Nightlife businesses may fully reopen from April 19

Aaron Low/TODAY

SINGAPORE — All nightlife businesses, including nightclubs and discotheques, will be allowed to fully reopen from April 19. Reported Today Online.

This is in line with Singapore's recent easing of Covid-19 measures, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a joint media release on Monday (April 4).

All nightlife establishments will be subjected to the safe management measures imposed on food and beverage (F&B) outlets, retail liquor establishments and live performances where applicable, said the authorities.

For nightlife businesses where dancing among patrons is one of the intended activities — such as nightclubs and discotheques — patrons must produce a negative Antigen Rapid Test (ART) before entering the premises.

The ART must be supervised by a test provider approved by the Ministry of Health, either in-person or remotely.

The Covid-19 test will be valid for 24 hours from the time of the test result.

"The patron must get tested before the start of his/her visit; and at most 24 hours before the end of the attendance at the event or activity," said MTI and MHA.

Nightlife businesses will be required to observe the following rules:

·         Group sizes of up to ten fully vaccinated people, with full vaccination-differentiated safe management measure checks implemented at entrances

·         Mandatory mask-wearing indoors

·         Safe distancing of at least 1m between individuals or groups when masks are off

·         Capacity limits of 75 per cent for large settings/events with more than 1,000 people, with no 1m safe distancing when masks are on. No capacity limits for smaller settings/events with fewer than 1,000 people

·         Supervised ART tests for patrons if the place offers dancing among patrons as an intended activity

Enforcement agencies will continue to monitor if these safe management measures are kept to, said the authorities.

"In the event of breaches, enforcement actions will be taken under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, and the business will be liable for the issuance of Notice of Composition (NOC) and closure order," they added.