Businesses with 'food shop licences' not subject to ban: police

BUSINESSES with "food shop licences" can continue operations so long as safe-distancing measures are in place and their premises are not used for live entertainment, the Singapore police said on Tuesday.

Clearing the air after the authorities' recent order that all bars and entertainment venues be shut sparked confusion among operators, the police said the closure order - which kicked in last Thursday on March 27 and will last until the end of April - applies to establishments that do not have valid food shop licences from the Singapore Food Agency, but have been licensed to provide public entertainment.

These include nightclubs, discos, cabarets, karaoke lounges, bars with ancillary live entertainment, bars, and pubs.

The Business Times reported last Thursday that some operators were perplexed by the new order, as they were unsure if their outlets were considered "bars". Many establishments that look like bars to consumers are in fact licensed otherwise. For instance, archetypal watering holes such as Harry's and Brewerkz are operating under "restaurant" licences.

In its statement on Tuesday, the police clarified that establishments licensed as restaurants, snack bars and counters, canteens, coffee shops and eating houses, as well as foodcourts, are "assessed to be outlets where the sale of food and beverages is the primary function" and can continue operations. However, all forms of public entertainment at these premises must be suspended, until April 30.