1. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) announced on 20 July 2021 the further tightening of community Safe Management Measures (SMMs) by going back to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert). This is to contain the current outbreak while pushing ahead with the COVID-19 vaccination programme for the population. Tightened measures will take place with effect from 22 July through 18 August 2021, and supersede those that were recently introduced.


2. To provide a safe environment for customers and workers, food and beverage (F&B) establishments currently in operation must implement the Safe Management Measures (SMMs), as required by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and comply with the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations.


3. In addition, F&B establishments are required to comply with the measures set out by Enterprise Singapore (ESG), Housing & Development Board (HDB), Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in this document. The information in this document supersedes that in previous advisories or statements.



Latest updates for F&B establishments

4. F&B establishments are allowed to continue food service operations, with the exception of (i) establishments with Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs, Discos and Karaoke SFA license categories or SSIC codes starting with 5613, and (ii) nightlife operators that were allowed to pivot to F&B operations as listed at https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/permittedlist/ (operations suspended from 16 July through 30 July). F&B establishments allowed to operate must comply with the following:
   
   
   1. From 22 July through 18 August 2021, all F&B establishments can only open for takeaway and/or delivery during this period. Dining-in is prohibited.
   1. While customers and delivery personnel are allowed to enter the premises of the F&B establishments for takeaway or delivery, they must leave the premises once they have picked up their orders.
   2. During this period, F&B establishments should cancel all events and promotions that will generate crowding at their physical premises in a manner which is non-compliant with the SMMs.
   2. Employees of F&B establishments may consume their meals at the F&B premises¹. However, the establishment must ensure that the following safe management measures are observed:
   1. Designate and clearly demarcate a dining area for employees only. The designated area should be out of public view wherever possible.
   2. Stagger employees’ meal times.
   3. Employees must dine alone and keep a distance of at least one metre from any other individual. They should refrain from interacting with other colleagues during meals when masks are not worn.
   4. Employees should dine quickly and leave the designated dining area in a clean state after they have consumed their meals.
   5. Employees must wear their masks as soon as they have finished eating or drinking.
   6. Coffeeshop and food court stall operators may consume their meals at the tables in front of their stalls. They should also adhere to the measures stated in paragraphs 4.b.ii to 4.b.v.
   3. Since 15 July, it is mandatory for F&B establishments (originally providing dine-in services) to place all employees on a regular Fast and Easy Testing (FET) regime using tests such as antigen rapid test (ART), regardless of their vaccination status. This can be done through employer-led supervised self-swabs².
   1. This includes both part-time and full-time employees, as well as third-party contracted staff (e.g. cleaners) who work at the establishments. Business owners and store managers who work at these establishments must also undergo FET. Individuals who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection in the past 270 days are exempted from the FET Requirement. Establishments can refer to the following GoBusiness portal link for more details.
   2. From 22 July though 18 August 2021, F&B establishments (originally providing dine-in services) that choose to remain open for takeaway/delivery must continue to place their employees on the regular 14-day FET regime. Such regular FET will continue to be made free of charge during this period.
   4. F&B establishments may serve as venues for marriage events and/or work-related events by third parties and are required to comply with the SMMs for these events³. Food and drinks are not permitted to be served or consumed at solemnisations or work-related events. As a special provision, wedding receptions may be allowed to continue, up to a maximum of 100 attendees including the parties to the marriage. For the detailed SMM requirements for Marriage Solemnisations and Wedding Receptions, please refer to the GoBusiness portal.
   5. To facilitate more precise contact tracing efforts, SafeEntry check-out is also encouraged. Refer to paragraph 6.c. for details.
5. All F&B establishments are also to note the following measures:
1. They should proactively manage potential contacts of COVID-19 cases at the workplace. Refer to https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/covid-faqs/ for more details.
2. Observe the protocol on disinfection for premises visited by positive COVID-19 cases. Refer to https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/covid-faqs/ for more details.

