8 F&B Outlets Ordered to Close for Breaking COVID-19 Rules During the Festive Period

The festive period may come across as a particularly exuberant money-making opportunity, but the fact remains that these are tumultuous times.

As such, safe management measures should be prioritised above financial needs, even if 2020 had been, for the most part, a genuinely dire year.

8 F&B Outlets Ordered to Close for Breaking COVID-19 Rules During Festive Period

Eight food and beverage outlets were ordered to close, after being found guilty of breaching safe management measures during the year-end festive period.

Two of them are Meltz Resto-Bar at 24 Race Course Road and Club V5 Tycoon in Ming Arcade at 21 Cuscaden Road, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).

Meltz was deemed to have violated several safe management measures, including:

• Permitting ten individuals to sit together at a table
• Failure to check the temperature of patrons
• Failure to install SafeEntry for patrons

As for Club V5 Tycoon, it was found to have let patrons consume alcohol at 11:15 p.m. – 45 minutes past the supposed cut-off time of 10:30 p.m.

The club had been allowed to reopen as an F&B establishment, after attaining a food shop license.

However, no live entertainment and singing activities are allowed.

Both operators have since been ordered to close down for 10 days – from 1 to 10 January 2021.

A tough measure, but it would certainly serve as a warning shot to the other establishments.

Hefty Fines

Meanwhile, 26 other F&B outlets, as well as 51 individuals, have been slapped with fines.

Three F&B outlets – Club Lux in Orchard Plaza, Epiphyte at 47 Neil Road and TCC in International Building at 360 Orchard Road – were penalised $1,000 each.

Apparently, they had gone through with offences such as:

• Situating groups of patrons less than 1m apart
• Failure to ensure a 1m distance between individuals in a queue
• Supplying games despite not being an amusement center

As for the individuals who were fined, 15 had convened and huddled in groups larger than the permitted group size at F&B outlets.

They were fined $300 each.

The MSE has since reiterated the need to stay vigilant.

“Businesses and members of the public must continue to adhere to safe management measures to keep community transmission low.

“We urge everyone to remain socially responsible by keeping group sizes small, and wearing a mask at all times at F&B premises, unless drinking or eating. This will help to safeguard public health, while allowing businesses to remain open.

“The Government will not hesitate to take strong enforcement action against errant operators and individuals who breach safe management measures.”

Phase 3

On 14 December 2020, PM Lee announced that Singapore will be progressing to Phase 3 from 28 December.

Social gatherings will be allowed to involve up to 8 individuals, an increase from the previously stipulated 5.

Households may also receive up to 8 visitors at any point in time.

However, to reduce the likelihood of spread, citizens are encouraged to continue limiting their social circle to a small group of regular contacts.

Meanwhile, TraceTogether-only SafeEntry, where the TraceTogether App or Token is required for SafeEntry check-ins, will only be implemented early next year, after everyone who wants a Token has had a chance to collect one at a Community Club or Centre in their constituency.

Until this is implemented, visitors can still perform SafeEntry check-in via the TraceTogether App, SingPass Mobile, or QR reader apps, or use their identity cards with barcodes such as NRIC, Pioneer or Merdeka Generation cards, and so on.

Featured Image: STB