Singapore safe distancing officer uses measuring tape to ensure diners are seated one metre apart

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — After more than two years of living with Covid-19, it’s hard to ensure everyone practices social distancing, which has become even more crucial under the Omicron wave.

One safe distancing officer in Singapore isn’t taking any chances and his hardcore way of making sure people remain apart for their safety has gone viral on TikTok over the weekend.

The officer was caught on camera tediously checking the distance between diners at a Vivo City eatery using a measuring tape.

His meticulous method drew comments from social media users who were both shocked and sympathetic.

“Is this really necessary? C’mon,” TikTok user Mul Rahmat wrote in the video which raked up 100,000 views in just two days.

The officer can be seen taking photos of a measuring tape that was placed on the floor to measure the distance between two tables with diners who were in the midst of their meal.

At one point, he even knelt down to get a close-up shot of the measurement.

While some described the officer as “obnoxious” and “stupidly unnecessary”, others defended him, saying he was just doing his job.

“He’s just doing his job. I would hire him to do a deep cleaning of my house because I know he will be very thorough with it,” one person commented.

Some added that using a measuring tape to ensure public health safety protocols are met was not uncommon.

Safe distancing ambassadors have in the past used the measuring tool to ensure people were seated one metre apart in public areas.

“I see people taking measurements at the side of the roads, under bridges, or at random places often too. People are just trying to be negative, acting like you’ve never seen employees of those government agencies with tools taking measurements of anything before,” said another.

The clip comes a week after Singapore relaxed its Covid-19 measures.

Social gatherings up to five people are now allowed, more employees can go back to offices and safe distancing won’t be required with mask-on activities.

However, diners have to observe a one-metre social distancing rule when masks are not worn.

According to Coconuts Singapore, it is unclear whether the officers were told to use measuring tapes to carry out their duty.

The online news site also reached out to Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and Environment which has yet to comment.

The island city state reached one million Covid-19 cases on Saturday while it recorded 7,859 cases yesterday.