NUSS scraps segregated changing rooms for vaccinated and unvaccinated persons

SINGAPORE — The National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) said that it will allow people to use the common changing rooms of its sports complex regardless of their vaccination status, following a clarification from Sport Singapore (SportSG). It will also remove signs that were put up earlier to segregate users.

In response to questions from TODAY, NUSS, which runs three club houses, said on Friday (Aug 13) that this change came about after SportSG advised the society that it was not necessary to segregate vaccinated and non-vaccinated people in its sports complex, notwithstanding safe management guidelines that the national sports governing agency sent out on Aug 7.

SportSG said that its measures do not require facility owners to restrict common toilet facilities to vaccinated patrons and has reached out to NUSS to “emphasise on the underpinning principle of prohibiting intermingling and congregating of users within the facility”.

Photos of a sign outside a toilet at one of the clubs showing that only vaccinated individuals were allowed to use it went viral on social media over the last few days.

NUSS has sports facilities at its clubhouses located at Kent Ridge, Suntec City mall and Mandalay Guild House near the Novena area.

Some online users slammed the move, calling it discriminatory.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, NUSS said that the segregation was in line with guidelines from SportSG.

It quoted a line from the advisory, which stated that “enterprises will also have to ensure that vaccinated individuals who participate in (indoor unmasked) activities do not mix with other users for the entire time they are within the facility (including in common areas such as changing rooms and toilets)”.

Mr Edward Tan, 64, who is a member of NUSS, felt that such demarcation was very unfair when he first saw it, even though he has been vaccinated with Sinovac.

That is because non-vaccinated members of the club also pay membership fees and its facilities are not open to the public, the corporate counsel said.

“This is an exclusive club, its members are all university graduates… They are professionals in their own right… You are telling me that I don’t know how to behave myself?” Mr Tan asked.

He also said that even if the club had to segregate in accordance with government regulations, NUSS could have been discreet about it.

He applauded the reversal of action by the society but said that it was something that should not have happened from the start.

Mr Jeffrey Khoo, honorary treasurer at the club, said that most of its members understood the club’s position and there was no overwhelming unhappiness over the initial segregation.

“I think most of our members are understanding enough to accept what we need to do,” Mr Khoo said.

He added that other gyms also had to comply with SportSG’s guidelines.