by Wang Lili
SINGAPORE, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The outbreak of COVID-19 in the lion city has not stopped the local residents from patronizing the wilderness in one of the local attractions of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Thursday.
The reserve, where Singapore's highest hill -- Bukit Timah Hill is located, has seen visitors climbing and even jogging along the paths to the summit which is 163 meters tall, after the city-state reported 47 new COVID-19 cases to bring the total cases above 300 on March 18.
As this week is the Singapore's school holiday, many parents or grandparents have brought their kids with them during their visits. Others come with friends or colleagues. Some of them have taken the main path uphill and downhill, others have found the various trails more luring and challenging. None of them wears facial masks and the government's guidance of people keeping one-meter social distance is not seen observed strictly here.
Mr. Tan, who works in a travel agency, has come with his friend who is with an airline company. The two of them are both on a leave without payment, because the coronavirus has prohibited people from taking non-essential tour and business trips.
Starting from 11:59 pm Friday, all incoming travelers to Singapore, local residents and short-term visitors alike, have to stay isolated at their homes or hotels for 14 days, and the government has asked the local residents to defer their trips abroad as the city's recent imported cases mainly involve local residents who had made overseas visits.
"We try not to stay indoors," Tan said, adding that the wilderness is a good alternative and exercising in the wilderness is definitely good for the health.
Tan's friend, who is a regular visitor of the reserve, had run several rounds along the trail surrounding the summit before going downhill.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, or Bukit Timah Hill, has always been a favorite among local people. The website of the reserve reads that as there is currently high visit numbers during the weekends and public holidays, hiking permit will not be issued for these days. "We recommend that you visit during the weekdays instead,"it added.
Moreover it requests that group visitors with 30 or more, they should submit an application form at least one month before the date of the activity.
Even though it is merely 12 kilometers from the bustling city center, the reserve has one of the richest and most diverse ecological systems. Visitors can see an astonishing variety of plant, animal and insect life, typical of a humid equatorial climate. Its visitor center has staged some educational pictures, videos and models on the environment.
The prosperous greenery in the 1.64 square-kilometer reserve has provided a good shed from the tropical sunbeams, and this time, also a shelter for the virus-troubled city dwellers.
