The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a joint statement that with effect from 19 April, all nightlife businesses will be allowed to fully reopen and resume business.

They will, however, be subjected to safe management measures such as vaccination differentiated SMMs (VDS).

Here is the press release by MTI

SAFEGUARDS FOR THE RESUMPTION OF NIGHTLIFE BUSINESSES

On 24 March 2022, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) announced the easing of Safe Management Measures (SMMs), and activity-specific adjustments including the resumption of nightlife businesses comprising bars, pubs, karaoke establishments, discotheques and nightclubs in the coming weeks.

In line with the above, all nightlife businesses will be permitted to fully reopen from 19 April 2022. To ensure the safe resumption of the sector, all nightlife establishments will be subjected to SMMs imposed on food and beverage (F&B) establishments, retail liquor establishments, and live performances, where applicable, including vaccination-differentiated SMMs (VDS).

For nightlife establishments where dancing among patrons is one of the intended activities (such as nightclubs and discotheques), a negative Antigen Rapid Test (ART) supervised by an MOH-approved test provider, either in-person or remotely, will be required for patrons before entering the premise. 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.

A summary of the required SMMs for all nightlife businesses is as follows:

a) Group sizes: Groups of up to 10 fully vaccinated persons, where full vaccination-differentiated SMMs (VDS) checks have been implemented at entrances.

b) Mask-wearing: Mask-wearing required indoors but optional outdoors.

c) Safe distancing: Safe distancing of at least 1m when mask-off, between individuals or groups.

d) Capacity limits: Capacity limits of 75% for large settings/events with >1,000 pax, which are mask-on and there is no 1m safe distancing, and no capacity limits for smaller settings/events with ≤1,000 pax.

e) Supervised ART tests: Supervised ART test for patrons as long as premise offers dancing among patrons as an intended activity. This will apply mainly to nightclubs and discotheques.

Enforcement agencies will also continue to monitor the compliance of these SMMs. In the event of breaches, enforcement actions will be taken under the COVID19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, and the business will be liable for the issuance of Notice of Composition (NOC) and closure order.

Jointly issued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Home Affairs

4 April 2022 

Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung said on 3 April that Singapore is always on the lookout for variants of concern, but added that there have been no significant ones detected recently.

Speaking at a farmers’ market at Woodlands Sports Pavilion, Ong acknowledged that the variants such as XE, XD and XF have been detected in other countries, but said that there is not much cause for concern regarding such variants.

Using a pair of earrings as an analogy, Ong said:

“There are plenty of variants, but many of them are like us humans. Today you wear this earring, tomorrow you change your earring. That’s all it is. You’re still the same person.”

He added that what we need to watch out for are variants of concern that have been flagged by the World Health Organization because they have different characteristics.

He explained: “These are either more severe, more transmissible or the vaccines don’t work as well… As of now, we’re watching out for those and monitoring the general development.”

He added that “the risk of a variant is always there so it’s one of the things we have to monitor internationally to make sure there are no variants of concern that will pull us back to square one, which is always possible.”