Malls to suspend all large group activities, implement crowd and queue control until April 30

From midnight until the end of April, malls and standalone stores - the like of furniture chains Ikea and Courts - will have to abide by stringent safe-distancing measures, which include suspending all events regardless of size, shutting all bars and entertainment venues, as well as closing communal facilities like playgrounds. 

Groups of shoppers and diners must be limited to 10 or fewer, and larger groups are to be quickly dispersed.

Details of tightened measures aimed at reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission were laid out in an advisory on Thursday, jointly issued by Enterprise Singapore, the Housing & Development Board, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

These malls and standalone stores are to limit the number of people entering their premises by ensuring that the "occupant load does not exceed one person per 16 square metres of usable space".

Landlords should allow tenants to mark queue spots outside their unit, to ensure that shoppers standing in line are at least one metre apart from one another. Tenants should also be allowed to extend temporary seating or queues beyond their premises to spread crowds out - so long as fire escape routes, access lanes and pedestrain walkways are not obstructed.

All infant and children's play areas, bars and entertainment venues - including cinemas, nightclubs, pubs, arcades and karaoke outlets - must be closed. Exhibitions, atrium sales and promotional activities, as well as live entertainment, are to be suspended. However, the authorities will allow supermarkets to use mall atriums to sell their goods, in order to disperse crowds from their stores.

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Fitness studios can remain open, but must adhere to applicable safe-distancing measures.

Those who do not comply with these directives may be fined up to S$10,000 and jailed up to six months under the Infectious Diseases Act.