JOINT ADVISORY BETWEEN NEA AND SFA

Singapore, 20 November 2021 – The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) announced on Saturday 20 November 2021 that groups of up to 5 fully vaccinated persons, regardless of household, will be able to dine in together at F&B establishments from Monday 22 November. This easing will extend to hawker centres and coffeeshops which will have in place access control and checking systems to perform vaccination checks at entry points.

Easing of dine-in restriction at hawker centres

2          The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been consulting the Hawkers’ Associations and working with the Town Councils and NEA-appointed operators to prepare for the entry checks. From Tuesday 23 November, an initial batch of 11 hawker centres will have put in place vaccination checks at access points, and be able to have up to 5 vaccinated persons dine in together. This initial list can be found at ANNEX.

3          Patrons can either show the personnel manning the access points the vaccination verification on the TraceTogether (TT) App, or provide their TT token to be scanned to determine the vaccination status. Fully vaccinated or eligible persons will be given a sticker to identify them for dine-in at hawker centres, while those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated can only purchase food to take away. Individual stallholders do not need to check patrons’ vaccination status.

4          The remaining hawker centres are expected to similarly have entry checks in place and also be permitted to have groups of up to 5 vaccinated persons dine in by 30 November. In the meantime, the restriction of dine-in by up to 2 fully vaccinated persons will continue to apply for the remaining hawker centres.

Easing of dine-in restriction at coffeeshops

5          Similarly, coffeeshops [1] that have implemented the necessary control measures will be able to accommodate dine-in groups of up to 5 fully vaccinated persons regardless of household from Tuesday 23 November. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has been engaging coffeeshop associations and operators on the required measures, which are as follows:

    (a) Access control: Coffeeshops must control access to their premises by cordoning off areas and have dedicated entry points. Operators should ensure that access to common areas, such as the five-foot walkways in front of certain coffeeshops, are not obstructed.

   (b) Vaccination status checks: At the entry points, coffeeshops must check the vaccination status of all patrons, and differentiate patrons who are fully vaccinated and dining in. Patrons may show the vaccination verification on the TT App, or provide their TT token to be scanned to determine the vaccination status.

6          To date, seven coffeeshops (refer to ANNEX for the list) have been assessed to meet these requirements. Signs will be displayed at the entrances of these coffeeshops to inform patrons of the adjusted Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) and dine-in concessions. Other coffeeshops can come onboard when they have put in place the necessary control measures.

7           Safe Distancing Enforcement Officers and Safe Distancing Ambassadors deployed by SFA will continue to conduct regular checks at all coffeeshops to ensure that VDS and other Safe Management Measures are observed. For coffeeshops that allow dine-in groups of up to 5 fully vaccinated persons, enforcement actions will be taken if they do not have the required measures in place.

Mandatory checks on vaccination status and enforcement

8          NEA and SFA seek the understanding and cooperation of patrons on mandatory checks on vaccination status at hawker centres and coffeeshops under the adjusted VDS. The checks are to ensure compliance of VDS to better protect the unvaccinated who are at higher risk of infection and severe illness. Unvaccinated persons make up the majority of those who require intensive inpatient care, and disproportionately contribute to the strain on our healthcare resources.

9          We continue to encourage seniors to minimise dining activity at hawker centres and coffeeshops, and opt for takeaway food instead. Where possible, request for household members or neighbours to purchase takeaway food on their behalf.

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For more information, please submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application. Alternatively, you contact us at 6225 5632.

ANNEX

List of hawker centres with VDS checks in place from 23 November

1. Bedok Food Centre
2. Beo Crescent Market
3. Geylang Serai Market
4. Holland Village Market & Food Centre
5. Market Street Interim Food Centre
6. Sembawang Hills Food Centre
7. Tiong Bahru Market
8. Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre
9. Ci Yuan Hawker Centre
10. Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub
11. Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre

List of coffeeshops with VDS checks in place from 23 November

1. Barfood & Co Pte Ltd – 1 Cantonment Road Unit 01-01, S(080001)
2. Goodyear Restaurant Enterprise Pte Ltd – 15 Tampines Avenue, S(529788)
3. Qi Xiang Pte Ltd – 973 Upper Serangoon Road, S(534725)
4. B4RI Pte Ltd – 362 Tanjong Katong Road, S(437122)
5. The Patio – 1018, Sembawang Road, S(758495)
6. Satay By The Bay – Gardens By The Bay S(018953)
7. Makansutra Gluttons Bay Pte Ltd – 8 Raffles Avenue #01-15, Esplanade Mall S(039802)