85 more businesses told to close for flouting 'circuit breaker' rules; one fined S$1,000

ANOTHER 85 businesses have been ordered to cease operations for flouting the elevated safe-distancing measures over Wednesday and Thursday; one F&B establishment was fined S$1,000 after repeated warnings. 

Some of the 85 businesses were found to have remained open despite providing non-essential services. They included wellness and beauty product shops, general household product retailers, phone accessories retail shops, travel agencies, hardware shops and non-essential healthcare services. 

The others were providing essential services, but failed to enforce the safe-distancing measures properly, said Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in a joint statement on Thursday. 

Bubble tea brand Playmade's outlet in Waterway Point in Punggol was fined S$1,000 following repeated warnings from the authorities over its failure to enforce crowd management and for allowing customers to crowd together less than a metre apart from each other. If the outlet continues flouting the rules, it will face higher fines and can be charged in court. 

Since the month-long "circuit breaker" period began on Tuesday, ESG and STB have conducted checks on more than 15,200 businesses across the island. On Tuesday, their officers ordered shut 10 businesses, which had remained open despite providing non-essential services. 

Both agencies will continue with their enforcement checks over this long weekend.

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In a Facebook post on Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the public must comply with the elevated safe-distancing measures "very strictly", noting that there were still far too many public gatherings taking place.

He warned that the authorities will strictly enforce the measures from Thursday, adding that the "painful measures" will have to last longer, the more liberties people take with them. 

Under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, first-time offenders face a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, or both. For second or subsequent offences, the penalty is a fine of up to S$20,000, or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.