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Wearing a mask away from home has become part of the daily routine for the past six months, but a gray area remains: When should it be removed and put back on when dining out?
Getting it wrong can be costly: 32 diners were fined $ 300 each for disobeying Covid-19 safe handling measures at food and beverage outlets, authorities said last Tuesday, some for not donning masks after eat or drink. The violations were observed at Boat Quay, Bugis, Orchard Road and Tanjong Pagar restaurants.
The Sustainability and Environment Ministry (MSE) did not provide a breakdown of the number of people fined for not wearing masks immediately after meals, but a spokesperson set the rules.
Masks should be worn at all times except when eating or drinking or engaging in strenuous activity, regardless of location. Conversations in restaurants after meals should be conducted with masks.
“Dining out involves considerable risks because people gather in an enclosed space without their masks and for an extended period,” the MSE spokesman said.
“While we understand that diners tend to continue their conversations and interactions after meals, members of the public should do so with their masks on to prevent the spread of droplets.”
The main driver of the spread of Covid-19 is through contact and respiratory droplets.
“Diners who violate safe management measures will face compliance measures, such as fines, without further warning,” the spokesperson said.
A GRAY AREA
Most of the 130 respondents who took part in an informal Sunday Times online poll said they were aware of the masking policy, but seemed to take mixed approaches when dining out.
The survey noted that 43 percent indicated that they removed their mask just before starting to eat or drink, 26 percent said they would do so only after a drink arrived, while 17 percent said they would remain masked until let the food be served. Only 12 percent said they would remove their mask as soon as they sat down at a table.
Behavior after meals was equally varied, based on the survey and observations at various hawker centers and restaurants.
The survey found that 43 percent of respondents said they put on the masks immediately after finishing their meal, even if their dining companions were still eating, while 34 percent said they put on the masks only if they were preparing to leave the table, for example. like going to the bathroom.
But 16 percent said they masked only after everyone at the table had finished eating and drinking, and 5 percent said they put on the masks once the table was clear.
Overall, respondents seemed to support the rules and understand why they are mandatory, with more than 80 percent saying it should be acceptable to remove masks only after food and drink have arrived.
“For the safety of all, we must continue to hide. Look what happened to Donald Trump,” said one respondent, referring to the recent diagnosis of Covid-19 by the president of the United States.
Others also said that masking could protect not only people at the table, but also those around them, including diners eating at the nearby table or waiters.
But some pointed out that being fined $ 300 immediately for not wearing a mask quickly enough can be harsh due to the uncertainties involved.
Respondents weren’t sure, for example, if there was a “grace period” to mask after consuming the last bite of food.
They also noted that the people at the same table would have likely already been socializing over the course of the meal and questioned the effectiveness of masking immediately.
Diners The Sunday Times spoke to at various F&B venues shared similar sentiments.
At Whampoa Makan Place, nurse Thilagavathy Ulaganathan, 27, suggested that authorities consider establishing a grace period of between five and ten minutes for patrons to don masks after a meal or drink.
“The one who comes with me (to meals) is probably my family or my colleagues; they are not going to be strangers. I don’t think it’s a big problem if they take off their masks and chat a bit,” he said. He said.
“It’s not much different than when they take off their masks to eat and chat at the same time. The touch isn’t that different.”
Mr. Al M. Isa, a 58-year-old retired regional director, said that while people must mask themselves after meals, some may choose to have a drink after eating.
“Should people mask themselves every time they take a sip? It’s a gray area. Ambassadors also need to show some discretion and assess the situation on a case-by-case basis,” said Al, who was dining at Changi Village Street Center. But overall, the mask policy is good, he said, “because you never know who may not be well.”
DIFFERENT POLICIES
The owners of the food and drink establishments said they do everything possible to enforce the masking policy, but pointed out several challenges along the way.
Mr. Wong Jie Wen said that most of the customers at his “zi char” stand on Thomson Road are law-abiding and remove their masks only when their food or drink arrives.
He added that he had not come across any customers who refused to wear masks even after their table was cleared.
But “not all customers are always so compliant,” he said, adding that there are some who stay longer in the cafeteria after finishing their meal, but will usually have a little alcohol or drink in their cups to justify their mask. free states.
Praelum Wine Bistro co-owner Gerald Lu said his staff reminds guests to wear masks until a drink is served.
“But we have a hard time enforcing the mask rule as it annoys some people, and we have had people tell us that they will take their business elsewhere if we don’t allow them to break the rules,” Lu said.
Customers at the Duxton Hill store find ways to break the rules, which can put the business in a difficult position, he said.
Mr. Lu noted how he made a group of 10 break the five-person rule by making two separate reservations and requesting tables “closer to the door.”
“This creates a lot of tension. It puts the system, which just wants to survive, in a difficult position,” he added.
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