Two weeks after odd-even entry restrictions kicked in on weekends at Lucky Plaza, business owners have appealed to the authorities to relax the Covid-19 rules, which they said have severely affected their bottom lines.

As of yesterday, at least two petitions calling for the restrictions to be reversed have been created, as some businesses said they have been struggling to break even since the rules were imposed.

But the authorities said they are not inclined to lift the curbs, given multiple breaches and the mall's failure to adhere to safe distancing measures that led to the need for stricter rules in the first place.

Last month, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Enterprise Singapore worked with the management of Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza to implement the entry restrictions on weekends from Aug 29.

The agencies said the rules were necessary as the two malls attract large crowds and had persistent crowding issues especially on weekends, despite the deployment of additional enforcement officers and safe distancing ambassadors to ensure compliance.

Under the restrictions, those whose NRIC/FIN numbers end in even digits can visit the two malls only on even dates, while those whose numbers end in odd digits can visit only on odd dates.

But this has dealt a big blow to Lucky Plaza's weekend sales numbers, which had just begun a tentative recovery following the end of the circuit breaker period.

Mr Ho Chee Yew, 45, who owns an eatery there, said his weekend revenue has dropped by 95 per cent and he is struggling to make his monthly rent of $7,000.

"Ingredients cost me about $450 per day, but my sales last Sunday were only about $400," he said.

Together with shoe shop owner John Cheng, 62, Mr Ho organised a paper petition that had been signed by 100 Lucky Plaza business owners as of Friday afternoon.

The mall has about 500 retail units, and some owners rent more than one.

Ms Jhen Tamayao, 48, who runs a business selling Filipino beauty and food products, said last Sunday was the first time in 18 years at the mall that her sales fell to just $300, compared with her usual takings of between $1,200 and $2,000 on Sundays. An online petition she launched on Wednesday had been signed by 171 people as of last night.

But the decision to implement odd-even restrictions came after a string of softer crowd control measures could not address the crowding situation, STB said.

In an e-mail to Lucky Plaza's management and a few shopkeepers dated Sept 10, STB said it deployed at the mall "far more resources than what we have had to dedicate to the rest of Orchard Road as a whole", including seven safe distancing ambassadors every Sunday, as the mall management was not able to manage the situation.

Even with these measures, STB said it received numerous public feedback each week that highlighted the mall's failure in ensuring safe management measures are adhered to, putting the public at risk.

"As the Management Corporation Strata Title management as well as the business owners have not been able to manage the crowding and ensure safe management measures are adhered to, we are not inclined for the entry restrictions to be discontinued," it said. "This is to safeguard the health and safety of shoppers and workers, as well as the general public."

Ms Ranita Sundramoorthy, STB's director for retail and dining, told The Sunday Times that seven establishments in Lucky Plaza, as well as the mall's management, have been fined $1,000 each for failing to ensure safe distancing between customers in queues or areas within the premises.

But shop owners said they have tried to adhere to the rules, even hiring more hands to help. A weekend before the odd-even restrictions, Ms Tamayao brought in a part-timer to enforce SafeEntry and take customers' temperatures at her shop.

Ms Sundramoorthy said the odd-even restriction has helped to address public concerns and minimise transmission risks - while keeping businesses open, she added.

STB told shop owners it will continue to monitor the situation, and will reconsider its view "if and when the situation improves".

For now, staying open would only mean more losses, said Ms Tamayao. "During the circuit breaker there was rental relief, but there is no way out for us now," she said. "Without any help, our businesses will be unsustainable."