Changes: An ongoing photo series

Changes # 07

A lady walking along the empty streets of Chinatown during Singapore’s Circuit Breaker period when most businesses were closed, and only essential services were allowed.

Changes # 07

In Phase Two, businesses are allowed to resume but with a lack of tourists, shops which rely on tourism struggle to stay afloat. The streets are empty. Some shops are opened but see only a handful of customers, while some shops seem to be permanently closed with their signboards removed.

Changes # 02

To prevent people from gathering during the Circuit Breaker, seats in public spaces were blocked out with red tapes to prevent sitting. Here, an essential worker lies on the floor of a neighbourhood multipurpose hall, amidst the “seats”, to take a break.

Changes # 02

Red tapes were removed and sports activities were allowed to resume in Phase Two. The multipurpose hall sprung back to life as children return to their favourite sports activities.

Changes # 10

A near empty Maxwell Food Centre on an afternoon during COVID-19 Circuit Breaker. With dining in prohibited and many office-goers adopting work-from-home arrangements, the Central Business District was a quiet sight. Many hawker stalls were closed as there were not enough customers.

Changes # 10

Four months later, life back to norm at the food centres as Singapore seeks to slowly reopen from the pandemic. Hawkers are happy to welcome the diners back as more people returned to their workplaces for work, although working from home is still encouraged.

Changes # 03

Singapore schools closed in April 2020 in a move to curb escalating COVID-19 infections. Lessons were moved online and home-based learning became the new normal. Empty waiting areas and fitness corners were a common sight as most people stayed indoors.

Change # 03

As schools reopened in June 2020, parents and caregivers can be seen making use of the communal spaces once again while waiting to pick up their children.

Extract from the Author

Changes: An ongoing photo series to document the changes we have seen and experienced firsthand during the pandemic in the past few months . Be it the changes in our lifestyle, the changes in our emotions, the changes in our Singapore.

Photographed by
Ron Low
@ronlowphoto

Merit Award, Visual