Singapore lifts most Covid-19 curbs from Apr 26, including group size limits, safe distancing

SINGAPORE is lifting most Covid-19 safe management measures from Apr 26, including caps on group sizes and the need for safe distancing, as the country finally lowers its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level from Orange to Yellow after more than two years.

However, unvaccinated persons are still not allowed into food & beverage establishments, said co-chair of the multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19 Gan Kim Yong at a press conference on April 22.

Singapore's DORSCON level has been at Orange since Feb 7, 2020, the second-highest level of the colour-coded framework which shows the current disease situation.

Changes have been made to 4 out of 5 parameters in the Safe Management Measures (SMM) framework:

• Group sizes: No limit on group sizes, up from 10 previously.
• Mask wearing: Mask-wearing will still be required in indoor settings and optional outdoors.
• Workplace requirements: All workers may return to the workplace. Further, they are not required to wear masks at the workplace when they are not interacting physically with others and when they are not in customer-facing areas.
• Safe distancing: No longer required between individuals or between groups.
• Capacity limits: All capacity limits have been removed.

"The approach that we are taking is step down but not dismantle. We must keep our systems warm so that we can activate them later on if the need arises. And we hope everyone understands this so that if and when we need to tighten (measures), you will be mentally and psychologically prepared for such future scenarios," said co-chair and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

Vaccination-differentiation SMMs (VDS) will be removed from most settings, but will still apply to food and beverage (F&B) establishments, including restaurants, coffee shops and hawker centres; events with more than 500 participants at any one time; nightlife establishments where dancing among patrons is one of the intended activities.

However, F&B establishments no longer need to conduct VDS checks for their customers. Instead, random spot-checks will be conducted and the onus is on the individuals dining to abide by the rules, said the Health Ministry.

Separately, workforce vaccination measures will be lifted, though employers have the flexibility to continue implementing vaccination-related instructions for workplace health and safety and business continuity reasons, and in accordance with employment law.

All workers may return to the workplace, and are not required to wear masks at the workplace when they are not interacting physically with others and when they are not in customer-facing areas.

Still, the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation said in a joint statement that employers “are strongly encouraged” to continue offering flexible work arrangements (FWAs) as a permanent feature of workplaces.

“FWAs help employees achieve better worklife harmony and promote a more engaged and productive workforce. This in turn benefits employers. Employers who offer FWAs will also benefit from talent attraction and retention,” the tripartite partners said, adding that such employers can also tap a wider pool of labour.

The use of TraceTogether (TT) and SafeEntry (SE) is also being stepped down. Most venues will no longer require check in using the TT application or token, except for larger events with more than 500 participants at any time, and certain nightlife establishments where VDS checks are still required.

But TT and SE capabilities will be maintained so that the government can rapidly step up contact tracing and VDS checks should the need arise, with the public "strongly encouraged to keep the TT application on their phones" or their TT tokens, said MOH.

TT or SE data can still be used by police officers and law enforcement officers for criminal investigations and proceedings for serious offences.

Meanwhile, Health Risk Notices will no longer be issued, though the MOH recommended that Covid-19 positive persons continue to inform close contacts so that they can take the necessary precautions.

Settings with vulnerable persons such as hospitals, nursing homes and elderly homes should also request proof of a negative Antigen Rapid Test (ART) result for persons with recent exposure before allowing entry.

With the Covid-19 situation stabilising, free community ART testing and weekend acute respiratory infection testing at the combined test centres (CTCs) and quick test centres (QTCs) will also cease from Apr 26.