Singapore’s nightlife businesses to reopen from Apr 19

Singapore’s nightlife sector is set to return to how it was in the pre-pandemic days. 

All nightlife businesses including bars, pubs, karaoke establishments, nightclubs and discotheques can fully reopen from Apr 19, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Home Affairs said in a joint release on Monday (Apr 4).

This comes following the resumption of live performances and cross border travel between Malaysia and Singapore as Singapore continues to ease its COVID-19 rules.  

Like changes made to live performance venues, nightlife establishments will be able to accommodate up to 1,000 patrons or up to 75 per cent capacity for larger places.

To ensure a safe resumption, nightlife businesses must perform vaccination-differentiated entrance checks, said the authorities. 

Other safe management measures imposed include allowing group sizes of up to 10 fully vaccinated individuals, mandatory mask-wearing indoors and 1m safe distancing in unmasked settings.

For places involving dancing, supervised antigen-rapid tests will be conducted in-person or remotely by a test provider approved by the Ministry of Health. Patrons must get tested within 24 hours prior to the end of attendance at the event or activity, producing a valid negative result to gain entry.

Enforcement agencies will continue to monitor if these safe management measures are adhered to, added the authorities.