Novel coronavirus: Thaipusam festival goes smoothly amid heightened alert, but other events get cancelled

SINGAPORE — With the raising of the risk assessment level of the novel coronavirus situation here, several events in Singapore have been cancelled.

Yet others, such as the annual Thaipusam festival, still went on, albeit with more precautionary measures such as temperature screening this year. 

Some of the cancelled events include: the People’s Association’s Chingay 2020@Heartlands, all programmes by Special Olympics Singapore, as well as the Harley-Davidson of Singapore night ride.

The cancellations come after the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) alert level was raised to Orange on Friday (Feb 7) afternoon.

An Orange alert refers to a situation in which a virus is spreading in Singapore but not widely, and is being contained. The alert was raised after the Ministry of Health announced three new confirmed coronavirus cases, all of them local ones without any apparent links to previous cases or travel history to China. 

There are 33 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the Republic so far. 

However, the Government had said on Friday that some large-scale events such as Thaipusam and the Singapore Airshow will go on. 

AUTHORITIES WILL ASSESS EVENT BEFORE DECIDING TO CANCEL: CHAN

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, who joined Hindu devotees on Saturday at the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in River Valley, told reporters that the authorities will make an assessment of each large-scale activity, before deciding whether it should be cancelled. 

“Whether it is indoor (or) outdoor, it is not so much as how many people are involved, but how are the people involved in those activities. So I think we need to exercise that judgment,” said Mr Chan, who was answering a question on why some events have been cancelled after the alert level has been raised, while others are not. 

“And as Prime Minister (Lee Hsien Loong) said, this particular episode might be prolonged and we must find ways to continue to go about our daily activities with added precautions, but I think it will not be right for us to stop all activities at the same time. That won't be the correct way to approach this issue.

MORE DEVOTEES, BUT FEWER SPECTATORS AT THAIPUSAM

Hindu devotees were in high spirits on Saturday even amid the heightened alert, as 11,500 took part in this year’s Thaipusam festival — higher than the 9,800 participants last year and a record number since 2013, said organisers. 

Mr Sivakumaran Sathappan, the secretariat of the Sri Srivinasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road — the starting point of the procession — said the event organisers started preparing for a scenario where the alert level will be raised five to six days ago. 

Indeed, Thaipusam this year was a little different than previous years, with temperature screening machines placed at a few entrances of the temple and extra washing points added. 

Mr Sivakumaran said organisers also prepared 50 litres of hand sanitisers and 5,000 masks. 

At the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in River Valley, the procession’s end point, medical tents were also set up for participants who might be feeling unwell. 

Mr RM Muthaiah, the trustee of the temple, said that about 20 people had sought medical help that afternoon.

When TODAY spoke to several volunteers and devotees at Saturday’s procession, several said that they were not worried about taking part despite the large crowds, believing that the necessary precautions taken would suffice. 

Despite the jubilant atmosphere, fewer spectators seemed to have gathered along the roads to watch this year’s procession as compared to previous years, which resulted in smoother traffic flow this year, Mr Muthaiah added.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who visited the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Saturday, also noted the smaller crowds. 

“The number of kavadis has gone up significantly, but you can tell noticeably that the crowd is a bit less,” said Mr Shanmugam, who was referring to the wood and metal structures that devotees carry during Thaipusam. 

“I think people are staying away — those who are not well or are feeling slightly unwell, and also others who feel that maybe it’s best not to come into crowds. They are taking some steps,” he added.