The COVID-19 pandemic worldwide is causing a lot of issues and stress, from public health to economic issues, so much so that major governments across the world have announced movement restrictions and some, complete lockdown. Singapore is no exception to this. After the resurgence of the second wave of COVID-19 infection, the Singapore government has announced certain restrictions and measures in place to contain the contagious outbreak.
Circuit Breaker Measures
Singapore government is taking the fight against COVID-19 seriously. The government recently announced the closure of non-essential services and ban mass or private social gathering effectively for a month, from 7th April 2020 to 4th May 2020. Those caught flouting the restriction or movement order can be fined up to $300.
The government has also announced wearing a face mask is now mandatory in Singapore and those caught not wearing one in public can be fined up to $300 as well. There are a certain exception to this rule as shown in the illustration below:
Is Moving House or Office Legal Under This Period?
When the Singapore government announced that essential services can continue to resume their business activity as per normal, this has caused some sort of confusion and the answer varies depending on who you asked. Some high rise residence prohibits moving during the circuit breaking period while some allow. So who is right here?
To clear the air for once, moving house during circuit breaker time is actually legal. Your landlord cannot prohibit you from moving house during the circuit breaker period. This is gazetted under the recently announced Covid 19 – (Temporary Measures) – (Control Order) Regulations 2020 bill, under subheading 4(K). The regulation does not apply to an individual who is seeking to move his or her place of accommodation.
Are Movers in Singapore Allowed to Operate?
Moving house without the help of movers can be challenging at times like this. Fortunately, the government has announced certain measures to help Singaporeans who are looking to move their house during the circuit breaker time.
Movers in Singapore can continue to operate as they are classified under essential services. However, they are subject to certain regulations announced by the Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore (MTI). For starters, removalists in Singapore working under moving companies must wear gloves and face masks at all times and practice social distancing of at least 1 meter to minimize the risk of infecting homeowners.
This would be good news for Singaporeans who are looking to move their house. But there is a catch and you might not be able to engage movers of your choice. Here’s why:
In order to continue their business operation, movers in Singapore must apply for an official exemption from the MTI website. The exemption for essential services is not granted automatically. Once moving companies submitted their application, they must wait for approval from the MTI. Only once their application is approved they are able to continue their business.
Is Shang Rong International Movers Approved Movers Under MTI?
Fortunately, Shang Rong International Movers is part of the list of approved movers in Singapore. As part of the company’s COVID-19 precautionary measures, the company is now offering quotations via video call assessment, instead of sending in site surveyors. You can also send in photos too to get an official quotation.
During moving especially at sensitive times like current circuit breaker, make sure to obtain the necessary approvals and permits from the government as well as the resident association you’re moving to. You don’t want to risked getting a fine or being denied moving during your moving process. Moving companies in Singapore will usually prepare the permits and obtain approvals from every authority in the moving process so you can have a fuss-free moving day.
