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SINGAPORE – Nightclub and karaoke singing under the government’s proposed nightlife pilot program will only be open to local residents and those with work passes, who must show proof of having taken a Covid-19 test in the last 24 hours before you can get into a joint.
Clubs that are part of the pilot will have a capacity limit of up to 100 people, with separate dance and dining areas that can hold 50 people each. In addition to wearing masks on the dance floor, clients should keep 2m away from other groups, indicated by markings on the floor and physical barriers. No shows or live shows will be allowed either.
Meanwhile, karaoke establishments may have groups of up to five people inside closed rooms that must be cleaned, disinfected and ventilated for 15 minutes between groups. Eating and drinking will be allowed inside the rooms.
In both types of locations, the deployment of hosts to interact with clients will not be allowed as a measure to reduce interactions.
Proposed safe management measures to sponsor nightclubs and karaoke establishments, as well as conditions for companies to turn around and exit the industry, were some of the details shared by the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA) on a press conference on Monday (November 9).
Last week, the government announced that there will be a limit of 25 establishments that can participate in a pilot program of two to three months for entertainment venues to reopen here, with strict safe management measures.
The pilot for pubs and bars is expected to start in December, while that for karaoke establishments and nightclubs will only start in January next year. According to the pilot, pubs and bars will be subject to the same rules as restaurants, and their customers will not be required to undergo Covid testing prior to entry.
SNBA said it has received about 60 inquiries since last Friday from companies wanting to participate in the pilot program.
But while there has been a lot of “interest and excitement” in the pilot, given its experimental nature, SNBA President Joseph Ong warned that participation will be “onerous” given the strict rules.
Mr. Ong compared it to a “phase one clinical trial, where the samples are very small and the observation period quite long, with possible changes in test parameters along the way.”
“Therefore, they should not be considered an alternative for operators to reopen,” says Ong. “There is little chance that they will be selected, and the trial requires extreme planning and care.”
The final decision on which establishments will be selected for the pilot test will be made jointly by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of the Interior.
The companies that are part of the pilot program will have to bear the costs of Covid-19 tests for users, which the association estimates cost between $ 30 and $ 100 per test.
“We hope that whoever comes to us with proposals for the pilot will realize that customers will probably have to absorb the cost of the tests,” said Ong.
However, SNBA also said it will seek to partner clinics and testing companies, in hopes of reducing costs.
Along with an industry-wide briefing on the different options for business owners, SNBA said it will launch an online application form on Wednesday for nightlife businesses, i.e. bars, pubs and nightclubs, interested in join the pilot. Applications for karaoke venues will be handled by Singapore Entertainment Affiliation (SEA).
The Government announced last week that nightlife venues not participating in the pilot programs can apply for financial support packages to pivot toward food and beverage operations or other commercial uses with a grant of up to $ 50,000 from Enterprise Singapore (ESG). . They can also choose to exit, with a one-time payment of $ 30,000 to defray the costs of going out of business. Applications for both must be made before March 31st.
So far, SNBA has received about 90 inquiries about pivot and exit options, the first of which includes a temporary 12-month license change, from nightlife to food and beverage or commercial businesses, which will be accelerated.
The pivot grant will cover costs such as renovations and third-party consulting fees and includes a 20% cash advance.
As the nightlife scene faces being among the latest industries to reopen, SNBA Secretary Andrew Ing said he hopes the pilot program can be a template to jump-start the recovery process and reopen businesses. nightlife safely.
“It’s about trying to find something that works in the industry, in the long term, until a vaccine is found,” said Ing.
“We also expect operators to come up with their own innovative ideas on how to keep their customers safe … It’s not easy, because nowhere in the world has anyone found a good way to do this.”
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