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

Vaccination-differentiated safe management measures ("VDS" in short) for dining in were first announced back in July 2021.

Then, larger groups of five vaccinated individuals were allowed to dine in together, while those not fully-vaccinated would have to be in pairs or alone.

From Oct. 13, VDS will be expanded such that those not fully-vaccinated cannot enter shopping malls and attractions.

They can still enter hawker centres and coffee shops to takeaway food, but will not be able to dine in even if they are alone.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said this is to "protect the unvaccinated individuals and reduce the strain on our healthcare system".

There will be exceptions made for those who have gone for pre-event testing (PET), as well as children.

And this means that many venues will have to deal with the question of how to check individuals' vaccination (or exception) statuses.

What to expect at the entrances of malls and other venues

Starting Oct. 13, the check-in process at many venues can be expected to be lengthier than before, due to the need for venues to check for vaccination status.

There are two possible options that you may encounter at the entrances of malls and other venues, depending on what their management chooses to implement.

1. SafeEntry Business app

Businesses can configure their SafeEntry Business app such that staff will be able to check their visitors' vaccination statuses easily, while also checking them in under SafeEntry.

One tap of the TraceTogether app or token (or, a scan of the token's QR code) reveals each visitor's vaccination or Covid-19 test status.

However, venues will still need to manually accept each visitor's check-in by clicking "Yes" under the "Proceed to check in?" section after confirming vaccination status.

MOH said that the use of the SafeEntry Business App is "strongly encouraged to facilitate eligibility checks".

2. SafeEntry Gateway Box OR SafeEntry via QR code + manual check on vaccination/test status

MOH also said the commonly-seen SafeEntry Gateway Box cannot be used to facilitate checks on vaccination status.

However, it can still be used to check in visitors.

Thus, venues where visitors check in using the SafeEntry Gateway will need to manually check each visitor's vaccination status, after they have checked in.

This two-step process will be needed for venues which offer the option of checking in via scanning the venue's QR code — performing a SafeEntry check in, followed by a vaccination status check.

How to manually check vaccination status?

A manual check on visitors' vaccination status can be done either by looking at their TT app, or by asking them to produce the relevant documentation (such as their HealthHub app, hardcopy Vaccination Report, hardcopy Vaccination Card, negative test result, or discharge memo, etc.).

Grace period at malls, from Oct. 13 to 19

There will be a one-week grace period (from Oct. 13 to 19) so people can familiarise themselves with "the new processes and checks" at malls, announced MOH, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Enterprise Singapore in a joint statement over the weekend.

On the other hand, gyms, fitness studios, and F&B outlets would already be familiar with these checks since August or earlier.

But hawker centres, coffeeshops, and attractions will be required to perform vaccination status checks for the first time.

Who is considered "fully-vaccinated"?

Individuals are considered fully-vaccinated if they meet any of the following conditions:

1. Received the full regimen of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna vaccines, or any of the World Health Organisation’s Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines, such as Sinovac-CoronaVac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca, with an additional two weeks for the vaccine to be fully-effective.
2. Recovered from Covid-19, with the date of their first positive PCR test falling within the past 270 days.
3. Obtained a negative result from PET, with the test being taken in the past 24 hours before the expected end of the event.

Who is exempted from VDS?

1. Those below 12.
2. Those entering malls to access childcare or medical services.

Related stories

Top photos by Nigel Chua

Follow and listen to our podcast here