1. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) announced on 19 May that Singapore would exit the Circuit Breaker from 2 June and resume activities in three phases.On 15 June, the MTF announced that Phase 2 will commence on 19 June. Apart from a short list of exceptions, Phase 2 will entail the resumption of most activities, including the reopening of retail establishments and lifestyle-related services.


2. To provide a safe environment for customers and workers, retail establishments and lifestyle-related services currently in operation, and those that will reopen in Phase 2, must implement Safe Management Measures, as required by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and comply with the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations.


3. In addition, retail establishments and lifestyle-related services are required to comply with the measures set out by Enterprise Singapore (ESG), Housing & Development Board (HDB), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in this document. Establishments required to comply with these measures include malls, supermarkets and standalone stores¹. The information in this document supersedes that in previous advisories or statements.



Resumption of retail operations

4. The list of businesses that are allowed to operate from 19 June 2020 can be found on MTI’s website (https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/permittedlist). Businesses in this list do not need to apply to MTI for exemption before resuming operations. They are required to submit the number of workers who are working on-site using the GoBusiness portal (https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg) within two weeks of the date of resumption of on-site operations.



Stipulated Occupancy Limits

5. All malls and large standalone stores > 930 sqm (or 10,000 sqft) of Gross Floor Area (GFA) must comply with the occupancy limit of one person per 10 sqm of GFA².
   
   
6. All other stores (e.g. shops within malls, at HDB residential blocks, at MRT stations or bus interchanges) are not required to adhere to these occupancy limits as long as they can maintain at least one-metre distancing between individual customers (if they are alone), or groups of customers (up to 5 persons).
   
   

   Safe Management Measures – Customer-facing Operations/Front-of-house

7. The following measures apply to all customer-facing operations of retail establishments.
   
   
   1. Queue management
   1. Retail establishments are to clearly demarcate queue lines for customers at entrances, cashier counters, weighing counters, fitting rooms and where required, and must ensure at least one-metre spacing between customers (e.g. through floor markers).
   2. Crowd management
   1. Activities and events in stores or mall atriums must not be held³.
   2. All common play areas for children/toddlers/infants in retail stores or malls must be closed⁴.
   3. Contact tracing
      1. All malls, large standalone stores, supermarkets, stores providing beauty services, and other large retail stores with > 930 sqm (or 10,000 sqft) of GFA must implement SafeEntry⁵ for customers and visitors, to facilitate the collection of information for contact tracing when needed.
   4. Health checks
      1. All malls, large standalone stores, supermarkets and stores providing beauty services must conduct temperature screening⁶ and checks on visible symptoms⁷ for customers at entrances⁸, and turn away those with fever and/or who appear unwell⁹.
   5. Cleanliness and hygiene
      1. All employees, customers, delivery personnel and other onsite personnel must put on their masks properly at all times¹⁰.
      2. Product testers and samples that require customer contact, e.g. cosmetics and food samples, must be removed.
      3. Retail establishments must ensure frequent cleaning and disinfection of:
      • common spaces such as counters and display shelves, where customers are served;
      • items such as shopping trolleys/baskets and handrails, which have high human contact; and
      • interactive hardware such as iPads, self-checkout kiosks or lift buttons.
8. Retail establishments should put up clear signages to remind customers of the above measures (in Para 7) where applicable, and train and deploy service personnel to provide clear communication to customers on safe distancing measures.


9. Refer to Annex A [PDF, 131KB] for other recommended guidelines, and Annex C [PDF, 217KB] on guidance for specific trades.



Safe Management Measures – Workplace Premises¹⁰

10. To ensure COVID-safe workplaces, retail establishments should take care of their workers, workplaces and those who may become unwell at their workplaces, as outlined in MOM’s Requirements for Safe Management Measures at the workplace.
    
    Refer to MOM’s website for greater details and Annex B [PDF, 119KB] for a summary of these measures.

     

Enforcement of measures

11. Government agencies will be conducting inspections following Phase 2 reopening to check on the proper implementation of the Safe Management Measures. Under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act passed in Parliament on 7 April 2020, first-time offenders will face a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both. Subsequent offences may face a fine of up to S$20,000, imprisonment of up to twelve months, or both.


12. Businesses that do not implement or comply with the government’s requirements on safe management measures may be ineligible for government grants, loans, tax rebates and other assistance.

Annex D [PDF, 169KB]: Checklist of Safe Management Measures (Customer-facing Operations)

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¹These refer to stores that occupy entire buildings, e.g. IKEA, Decathlon Innovation Lab.

²For mixed-use developments, GFA refers to the retail component only.

³Such activities may be allowed for supermarkets on a case-by-case basis, if an extension of existing retail space is deemed necessary as part of safe management measures. Approval must be sought from ESG.

⁴These play areas refer to the facilities provided free of charge in the shops or at the malls’ common areas.

⁵More information on SafeEntry and a full list of places where SafeEntry must be deployed can be found at https://www.safeentry.gov.sg/deployment. Note that SafeEntry can be done via QR code/NRIC scanning, or manual entry of NRIC number & particulars through a dedicated device. Businesses should not decline entry to visitors unless the individual does not use SafeEntry QR or SafeEntry NRIC application and refuses to provide particulars to assist with manual entry.

⁶Individuals with temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius are considered to be having a fever.

⁷Notable visible symptoms to look out for include: (a) coughing; (b) sneezing; (c) breathlessness; and (d) a runny nose.

⁸Supermarkets and stores providing beauty services in malls need not conduct temperature screening and checks on visible symptoms for customers if the mall is already doing so. They should however do so, if they operate outside the mall hours.

⁹Except where the individual is entering the permitted premises to seek medical treatment for a specified symptom.

¹⁰Under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020, every individual must wear a mask over the individual’s nose and mouth at all times when the individual is not in his or her ordinary place of residence. Refer to MOH’s latest guidance for use of masks and face shields at https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/guidance-for-use-of-masks-and-face-shields.

¹¹Refers to the retail establishments’ back-of-house operations involving employees, including at offices, warehouses and manufacturing facilities.