6 F&B outlets ordered to close, 5 fined for breaching COVID-19 rules

SINGAPORE: Six food and beverage outlets have been ordered to close and five fined for flouting COVID-19 safe management measures, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said on Wednesday (Feb 10).

Fines were also issued to 29 individuals for breaching the measures at these outlets.

Another 73 people were fined S$300 each for breaching safe management measures at parks and beaches on Feb 6 and 7, MSE added.

The breaches include gathering in groups of more than eight people and intermingling between groups. Of these, 39 were caught in Changi Beach Park, including 17 people who were caught gathering in one group.

6 RESTAURANTS ORDERED TO CLOSE, 5 FINED FOR SAFETY BREACHES

Four of the restaurants ordered to close were found to have seated large groups together at their premises.

One of the restaurants, Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant, was ordered by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to close their premises from Feb 10 to 19 – both dates inclusive – after it was found to have allowed a company dinner of 65 people.

The diners were seated across nine tables during the event, which took place on Feb 6.

East Treasure Chinese Restaurant at River Valley Road was also ordered by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to close over the same period after it was found to have accepted a group of 16 diners on Jan 29.

The diners were seated across two tables, MSE said.

“Investigations revealed that the gathering was a dinner organized by a company for its employees,” the ministry added.

The company and the 16 diners involved were also fined S$1,000 and S$300 each respectively.

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Crystal Jade Jiang Nan in VivoCity, which was found to have accepted a booking for 16 diners from different households and seated them across two tables on Feb 6, was ordered by Enterprise Singapore to close from Feb 9 to 19 as well.

Investigations are continuing, MSE said.

Ding Garden at New Bridge Road was ordered by STB to close from Feb 6 to 15 – both dates inclusive – for accepting a booking for 13 people from different households.

The diners were seated across three when they arrived together on Feb 5, MSE said, adding that they were each fined S$300 for gathering in a group larger than eight people.

Another outlet at New Bridge Road, Wangzi Music Restaurant, was ordered by STB to close for 20 days until Feb 25 for allowing diners to consume alcohol at 2.30am on Feb 6.

Zam Zam at North Bridge Road was ordered by URA to close for 10 days for seating different groups of diners less than 1m apart on Feb 5.

“The outlet had two previous offences that occurred on May 22 and Dec 19, 2020, for which the outlet was fined S$1,000 and S$2,000 respectively,” MSE said.

Four other F&B outlets were fined S$1,000 each for seating groups of diners less than 1m apart. The outlets are: Chuan Garden at Pagoda Street, Eating House at 26 Jalan Membina, Kim’s Family Food Korea Restaurant at Telok Ayer Street and Sichuan Restaurant at Pagoda Street.

Another outlet, Eating House at 34 Upper Cross Street, was fined S$2,000 as it is the outlet’s second offence.

F&B OPERATOR TO BE CHARGED FOR MULTIPLE OFFENCES

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) filed a Magistrate’s Complaint on Jan 20 against F&B operator Banana Leaf Apolo, located at 48 Serangoon Road, for multiple breaches of COVID-19 measures at its restaurant at Serangoon Road.

The breaches include failure to ensure that gatherings at its premises did not exceed the maximum permissible group size, failing to ensure at least 1m between seated customers, providing a self-service buffet of food for consumption and allowing customers to make speeches and play a video recording in its premises.

The operator will be charged in court on Feb 17.

MSE also reminded the public to plan visits to Chinatown and other potentially crowded areas such as shopping malls, F&B outlets, markets, supermarkets and parks during off peak hours over the Chinese New Year holiday period.

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“Around 3,000 safe distancing ambassadors and enforcement officers are deployed daily to enforce safe distancing measures and safe management measures at various premises and public spaces, with more being deployed during peak hours, weekends and in hotspots,” the ministry said.

“We will not hesitate to take firm enforcement action against errant operators and individuals. This includes fines, suspension of operations even for first offences, and prosecution for egregious breaches.”

It also reminded the public that households are limited to eight unique visitors a day and urged individuals to visit no more than two other households per day.

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