Home-based businesses limited to 5 visitors a day, whether customers or guests, no matter the house size: MND

Answer is no.

Zhangxin Zheng | July 07, 2021, 09:59 AM

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Some Singaporeans may have turned to home-based businesses to contribute to household income while managing the responsibility of a caregiver at home during this pandemic period.

However, home-based businesses can only welcome up to five visitors a day, as per current Covid-19 regulations, whether they are customers or guests.

Member of Parliament for Kebun Baru SMC, Henry Kwek asked if the Ministry of National Development can allow home-based businesses that reside in larger premises to have more than five guests a day if they can fulfil the prevailing guidelines on the number of people per square foot that other retailers abide by.

The restrictions follow the prevailing rule on the number of visitors allowed per day, which means it may change as the Multi-Ministry Task Force updates the rules.

Customers and household members may come into contact

In a Written Answer, MND said that they are unable to allow home-based businesses to do so.

Unlike retail stores where interactions occur mainly between the staff and customers, customers of a home-based business may come into contact with household members.

The restriction on the number of distinct visitors to a residence is intended to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 transmission to household members, should there be a Covid-19 positive visitor.

Therefore, rules applied to retailers cannot be the same for these home-based businesses, regardless of the size of their home.

"We seek the Member’s understanding that the measures are in place to contain the spread of Covid-19, for the safety of household members, visitors, and the community at large," MND added.

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