15 eateries ordered to close; 2 pivoted nightspots' licences revoked

Fifteen eateries have been ordered to close, another 18 were fined and the food licences for two pivoted nightlife establishments were permanently revoked for flouting safe management measures.

Another 36 people were also fined for breaches.

The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said in a statement yesterday that agencies checked more than 670 places and 510 people for adherence to vaccination differentiated safe management measures since Sept 1.

During one such check, Ohms Garden in Rochor was found to have allowed people who were not fully vaccinated to dine in. It was ordered to close for 30 days from Sept 9 to Oct 8.

The other 14 eateries were ordered to close for other breaches, including allowing customers to play card games, failing to en-sure they kept to the permitted group sizes and failing to ensure a safe distance of at least 1m between groups.

The 18 eateries and 36 people that were fined were found to have committed a variety of breaches.

These included having gatherings larger than the permitted group size, playing music and allowing singing on their premises, failing to ensure workers wore masks, failing to ensure contact tracing was done for employees and failing to keep a safe distance.

In another case, an unvaccinated man attempted to enter an eatery on Sentosa using a friend's phone.

The staff told the man and his friend to leave immediately and reported the incident, which is now being investigated.

The food licences of Carlsberg Sports Bar in Havelock Road and Club Royal in Beach Road have been permanently revoked.

Carlsberg Sports Bar was issued a conditional permit to reopen on Sept 3, but checks found that it had allowed hostessing and failed to ensure that its security cameras were operational.

Club Royal, which had not been allowed to reopen, was found operating with dine-in patrons.

MSE said that despite the authorities calling on the community to reduce social activities in view of the recent surge in cases, more people are visiting shopping malls, supermarkets, parks, eateries, markets and hawker centres, and gathering in outdoor areas. It said strict compliance with safe distancing rules is critical for the safety of all, and it will take action against those who do not comply.

"We urge everyone to exercise socially responsible behaviour to protect their own health and that of others," it said. "Those who feel unwell or are sick should seek medical attention and stay home."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 18, 2021, with the headline 15 eateries ordered to close; 2 pivoted nightspots' licences revoked. Subscribe