People in Singapore reunited with lovers and friends on Friday as the city-state lifted strict curbs on socialising, shopping and dining out after more than two months of lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Many residents have been forbidden from mixing with those outside their families since early April under measures to contain infections that have topped 41,000 – one of Asia’s highest tallies.

Jerry, 22, and his girlfriend, who had been apart for weeks, queued for bubble tea in a reopened neighbourhood mall at mid-morning.

“We came early. We wanted to avoid the crowds,” said Jerry, adding that the couple planned to spend the rest of the day at his home chilling out and catching up.

A nearby coffee shop serving kaya toast, or bread slathered with coconut jam and served with runny eggs, was full of masked patrons who had scanned QR codes on their telephones before entering, to help with contact tracing.

Some restaurants set up plastic screens between tables while retailers used yellow tape to keep people apart in long queues that formed outside their shops.

Singapore won plaudits for its early containment efforts before a surge in imported cases and outbreaks in cramped migrant dormitories saw it enforce one of the world’s strictest lockdowns with hefty fines and even jail for non-compliance.

Restaurants could only offer takeaways and home deliveries, among other restrictions.

A woman was fined S$5000 ($3,587) this week for several offences including meeting her boyfriend and not wearing a mask, local media reported.

But there was joy across the island on Friday as old friends nattered over tea at hawker centres and parents watched children play on swings and slides that had been cordoned off for weeks.

Some just couldn’t wait for lunch.

John, 24, and Samantha, 21, were one of several couples queuing outside a closed sushi restaurant at 11 a.m.

“We have been talking about sushi for a while,” said Samantha, adding that they had been holding off until now due to the high costs of home delivery.

Reuters