SINGAPORE - The Istana Open House will be held on Aug 28, but access for visitors will be restricted to the gardens and other outdoor areas.

Only those already issued tickets will be admitted, the President's Office said in a statement on Thursday (Aug 19).

There will be no access to buildings and indoor spaces, the statement added.

The Istana will be implementing additional safe management measures "over and above those currently practised in public parks".

Visitors will be required to keep their masks on at all times. Mask-off activities - such as exercising, eating and drinking - will not be allowed.

There will also be no performances, tours, booths or food trucks on the Istana grounds.

Safe distancing ambassadors, Istana staff and volunteers will be deployed to ensure that visitors adhere to safe management measures, the statement added.

"Ticket holders are reminded to adhere to the time slot assigned to them," it said.

The open house was originally slated for Aug 1, but was postponed with the tightening of pandemic measures.

The event was meant to celebrate National Day and guests who had tickets for an earlier scheduled open house on May 13 had been invited to return.

The occasion - to mark Labour Day and Hari Raya Puasa - was cancelled as the Covid-19 situation had worsened.

The Istana grounds have been closed to the public since February last year because of the pandemic.