wong and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, announced a “return to Phase Two”, as it stepped up various measures to curb the spread of the virus, including reinstituting a five-person cap for social gatherings from Saturday.
Singapore had transited from Phase Two of the reopening of its economy from last April’s two-month partial lockdown to Phase Three on Dec 28 last year by relaxing the maximum number of people allowed in social gatherings from five to eight.
