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From June 21, 2021, Food and Beverage (F&B) outlets can resume dining-in for groups of up to two people each.

This is a reduction from a dining-in group size of up to five people as previously announced.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that its re-opening plans - such as dining-in activities - are being calibrated because of the persistence of undetected community transmission cases.

What dining-in for two persons will look like

A press statement from MOH issued on June 18 said:

"F&B establishments will be able to resume dining-in from 21 June 2021 in group sizes of up to two persons.

This means that a group of more than two persons who are not from the same household is not allowed to dine-in together at F&B establishments, even if they are split across multiple tables."

Who can dine-in at F&B outlets after June 21:

• One person.
• A group of two people from the same household (e.g. Father and son).
• A group of two people from different households (e.g. A couple on a date).
• A bigger group, but from the same household (e.g. Mother, father, son and daughter). However, they need to be split across multiple tables, with two persons per table

Who cannot dine-in at F&B outlets after June 21:

• A group of three people, but from different households (e.g. Brother, sister and sister's boyfriend who lives in another house).
• A larger group of people from different households, even if split across multiple tables (e.g. Five friends who meet up to play Pokémon Go).

Further restrictions: music not allowed, wedding receptions prohibited

To further mitigate the risk of transmission from patrons talking loudly, recorded music will not be allowed in F&B establishments.

This is on top of existing restrictions on videos or TV screening and live entertainment at F&B establishments.

F&B establishments are also reminded to strictly observe safe distancing of at least 1 metre between groups of diners, of no more than two persons per group, to lower the risk of transmission.

Enforcement will be stepped up and the authorities will take firmer enforcement action for any breaches of safe management measures.

Patrons must keep their masks on at all times, except when eating or drinking.

Wedding receptions will also remain prohibited until mid-July 2021 as they are higher-risk activities.

Staff testing

Staff at dining-in establishments will be required to undergo regular Fast and Easy Tests (FET).

The regular 14-day FET requirement for staff at these settings will be made mandatory from around mid-July 2021.

Most of the FET can be done through a system of self-swabs supervised by the employer.

To support establishments in their efforts to get started on FET, MOH set up training programmes that companies can leverage to train supervisors in their establishments to supervise Antigen Rapid Test (ART) self-swabs for their staff.

These supervisor training programmes will be provided at no cost to these establishments for the next three months.

ART kits will also be made available to establishments for these employer supervised self-swabs.

Some F&B establishments have already sent their employees for training and are ready to implement regular testing progressively from June 21, 2021.

There may be small businesses who are unable to organise the supervised self-swabs on their own. Hence the Government will also set up Quick Test Centres (QTCs) to support those who need to be tested.

It will start with one each at Tekka and Yishun, which will be operational from June 21, 2021. More QTCs will be progressively set up.

To further minimise the risks of transmission in these settings, the Government will also facilitate earlier vaccination of individuals who work in these settings.

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Top image by @shawnanggg via Unsplash.