Diners Are Also Fined $300 for Not Wearing Mask After Eating As 8 More F&B Outlets Told to Close

By
George Yang
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A show of hands, please: How many of you wear your mask immediately after you’ve finished your food in an eatery?

Reader Bao: I always have a cup of coffee so I can keep my mask off

Well, Mr Bao, it’s time to be more considerate. If not, Ah Gong is watching.

Diners Are Also Fined $300 for Not Wearing Mask After Eating As 8 More F&B Outlets Told to Close

Stories of how F&B outlets are being told to close after breaking COVID-19 rules (whether they’re at fault or not is another topic altogether) have become so common, I won’t be surprised if all eateries in Singapore have closed at least once during the whole COVID-19 pandemic.

But for the first time, the authorities have also mentioned that they’ve just fined diners as well.

Today, the discipline master of Singapore, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), said that 32 diners have been fined $300 each for not observing Safe Management Measures (SMMs) at F&B outlets.

These breaches involved gathering and sitting in groups of more than five, intermingling between tables and not putting on masks promptly after eating or drinking.

Like this.

Image: MSE

It was mentioned that on 25 September 2020, the two patrons were fined $300 each for not wearing their masks when talking to each other at an F&B outlet in Orchard at 2.50am, even though they had completed their meal and their table had been cleared.

I guess the message is clear.

They also said that the Government will continue to step up enforcement checks at F&B outlets around Singapore to ensure that they remain safe spaces for all, and agencies will not hesitate to take enforcement actions against both patrons and premises that do not comply with SMMs.

In this latest report, eight F&B outlets were ordered to close. They are

  • Brewerkz at Riverside Point, from 25 Sept to 4 Oct. Eight people were spotted sitting across two tables and intermingling.
  • Siam Square Mookata Pte Ltd at The Punggol Settlement from 19 to 28 Sept. Patrons at two tables were found consuming alcohol at 10:45pm.
  • Coffeeshop drinks stall at 59 New Upper Changi Road from 19 Sept to 28 Sept. People were drinking across four tables at 10:50pm.
  • Ggang Tong at Tanjong Pagar Road from 25 Sept to 4 Oct. They’ve admitted 12 patrons seated across two tables, with six seated at each table.
  • Chicken Up at Tanjong Pagar Road from 26 Sept to 5 Oct. They’ve admitted 10 patrons seated across two tables and intermingling at 9.15pm.
  • Coffeeshop drinks stall at 26 Jalan Membina from 23 Sept to 2 Oct. People were spotted drinking alcohol at 11.20pm.
  • Jamboree Bar & Café at Orchard Towers from 26 Sept to 4 October. Officers had observed individuals intermingling with different groups of patrons seated at different tables.
  • Café de Muse from 26 Sept to 4 Oct. The eatery was observed to have groups of individuals queuing at the entrance without observing a safe distance of 1 metre. Officers also observed that temperature screening for patrons was not in place, and the seats between patrons were less than 1 metre apart.

In other words, most of the offences were for having admitting groups that know each other, or consuming alcohol after 10:30pm. You should know what not to do if you don’t want your favourite restaurant to close down.

In addition, another 14 F&B outlets have been fined for breaching SMMs, such as admitting and seating groups of more than five together, allowing groups to intermingle between tables, seating groups of customers less than 1 metre apart, and not ensuring that food handlers wear their masks properly.

Thirteen of the outlets were fined $1,000 for breaching the measures and one outlet was fined $2,000 for repeat offences.

But that’s not the end.

More Are Coming

From 25 to 26 September 2020, government agencies conducted additional inspections on 240 F&B outlets in known hotspots. Among these, 15 were found to have breached SMMs.

Once again, the breaches involved groups of more than five seated together or intermingling between tables, seating groups of customers less than 1 metre apart and the serving and consumption of alcohol past 10.30pm.

Agencies are reviewing these breaches and the appropriate enforcement actions to be taken, including temporary closure of the outlets and the issuance of fines.

In the meantime, if you’ve forgotten (or choose to forget), here are the basic rules:

  • You can only remove your masks when you’re eating or drinking; if not, you’d have to keep your mask on even when you’re ordering your food
  • You cannot come in two groups of 5 unless you’re from the same household. And by the way, do you remember that you can’t even gather in groups of more than 5 people?
  • You cannot consume alcohol after 10:30—not even if the eatery is still open
  • You must make sure you’re always 1 metre apart from anyone

The authorities are already planning for Phase 3, so just tahan for a while more lah.

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George Yang
Email: [email protected]