Streamlined COVID-19 Measures: Here’s What You’re Allowed To Do

On March 15 (Tuesday), the streamlined COVID-19 measures will be implemented in Singapore as the country transitions to a COVID-19 resilient nation.

As per the health ministry, these measures, which included safe distancing and restricting the number of household visitors, were initially planned to be implemented in February. However, they were postponed due to the healthcare sector’s heavy workload.

Here’s What You Can Do Based on SG’s Streamlined COVID-19 Measures

Streamlined COVID-19 Measures: Here’s What You’re Allowed To Do

Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s Health Minister, said at a news conference on Friday that the Omicron wave may have already peaked, but has been already subsiding, Channel News Asia reported.

The number of cases peaked at about 18,300 on February 26. It has since come down steadily and gradually, said Mr Ong.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that the goal of streamlining the process is to make the measures easier to understand and remember so that everyone can participate in the fight against the virus.

“It also prepares us for further easing of measures and the safe resumption of normal activities, when conditions are right and the healthcare workload has eased, which we expect in the coming weeks,” MOH added.

Streamlined COVID-19 Measures: Here’s What You’re Allowed To Do

Starting Tuesday, these are the changes you can expect to be observed across the city-state:

SAFE DISTANCING

Although the requirement for safe distance has been removed for mask-on settings, it remains necessary for mask-off settings, according to the Ministry of Health.

The distance between the mask-off and the room will be maintained at a single safe distance of 1 meter for all settings.

WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS

The government will maintain its policy of allowing up to 50 percent of workers working from home to report back in the office, the Ministry of Health said.

As part of the government’s effort to streamline the regulations for social gatherings, the rules for these events will also apply to workplaces.

Under the new rules, safe distancing is not required for employees who wear masks at work. Social gatherings can be resumed with a maximum of five people.

The requirement that employees not cross-work seamlessly will be removed, but employers may still do so for business continuity, the MOH explained.

EVENTS 

The Government will allow events held outside the home, such as religious services and business meetings, to be held without restrictions.

Instead of having predefined event sizes, the government will set the size of the venue according to its capacity.

The Health Ministry noted that this new guideline will allow events with fewer than 1,000 people to be held without being subject to a capacity limit.

The ministry noted that event permits would be allowed to be issued since primary protection is achieved by using masks and vaccinations.

For home solemnizations, up to 10 attendees are allowed. For home funerals, up to 30 attendees are allowed.

For events with over a thousand people, the capacity limit for masked gatherings will be 50 percent. For mask-off events, the safety distance requirement will be 1m.

These regulations apply to events and settings that are mainly used for work-related activities such as conferences, incentives, and cruises.

For instance, an event with 1,200 attendees needs to be held at a venue that can accommodate 2,400 people.

The Health Ministry noted that events with a safety distance of 1m will not be affected by the 50 percent capacity limit.

GROUP GATHERINGS AT HOME

The number of unique visitors to a household will be adjusted to five or five people at any one time, the Ministry of Health said.

The agency also reminded people to avoid meeting multiple people at once. It said that this should be avoided if they live with vulnerable individuals.

GROUPS WITH CHILDREN

Unvaccinated children younger than 12 years old should not be allowed to enter establishments or participate in activities with vaccinations unless they are accompanied by their parents.

TEAM SPORTS

Under the supervision of an approved sports facility, teams can play sports with up to 30 fully vaccinated individuals. The Ministry of Health said these activities can be carried out at supervised locations.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Community Affairs will soon expand the number of venues in the region.

The following precautionary measures will be implemented during and after the sports activity and rest breaks. Moreover, no additional testing is required for individuals who are fully vaccinated.

MIGRANT WORKERS

The Ministry of Manpower has planned to improve the safety measures for migrant workers in their communities.

These include allowing up to 15,000 vaccinated migrant workers to visit the community on a weekly basis. They can also visit for up to eight hours a day.

The daily quota for migrant workers has been increased to 6,000 on weekends and public holidays and 3,000 on weekdays.

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