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The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) has announced further easing of restrictions on Nov. 20, including increasing the maximum group size for social gatherings and dining in at F&B establishments.

This is because overall infection numbers and the hospital situation "have largely stabilised and improved", the MTF said.

Additionally, a significant proportion of the population have had or will be receiving their vaccination booster shots.

Five visitors allowed

From Nov. 22 onwards, group sizes for social gatherings will be increased from two persons to five persons.

This means that each household can allow up to five distinct visitors each day.

However, it is advised that households, as far as possible, accept only visitors who are vaccinated.

Unvaccinated individuals should exercise caution and protect themselves by reducing their movement and staying at home as much as possible, MTF reminded.

Those visiting households that have an unvaccinated person or vulnerable elderly are also strongly encouraged to test themselves before the visit.

Five people from different households can dine in

Groups of up to five persons from different households will also be allowed to dine-in at F&B establishments come Nov. 22, if all diners are fully vaccinated.

Unvaccinated children, aged 12 and below, may be included within the group as long as they are from the same household.

As previously announced, medically ineligible persons may also be included within these groups from Dec. 1 onwards.

Groups of five will only be allowed to dine-in at hawker centres and coffee shops where full Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) have been implemented.

The first batch of hawker centres and coffee shops will conduct such checks from Nov. 23.

More will do so in time to come when the VDS systems are in place.

However, for hawker centres and coffee shops that have yet to implement VDS checks, the maximum group size will remain at two fully-vaccinated persons.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been actively consulting the Hawkers’ Associations, and working with the Town Councils and NEA-appointed operators, to also implement access control with vaccination checks at entry points at the remaining hawker centres by the end of November 2021.

NEA and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will share more details on the first batch of hawker centres and coffee shops with full VDS checks soon.

Meanwhile, unvaccinated individuals are not allowed to dine-in at any hawker centre or coffee shop, and may continue to only take-away food from these establishments.

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Top photo from Lionel Lim / Flickr via Wikipedia