- Safety@Work
Suspension of Activities at workplace premises to reduce COVID-19 transmission
On 3 April 2020, Ministry of Health Singapore, MOH, issued a press release on “Additional Measures to Minimise Further Spread of COVID-19 Cases” which outlined enhanced safe distancing measures to reduce the risk of further local transmission of COVID-19. The measures include the closure of workplace premises, retail outlets except for those necessary to support the daily living needs of the population, and limiting restaurants and food and beverage outlets to takeaway or delivery only. To prevent further spread of the virus, the following measures are for strict compliance with effect from 7 April 2020. a. Essential Services and their related supply chains and service providers are exempted from the suspension. All other business, social, or other activities that cannot be conducted through telecommuting or other means from home shall be suspended from 7 April 2020 to 4 May 2020. The list of activities that will be allowed to continue to operate will be updated at https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/essentialservices; see Annex A for list as at 1600hrs 3 April 2020. Entities that are able to continue to operate their business (in limited or full capacity) with their employees working from home should continue to do so. The provision of food and essential health items to the public is an essential service. Food suppliers (including food and food ingredient production, food manufacturing, food processing, abattoirs/slaughter houses, food caterers, importers & traders and food logistics-cold stores/warehouses), food retail (including supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery & fruit stores, wholesale markets, wet markets), food & beverages (F&B) outlets (including restaurants, hawker centres, coffeeshops and food courts), and pharmacies will remain open. However, F&B outlets can only offer take-away and deliveries only; no dining in is allowed. Entities providing Essential Services must comply with the following: i. All activities that can take place through telecommuting must be done from home. ii. Employers must implement safe distancing measures to reduce physical interactions by: • Reducing the need for and duration of physical interactions; • Staggering working hours; • Postponing all group events; and 2 • Implementing shift work and/or split team arrangements. iii. F&B outlets (including restaurants, hawker centres, coffeeshops and food courts) can continue to operate for take-away and/or delivery only. This is to reduce interactions outside of the household. Outlets which do not currently offer take-away and/or delivery can do so or allow third-party food delivery services to do so for them. While patrons and delivery drivers can continue to enter the premises to access take-away services, there will be no dine-in service, and nobody is should consume any food or drinks on-site whilst waiting for takeaway food. F&B outlets that remain open must adhere to the enhanced Safe Distancing Measures in their premises, and minimise crowds by ensuring patrons are spaced at least 1 metre apart at all times (i.e. within the premise and when queuing).
Entities which carry out activities listed in Annex A can continue to operate from their workplace premises. They can continue to operate until informed otherwise. They are required to submit details of their plans to operate with enhanced safe distancing measures in place at https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg by end of 13 Apr. Please visit
https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/