Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Saturday that Singapore will start easing some curbs put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus over the next few weeks,

Selected activities such as home-based businesses, laundry services, and barbers will be allowed to operate from May 12. Some students will be allowed to go back to schools in small groups from May 19.

Some work premises will be allowed to gradually reopen, taking into account their importance to the economy and supply chains and their ability to minimise risks of transmission.

The city-state's 5.7 million people has among the highest number of infections in Asia, mainly due to outbreaks in cramped migrant workers dormitories. It has managed to curb the spread of the disease among locals outside the dormitories.