Wage, rental support to be extended for F&B and sectors affected by tightened measures

LICENSED F&B outlets, gyms, fitness studios, performing arts organisations and arts education centres will receive extended wage support from July 26 to August 8, in view of tightened safe management measures announced by the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 on Friday.

These affected sectors are eligible for wage support of 10 per cent under the enhanced Jobs Support Scheme.

To provide targeted support to self-employed hawkers, rental waivers and subsidies for fees for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services will also be extended by one month, for stallholders in centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA), or NEA-appointed operators.

The authorities on Friday announced a tightening of restrictions from July 19 to August 8, including a dialing back of group sizes at food-and-beverage outlets.

For high-intensity indoor activities where participants have to take off their masks, like exercise classes, group sizes will also be reduced to no more than two people for classes of up to 30 people.

Such activities can continue in groups of five if all individuals in the class are fully vaccinated, or have recovered from Covid-19, or have a negative Covid-19 test result valid for the duration of the class.

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Group sizes for activities involving children aged 12 or below who are unvaccinated will remain limited to pairs, in classes of up to 30 people.

Outdoor activities as well as indoor activities where participants are masked can continue in groups of no more than five people in classes of up to 50 people, subject to the venue's capacity limit, whichever is low.

Wedding receptions can continue at the current group size of up to five people per table, without the requirement for all individuals in the group to be fully vaccinated.

As per current regulations, receptions can accommodate up to 250 people if there is pre-event testing for all attendees. For receptions with up to 50 people, pre-event testing will be required for the wedding party only.

Work-from-home remains the default arrangement for workplaces. Employees who need to come to their workplaces are to stagger start times and observe flexible working hours. However, social and recreational gatherings at workplaces are now not disallowed.

Read more:

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• Nightlife outfits suspended for two weeks from July 16 to 30
• F&B, retail outlets brace for tightened Covid-19 measures amid KTV cluster spread
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• 20 foreign women arrested for suspected involvement in vice activities at three KTV lounges