As of July 16, there are 53 new confirmed local cases reported, including 32 belonging to the KTV cluster. That brings this cluster’s total number so far to 120 - and counting.
However, in a press conference conducted by the Republic’s Multi Ministerial Task Force (MTF), MTF co-chair Gan Kim Yong says fully vaccinated people still can dine out with a limit of 5 people per group.
The new measures will take effect on Monday, July 19 and last till Aug 8.
As defined by the Ministry of Health, “an individual is considered fully-vaccinated two weeks after he or she has received two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech/ Comirnaty or Moderna vaccines.”
See more: Night spots-turned F&B joints to be suspended as 'KTV cluster' mushrooms
MOH added that unvaccinated individuals with a valid negative pre-event test (PET) result or recovered individuals are of similarly lower risk, and may also join in such groups of 5.
The government will give individual F&B establishments the flexibility to decide whether to introduce the vaccination-differentiated group sizes, given how they have different operating models and have varying abilities to check the status of dining-in individuals.
However, hawker centres, food courts and coffee shops tend to be free-seating. Due to this “more porous” setting and that they generally do not impose mandatory SafeEntry check-in, it would be very challenging to check the status of individuals before they seat themselves at a table.
As such, group sizes for these venues got to be limited back to two persons for hawker centres, food courts, and coffee shops as a default.
MOH also added that as there is no vaccine available for children below 12, there will be a concession for members of the same household to dine together with their unvaccinated children aged 12 years and below, but this whole group should not exceed 5 persons.
It pointed out that if the children are not from the same household, then they should constitute not more than half the dine-in group.
MOH summarised that the following individuals will be eligible to dine-in in a group of up to five persons in an F&B establishment.
a. A fully vaccinated person;
b. A person who has recovered from Covid-19 (within 270 days);
c. An unvaccinated person who has a valid negative pre event testing (PET) result for the duration of his dining-in; or
d. A child aged 12 years and below.
JSS extended due to measures
As a result of the measures, the Job Support Scheme will be extended to August 8, at a level of 10% for F&B establishments, gyms and performing arts organisations.
The Government will also extend the rental waivers and subsidies for fees for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services by one month for stallholders in centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators.
