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Those dining out during the CNY period should keep their face masks on during the tossing of yusheng, the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) announced in a press conference on Jan. 22, 2021.

Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong said during the press conference that they had anticipated a greater level of transmission in Phase 3 due to the increased interactions in the community.

"Indeed, in the past two weeks, we have seen an increase in the number of locally-transmitted cases," Gan added, saying that some of these cases have resulted in community clusters.

Given the situation, Covid-19 safe management measures will be tightened during the CNY period, including measures such as limiting the number households that a family should visit.

Lohei practices

Regarding dining out, the MTF said that face masks must not only be worn during the tossing of yusheng, but lohei should also be done without any verbalisation of auspicious phrases.

Minister for Education Lawrence Wong said, "There should be no shouting of auspicious phrases by the F&B staff or by the patrons in the restaurant."

He also said that we have to be "especially careful" during this CNY period.

F&B establishments and enterprises serving lohei must ensure that both the staff and patrons comply with these requirements.

The maximum group size for social gatherings outside the house will remain at 8 people for now, but people are encouraged to keep their social circle small instead of mixing with multiple groups.

Stepping up enforcement checks at F&B outlets

There will also be more enforcement checks at F&B establishments, malls and other crowded public spaces during this period.

Strict enforcement actions will be taken against individuals and operators who do not comply with safe management measure.

The penalties include fines and prosecution in court, depending on the severity of the offence. For operators who do not comply with the measures, their operations will be suspended.

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Top photo via Roots.sg, Mediacorp/MTF video