6 F&B outlets ordered to close for breaching COVID-19 measures

Six F&B outlets were ordered to close temporarily for breaching safe management measures (SMMs), the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 10). 

The breaches were uncovered during stepped-up enforcement checks to ensure compliance with SMMs during the Chinese New Year period, MSE said.

One of the outlets, Ah Yat Seafood Restaurant at Turf Club Road, was ordered to close for 10 days from Feb 10. The restaurant had allowed a company dinner, comprising 65 people across nine tables, to take place at its premises on Feb 6.

Similarly, the East Treasure Chinese Restaurant at River Valley Road was ordered to close for 10 days from Feb 10. It had accepted a group of 16 diners seated across two tables on Jan 29, with investigations revealing that the gathering was a dinner organised by a company for its employees. 

The company was fined $1,000, while the 16 diners were each fined $300.

The Crystal Jade Jiang Nan at VivoCity was also ordered to close for 10 days from Feb 10. The restaurant was found to have accepted a booking for 16 diners from different households and seated them across two tables on Saturday (Feb 6). Investigations are ongoing.

The Ding Garden restaurant at New Bridge Road was ordered to close for 10 days from Feb 6.  It was found to have accepted a booking for 13 diners from different households and seated them across three tables on Friday (Feb 5). 

The 13 diners involved were each fined $300 for gathering in a group larger than eight.

For allowing diners to consume alcohol at 2.30am on Feb 6, Wangzi Music Restaurant at New Bridge Road was ordered to close for 20 days. 

Lastly, the Zam Zam restaurant at North Bridge Road was ordered to close from Feb 9. It was found to have seated different groups of diners less than one metre apart on Feb 5. 

The outlet had two previous offences that occurred on May 22 and Dec 19 last year, for which it was fined $1,000 and $2,000 respectively.

Additionally, four more F&B outlets were each fined $1,000 of seating groups of diners less than a metre apart. 

They are Chuan Garden at Pagoda Street, Eating House at Jalan Membina, Kim’s Family Food Korea Restaurant on Telok Ayer Street and Sichuan Restaurant on Pagoda Street.

For repeat offences of the same SMM breach, Eating House at Upper Cross Street was also fined $2,000.

Charges were filed by the Singapore Tourism Board against the operator of the Banana Leaf Apolo restaurant branch at 48 Serangoon Road for breaches under the COVID-19 Temporary Measures act.

The breaches include: failing to ensure that individuals in its premises did not exceed the maximum permissible group size, failing to ensure at least one metre safe distancing 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.

In addition, 73 individuals were fined $300 each for breaching SMMs in parks and beaches managed by the National Parks Board (NParks) during the past weekend. 

These breaches include gathering in groups of more than eight people and intermingling between groups. At Changi Beach, 39 individuals, including 17 who were caught gathering in one group, were fined.

In the same statement, MSE said that crowd management measures at Chinatown will continue in light of the heavier crowds there. It also urged members of the public to plan visits to other potentially crowded areas during off-peak hours. 

Firm enforcement action, including fines and suspension of operations, will be taken against errant operators and individuals, MSE said. 

MSE also reminded members of the public that households are limited to eight unique visitors a day and individuals should limit themselves to visiting at most two other households per day.