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SINGAPORE – Safe distancing rules will be relaxed and more activities will be allowed to resume in the coming weeks, as the number of Covid-19 cases in the community has remained low, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said, on Wednesday (September 23).
More employees will be allowed to return to the workplace, although safe management measures should be in place and employers are encouraged to implement measures such as flexible work hours and staggered filing times.
Employers must ensure that such employees continue to work from home for at least half of their work time and that no more than half of such employees are in the workplace at any time.
Essential business travel for senior executives with broad regional or international responsibilities will also be allowed through a new pilot scheme.
As part of the test, a limited number of passes will be issued through Singapore’s economic agencies and those traveling will be required to adhere to a “strictly controlled itinerary”. When they return, the traveler will have the option of taking a Covid-19 test instead of sending a stay-at-home notice, and will be isolated until the test results are published.
The resumption of events within the workplace, such as seminars, corporate retreats and annual general meetings, will also be allowed, provided that safe distancing measures are established. However, outside work-related events are still prohibited for now.
The Ministry of Labor has updated its requirements for safe management measures in the workplace, which will take effect from next Monday (September 28). This is the most significant reduction in workplace restrictions since the circuit breaker was imposed on April 7.
Gan also announced the relaxation of safe distancing measures for religious services, wedding ceremonies, and wedding receptions.
Beginning October 3, all religious organizations will be able to conduct congregational and other worship services for up to 100 people, provided safe distancing measures are in place.
Up to 100 unique guests, including the bride and groom, but excluding vendors and service providers, will also be allowed for wedding receptions. They must be divided into groups of no more than 50, or attend the wedding at separate times. There must be at least 30 minutes between the slots to clean and sanitize the event space.
The limit for wedding ceremonies will also be increased to 100 people divided into multiple zones of up to 50 people each. However, site operators may impose a lower limit if they cannot meet zoning or staggered time requirements.
Voluntary coronavirus testing on taxi drivers and private rental car drivers has also begun, with more than 10,000 tested so far, Gan said. Around 750 shopkeepers and food delivery people have also been tested. No positive cases were reported in these groups, he added.
“The results of the trial operations in the community indicate very low prevalence rates in the community,” the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement. “It is also an indicator that our safe management measures are helping to keep our community safe as we gradually resume our daily activities.”
The Health Ministry added that current guidelines allow children 12 and under to wear a face shield instead of a mask. However, this is not fully reflected in the law.
Therefore, the legal age limit for children to wear masks will be adjusted to six years or more, compared to two years or more today.
This is in line with the advice recently issued by the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund that young children under the age of six may not have the necessary coordination for the proper use of masks. .
Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who is co-chairing the working group with Gan, added that the government is already working on a roadmap for the third and final phase of Singapore’s reopening.
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