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

6. The following measures apply to all customer-facing operations of F&B establishments:
1. Queue management
1. Clearly demarcate queue lines, put up signage to guide customers on where to queue to order and collect food, and ensure at least one-metre spacing between individual customers at areas such as entrances and cashier counters (e.g. through floor markers).
2. Demarcate a waiting area for customers and delivery personnel to pick up their food.
3. Implement pre-ordering and pre-payment solutions where possible to minimise physical clustering of customers waiting to place or pick up their orders.
4. Encourage the use of self-checkouts, cashless or contactless payment methods to reduce contact between employees and customers.
5. Implement contactless pick-up of food where possible to minimise interactions.
6. Ensure that customers and delivery personnel observe at least one-metre spacing at all times and do not cluster together.
2. Crowd management
1. Radio broadcasts, all forms of television, film and video screenings⁴ and the provision or allowance of other forms of public entertainment activities such as live music, dancing, variety acts and singing (by employees or customers), amusement devices, darts, billiards, pool, snooker, karaoke, gambling and/or gaming instruments (e.g. dice, mahjong tiles, playing cards)⁵ in the F&B premises are not permitted.
2. F&B establishments are also not allowed to play any form of recorded music or sounds, including background music.
3. Common play areas for children/toddlers/infants in F&B establishments must be closed.
3. Contact tracing
1. Although dine-in services are not allowed, F&B establishments should continue implementing TraceTogether-only SafeEntry for customers, but this need not be enforced for the time being. However, all employees and vendors of F&B establishments are required to do so via TraceTogether-only SafeEntry check-in.
2. F&B establishments required to deploy SafeEntry for customers and visitors need to provide the SafeEntry Gateway⁶ (SEGW) as an additional option for SafeEntry check-in. SEGW is available as a feature within the SafeEntry (Business) App (updated to the latest version) and as a physical standalone device (SEGW Box). These F&B establishments may apply for a free SEGW Box⁷.
3. To facilitate more precise contact tracing efforts, SafeEntry check-out is also encouraged. Businesses can facilitate check-out for their customers by toggling to the SEGW check-out function within the SafeEntry (Business) App. Businesses with a higher throughput of visitors and places where people are likely to be in close proximity for prolonged periods with masks off will also be eligible for SEGW Check-out Boxes⁷.
4. Refer to Annex B [PDF, 14KB]: for more details.
4. Cleanliness and hygiene
1. F&B establishments must ensure that all employees, customers, delivery personnel and other onsite personnel wear their masks properly at all times. Employees who eat or drink onsite must wear their masks immediately after doing so.
2. F&B establishments must ensure that common spaces and items, high-touch surfaces (e.g. counters, menus), interactive components (e.g. tablets, smart kiosks) as well as play areas for children/toddlers/infants are frequently cleaned/disinfected.
3. Communal amenities for self-service (e.g. drink dispensers and condiment stations) must not be used⁹.
4. Self-service food samples are not allowed.
5. Hand sanitisers should be made available to employees and customers at common touchpoints (e.g. entry/exit doors, cashiers). Employees handling cash and other payment modes (e.g. credit cards) should clean or sanitise their hands before handling food and food packaging.
5. Ventilation and improving indoor air quality
   1. F&B establishments are strongly encouraged to improve ventilation and improve indoor air quality in all premises. Refer to Annex C [PDF, 54KB].
7. F&B establishments should put up clear signages to remind customers to comply with safe distancing requirements where applicable, and train and deploy service personnel to provide clear communication to customers on SMMs.


8. F&B establishments should allow customers to use their own clean and reusable containers when ordering takeaways. This will help to reduce the amount of waste generated and ease the demand for disposable food containers.


9. Refer to Annex D [PDF, 58KB] for other recommended guidelines.



Safe Management Measures – Workplace Premises¹⁰/Back of House/Kitchen

10. To ensure COVID-safe workplaces, F&B establishments should adhere to measures as outlined in MOM’s Requirements for Safe Management Measures at the Workplace, and take care of their workers, workplaces and those who may become unwell at their workplaces.


11. Employers must ensure no cross-deployment across worksites¹¹, i.e. no employee should work at more than one worksite.
1. If cross-deployment cannot be avoided (e.g. due to the nature of the job), additional safeguards must be taken to minimise the risk of cross infection¹².
2. For venues that have been visited by positive COVID-19 cases and asked to close by the Ministry of Health (MOH), employees should not be redeployed to other worksites at all for the period of closure. If instructed to go for swabs, employers must ensure that their employees from these venues visit the designated Regional Screening Centre, “Swab and Send Home” (SASH) Public Health Preparedness Clinics or mobile swab sites for the COVID-19 test offered by MOH. These employees should stay at home and minimise social interactions during the period of closure even if their swab results are negative. They should also monitor their health closely, and visit a doctor immediately if unwell.

Enforcement of measures

12. Government agencies will be stepping up enforcement on F&B establishments and will take firm action against any breaches, including failure to maintain the one-metre safe distancing between groups and to prevent intermingling of groups, allowing group sizes above permissible limits, serving and allowing the consumption of alcohol after 2230hrs, and providing entertainment and games.


13. Under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, 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.


14. Businesses that do not implement or comply with the government’s requirements on SMMs may be ineligible for government grants, loans, tax rebates and other assistance, and may also be subject to temporary closures.
 

Annex A [PDF, 61KB]: SMMs for work-related events
Annex B [PDF, 14KB]: Details of SafeEntry check-in
Annex C [PDF, 54KB]: Details on ventilation and improving indoor air quality
Annex D [PDF, 58KB]: Other recommended guidelines for customer-facing operations

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¹This includes all F&B establishments such as those in shopping malls, industrial estates, coffeeshops and hawker centres. Malls may designate spaces for mall employees to consume their meals, but all the guidelines in paragraph 4.b. must be adhered to.

²The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has sent out notices to relevant F&B licensees required to conduct FET for their employees.

³Refer to Annex A for the SMMs on work-related events.

⁴Except for advisory videos related to safe management measures. Static images and a carousel of static images on a digital screen (e.g. of menus and promotional items) without sound are not considered to be TV/video screenings.

⁵The list of gaming instruments is as stated in the Common Gaming House (Instruments and Appliances for Gaming) Rules.

⁶The SEGW enables contactless detection of both the TraceTogether App and Token, and serves as an additional means of SafeEntry check-in that is quicker and more seamless. It also allows users to check if their Token has run out of battery or is not working.

⁷Refer to go.gov.sg/gateway-overview for how to implement the SEGW and apply for a free SEGW Box.

⁸Refer to go.gov.sg/gateway-overview for latest details on when the free SEGW Check-out Boxes are available.

⁹F&B establishments are allowed to place condiments and cutleries at their stall counters, as long as these are within sight of and managed directly by the employees.

¹⁰Refers to the F&B establishments’ back-of-house operations involving employees, including at offices, warehouses and manufacturing facilities.

¹¹This will not apply to industries/companies that need to do so due to the nature of their work. Such companies will be required to demonstrate that cross-deployment of interaction between employees is critical for business operations, when requested by MOM or their sector agencies.

¹²E.g. systems are in place to ensure no direct contact between the cross-deployed personnel.