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Even as Singapore moves to phase three of its reopening on December 28, enforcement of the law against those who disobey the rules will not slow down, Education Minister Lawrence Wong warned yesterday.
Noting recent “near misses” in which infected people had violated the rules and could have led to the formation of large groups, the co-chair of the multi-ministerial task force said that the resumption of more activities and the ability to meet in larger groups should be seen as a privilege not to be abused.
“In fact, we are concerned that … in the run-up to December 28 and even after December 28, there will be groups of people letting their guard down,” Wong said.
“Because it is the festive period, there is a tendency to get into a celebratory mood and even more, the risk of complacency settles,” he added.
In phase three, the group size allowed for social gatherings will increase from five to eight, and the capacity limits in public places such as shopping malls, attractions and places of worship will also be increased.
Mr. Wong emphasized that regular checks at hotspots will continue, with ambassadors and law enforcement officers safely distancing themselves on the ground to remind the public of the measures and conduct inspections.
WITHOUT HESITATION
Compliance measures will be taken without hesitation, whether it be against individuals, hotels or food and beverage establishments (F&B), he said.
Some incidents involving large gatherings have made headlines in recent weeks, just as Singapore has recorded zero cases of local broadcasts on most days.
Footwear retailer Foot Locker was ordered to close its Orchard Gateway store for 10 days after large crowds gathered for a sneaker launch earlier this month, while Gemma Steakhouse was closed for 20 days after it held a dinner for 75 guests.
Last month, a 32-year-old service engineer tested positive for Covid-19 after dining with 12 other family members in Seoul Garden, where they mingled despite sitting at separate tables.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said authorities expect the risk of infections to increase as Singapore continues to reopen.
“That means enforcement, discipline, needs to be strengthened and toughened so that we can continue to contain risk and keep the number of cases as low as possible.”
Meanwhile, to better manage crowds during the holiday season of the end of the year and the run-up to Chinese New Year on February 12, Enterprise Singapore will work with major retailers here to improve their designs, said the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chan Chun Sing.
For F&B traders, yesterday’s news was the perfect year-end treat, although they are wary of the black sheep that continue to test the rules.
Shawn Kishore, co-founder of Central Asian restaurant The Nomads, greeted the news.
While safe spacing rules will continue to apply such as 1m spacing between tables, wearing masks when not eating or drinking, and groups will not be mixed, the increase from five to eight people per table means that your team is checking seats and reservation. plan in time for December 28th.
“We have been planning for this … phase three is the best news of this year,” he said.
Melvin Chew, creator of the Facebook group Hawkers United – Dabao 2020, said the move will benefit restaurants and tze char stalls that have been waiting to see if they can seat groups of eight during the Chinese New Year before preparing their menus. .
The Singapore Restaurant Association said the move to phase three will help keep businesses and preserve jobs.
A spokesperson said: “While we expected this phase to open in time for Christmas, we understand that the authorities may want a longer window to ensure that everyone is prepared to receive more guests.”
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