Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

Six food and beverage (F&B) outlets have been ordered to close, and five outlets and 29 individuals have been fined, for breaching Covid-19 Safe Management Measures (SMMs).

A total of 73 individuals were also issued fines for breaching SMMs at parks and beaches.

According to a Feb. 10 press release by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), the breaches were discovered as part of stepped-up inspections by government agencies on F&B premises, malls, and other public spaces to ensure compliance with SMMs during the Chinese New Year period.

6 outlets ordered to close

Six F&B outlets were ordered to close due to breaching SMMs.

Wangzi Music Restaurant (199 New Bridge Road) was found to have allowed diners to consume alcohol at 2:30am on Feb. 6.

STB issued an order requiring the operator to close the premises for 20 days from Feb. 6 to Feb. 25.

Wang Zi Chu Fang was previously fined S$1,000 on Jul. 24, 2020 for failing to ensure 1m safe distancing between customers, and was ordered to shut down in Sep. 2020 for providing customers with drinking games and allowing them to drink alcohol past 10:30pm.

Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant (200 Turf Club Road) allowed a company dinner involving 65 people seated across nine tables to take place in its restaurant on Feb. 6.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has issued an order requiring the operator to close the premises for 10 days from Feb. 10 to Feb. 19.

East Treasure Chinese Restaurant (3B River Valley Road, #01-16) accepted a group of 16 diners on Jan. 29. The group was seated across two tables.

Investigations revealed that the gathering was a dinner organised by a company for its employees.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has issued an order requiring the operator to close the premises for 10 days from Feb. 10 to Feb. 19. The company and 16 diners involved will be issued fines of S$1,000 and S$300 each, respectively.

Crystal Jade Jiang Nan (VivoCity, #01-52) accepted a booking for 16 diners from different households and seated them across two tables on Feb. 6.

Enterprise Singapore has issued an order requiring the operator to close the premises for 10 days from Feb. 10 to Feb. 19. Investigations are continuing.

Ding Garden (191B New Bridge Road) accepted a booking for 13 diners from different households and seated them across three tables on Feb. 5, when they arrived together.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has issued an order requiring the operator to close the premises for 10 days from Feb. 6 to Feb. 15. The 13 diners involved were fined S$300 each for gathering in a group larger than eight.

Zam Zam (697-699 North Bridge Road) was found to have seated different groups of diners less than one metre apart on Feb. 5. The outlet had two previous offences that occurred on May 22 and Dec. 19, for which the outlet was fined S$1,000 and S$2,000 respectively.

URA has issued an order requiring the operator to close the premises for 10 days from Feb. 9 to Feb. 18.

Five outlets fined, one F&B operator to be charged in court

STB filed a Magistrate’s Complaint on Jan. 20 against Banana Leaf Apolo Pte. Ltd. for multiple breaches under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 at its restaurant located at 48 Serangoon Road.

Banana Leaf Apolo Pte. Ltd. will be charged in court on Feb. 17 for:

• Failing to ensure that any gathering of individuals in its premises did not exceed the maximum permissible group size
• Failing to ensure at least 1 metre safe distancing between seated customers
• Providing a self-service buffet of food for consumption
• Allowing customers to make speeches and play a video recording in its premises

Four F&B outlets were fined S$1,000 each and one outlet was fined S$2,000 for repeat offences of seating groups of diners less than one metre apart.

These outlets are:

• Chuan Garden, 1 Pagoda Street
• Eating House, 34 Upper Cross Street #01-170 (second offence)
• Eating House, 26 Jalan Membina #01-10
• Kim’s Family Food Korea Restaurant, 177 Telok Ayer Street
• Sichuan Restaurant, 72 Pagoda Street

73 park- and beach-goers fined for breaching SMMs

A total of 73 individuals were fined S$300 each for breaching SMMs on Feb. 6 and 7 in parks and beaches managed by the National Parks Board (NParks).

These breaches include gathering in groups of more than eight people and intermingling between groups.

In Changi Beach Park alone, 39 individuals were fined, including 17 who were caught gathering in one group.

Increased measures due to Chinese New Year

The past few weekends leading up to Chinese New Year have seen heavier crowds in Chinatown.

STB and relevant agencies and community partners such as the Chinatown Business Association and Chinatown Festivals Organising Committee have implemented additional measures from Feb. 5 to better manage the crowds.

These measures include not turning on the Chinatown Chinese New Year street light-up from Feb. 5 to Feb. 7 and deploying more Safe Distancing Ambassadors (SDAs) and enforcement officers (EOs) on the ground.

According to the MSE press release, there has been an estimated 20 per cent reduction in crowd size compared to the week before, since Feb. 5.

Around 3,000 SDAs and EOs are deployed daily to enforce Safe Distancing Measures (SDMs) and SMMs at various premises and public spaces, with more being deployed during peak hours, weekends, and in hotspots.

The Ministry reminded members of public to continue to abide by Covid-19 rules during the festive period, and to "not try to circumvent the rules, for the sake of their loved ones and the well-being of the community".

"We will not hesitate to take firm enforcement action against errant operators and individuals. This includes fines, suspension of operations even for first offences, and prosecution for egregious breaches," MSE wrote.

Totally unrelated but follow and listen to our podcast here

Top photos via Singapore Tourism Board.