IPPT, ICT suspended for NSmen

SINGAPORE - In-person fitness training and the individual physical proficiency test (IPPT) for operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) have been suspended for the period of Covid-19 phase two (heightened alert), said the Ministry of Defence on Friday (July 23).

In-camp training will be deferred until Aug 18, except for sessions that are essential to operations, the ministry added in a Facebook post.

Fitness conditioning centres (FCCs) will be closed and the conduct of IPPT and NS Fitness Improvement Training (FIT) at FCCs, Safra gyms and public locations will be suspended, it said.

But NS FIT @ Home will remain available with additional slots. The programme, launched last week, allows NSmen to do virtual workouts from home to fulfil their annual fitness requirements.

NSmen whose IPPT windows close within the suspension period will be granted a one-time waiver of their annual IPPT requirement, said Mindef.

Large-scale events will also be cancelled, deferred or reduced in size, it added.

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But activities critical to the build-up of operational units will continue, with stringent safe management measures. These include those at training schools such as Officer Cadet School (OCS), Specialist Cadet School (SCS) and Basic Military Training Centre.

Singapore tightened restrictions for a month from Thursday following the emergence of a large Covid-19 cluster linked to Jurong Fishery Port, which has spread to more than 40 wet markets and food centres islandwide.

Among other measures during this period, dining in at eateries is not allowed, group sizes for social gatherings have been capped at two, and people are advised to minimise social interactions.

Similar restrictions for NSmen were implemented when Singapore last went into phase two (heightened alert) from May 16 to June 13.

Training schools such as OCS and SCS have operated throughout the pandemic, even during the circuit breaker period from April to June last year.

But basic military training was suspended for that period, with about 3,400 recruits doing home-based learning.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.