The Ministry of Health said in a press release on 7 October that Singapore will be lifting the Vaccination-Differentiated Restrictions with effect from 10 October.
There will no longer be checks conducted on the vaccination statuses of patrons, attendees at events with more than 500 people, nightlife establishments with dancing, and dining in at eateries including hawker centres.
At the moment, VDS checks are mandatory at events with more than 500 attendees, while F&B outlets do not need to check the vaccination statuses of customers, random spot checks are done by the authorities.
However, with effect from 10 October, all that will no longer be the case.
Snippet of MOH’s press release
We have learned to live with the COVID-19 virus, having weathered several infection waves and progressively lifted SMMs. As we resume normalcy in our daily activities, we will lift VDS fully from 10 October 2022. This means that VDS will no longer be required for (i) events with more than 500 participants at any one time, (ii) nightlife establishments where dancing among patrons is one of the intended activities, and (iii) dining in at F&B establishments, including hawker centres.
VDS has served us well in our journey to safe reopening, helping to protect non-fully vaccinated persons by reducing their exposure to settings with a higher risk of transmission, and in turn keeping our healthcare system from being overwhelmed when population-wide vaccination and infection rates were not yet sufficiently high. However, even as VDS is lifted, non-fully vaccinated persons continue to face a higher risk of severe disease. We urge such persons to come forward to be vaccinated, or continue to take their own precautions and minimise social interactions to protect themselves.
While we have eased most SMMs at this juncture, we must continue to remain vigilant and be ready to respond to any dangerous new variants. Should the situation worsen, we may need to put in place the necessary measures at short notice, so as to protect the public, safeguard our healthcare workers and conserve hospital capacity. This may include standing up an appropriate level of VDS, as was necessary during the height of the pandemic.
We urge everyone to continue to exercise personal and social responsibility through maintaining hygiene, testing and minimizing social interactions when unwell, and keeping up-to-date with vaccinations. These steps will allow our society to be more resilient as we progress steadily towards living with COVID-19 and the new variants that emerge from time to time.
