Singapore eases COVID-19 lockdown as cases rise

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Singapore on Tuesday allowed small businesses including hairdressers to resume operations as novel coronavirus cases continue to rise.

The city-state witnessed a rush to barbershops as people lined up for haircuts, daily Straits Times reported.

Authorities imposed a lockdown last month to stem the spread of the infection.

Barbershops had been closed since April 22 as part of stricter measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The death toll due to the infection rose to 21 after a 68-year-old Singaporean man lost his battle against the virus on Monday.

A Health Ministry statement on Tuesday said an additional 884 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Singapore today, most of them being migrant workers.

There are 24,671 confirmed cases -- most of whom are migrants -- of the infection in the island state. Health authorities have conducted 175,604 tests to determine those infected by the virus.

The government has closed educational institutions and shifted to online schooling, while most office workplaces remain closed and people work from home.