Three F&B outlets have been ordered to close, and four other outlets issued with fines for breaching Safe Management Measures (SMMs), according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (MSE) on Tuesday (Sep. 22).

According to MSE, the government will continue to step up enforcement checks at F&B outlets around Singapore, to ensure that they adhere to SMMs.

Three F&B outlets closed for 10 days

On Sep. 12, MSE officers detected a group of 15 individuals inside a restaurant at 39 Hong Kong Street, at 9:10pm.

According to MSE, the group had organised a private dinner event, and was sitting across four tables, with intermingling observed.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) issued an order on Sep. 17, requiring the operator to close the premises for a period of 10 days, from Sep. 18 to Sep. 27, both dates inclusive.

On the same day, the Beer Factory, located at 25 Church Street, was observed to have admitted three groups of patrons, that each comprised over five people at 9:50pm.

The URA issued a similar order on Sep. 17, requiring the operator of Beer Factory to close the premises for a period of 10 days, from Sep. 18 to Sep. 27, both dates inclusive.

On Sep. 19, MSE officers observed patrons consuming alcohol at 10:55pm, at two tables in the outdoor refreshment area at Block 261, Serangoon Central Drive.

The alcoholic beverages were sold and served from a drinks outlet at Block 261, Serangoon Central Drive, #01-27.

Under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited after 10:30pm.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issued an order on Sep. 21, requiring the operator of the drinks outlet at #01-27 to close the premises for a period of 10 days, from Sep. 22 to Oct. 1, both dates inclusive.

Four other F&B outlets were fined S$1,000 for breaching various SMMs, such as allowing groups of more than five to be seated together, to intermingle between tables, and seating groups of customers less than one metre apart.

According to MSE, these outlets are among the seven found to have breached SMMs, as part of stepped-up checks at F&B hotspots by government agencies on Sep. 16.

F&B operators are responsible for implementing safe distancing measures

From Sep. 18 to Sep. 20, government agencies conducted a number of additional inspections on 323 F&B outlets in known hotspots.

18 were found to have breached SMMs.

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

It also reminded F&B operators and premises owners that they are responsible for implementing SMMs, and should not be requesting enforcement officers or Safe Distancing Ambassadors to engage their patrons on SMMs on their behalf.

Groups of more than five not allowed, even if split across multiple tables

In addition, MSE also said that gatherings or groups involving more than five persons in total are strictly not allowed, even if they are split across multiple tables.

F&B operators are not permitted to accept such reservations.

Exceptions can be made, however, if all members of the group are from the same household.

In such cases, the group will need to be seated at multiple tables, with no more than five persons per table, with at least one metre spacing between the tables.

According to MSE, establishments can request to verify diners' claims that they are from the same household, and can reject entry of diners at their discretion.

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Top image via MSE.