THIS JUST IN!
Singapore has just taken several major steps towards normalisation in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Here are the 6 takeaways from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s speech this morning:
- Group sizes have been doubled to 10 from 5
- Masks are now optional outdoors
- 75 percent of employees can return to the workplace
- 75 percent capacity for events attended by more than 1,000 people
- The current restriction on the sale and consumption of alcohol after 10.30pm at F&B outlets will be lifted
- Live performances can resume at all venues
All 6 measures will come into effect on Tuesday, 29 March 2022.
The doubling of group sizes to 10 will have a major positive impact on the local dining scene. Mid-sized celebrations and gatherings are now back on the cards, a move that will be well-received by diners and proprietors alike.
This new rule also applies to hawker centres and coffee shops where full checks on vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS) are implemented at their entrances, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
“To ease the operational burden for F&B operators, we will allow all F&B establishments to seat smaller groups of up to five fully vaccinated persons, without the need for full VDS checks at their entrance,” said MOH in a media release.
“Instead, random spot-checks will be done to ensure that only vaccinated persons are dining in at these places, and the onus will be on the dining-in individuals to abide by the rules.”
I look back at all the missed celebrations and underwhelming gatherings of the past 2 years and shake my head. Here’s hoping the ‘new normal’ will be exactly like the ‘old normal’ we took for granted before.
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