Phase 2 reopening to begin Friday

Dine-in and social gatherings of up to five allowed

THE island-state moves to phase two of its reopening this Friday, as a range of restrictions will be eased to allow more business and social activities to resume, says the task force tackling Covid-19.

People can also gather socially in groups of up to five, and households can receive up to five visitors at any one time.

But individuals will still have to keep a safe distance of at least 1m from others.

Where this is not feasible, groups of no more than five persons should be at least 1m apart – with no mixing between groups.

Speaking at a virtual press conference, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who co-chairs the task force, noted that the number of community cases over the past two weeks since Singapore exited the circuit breaker has remained stable.

The incidence of cases in migrant worker dormitories has also declined, and there are no new large clusters emerging.

This paves the way for phase two, where most activities can resume.

But further reopening must be done safely, with group sizes and capacity limits in place, the task force cautioned.

> Dining-in, personal health and wellness, as well as home-based services such as private tuition, enrichment or piano lessons can resume, except for singing or voice training classes.

> At restaurants and hawker centres, each table will be limited to five people.

> Retail shops, parks, sports and other public facilities, including stadiums, swimming pools, golf courses, playgrounds, bowling centres and fitness studios, will also be able to reopen.

This applies to similar facilities in private settings such as condominiums and clubs.

> Registered clubs and societies will be allowed to operate at their registered premises.

> Face-to-face visits at nursing homes can also resume with precautionary measures in place.

> All healthcare services and services for seniors, including traditional Chinese medicine, aesthetic services, eldercare services and senior activity centres, will gradually be allowed to reopen.

At all times, people should continue to adhere to safe distancing guidelines and keep a distance of 1m from others when they are out, the Ministry of Health said.

Masks will also remain a must when people head outdoors, including in schools.

But higher-risk activities, including religious services and congregations, conferences and trade fairs will not yet be allowed, as such settings can spawn large clusters of infections, said Gan.

Seniors, a vulnerable group, should also continue to stay home as much as they can.

At this stage of reopening, live music and television and video screenings will not be allowed in all food and beverage outlets, and they have to cease liquor sales and consumption at 10.30pm.

Karaoke outlets, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres as well as libraries, museums and other large cultural and entertainment venues will not be allowed to resume yet.

The reopening of indoor and outdoor attractions will also take more time.