Two food and beverage (F&B) establishments have been ordered to close after breaching safe management measures.
Steamboat buffet restaurant Steamov in Beach Road will be closed for 30 days, and The Starz Bistro in East Coast Road for 10 days, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said yesterday.
The closure orders for both eateries will take effect when dining in is allowed to resume.
Meanwhile, 77 people have been fined for breaching safe management measures in parks under tightened Covid-19 rules that came into effect on May 16. The curbs will gradually ease starting on Monday.
Two retail outlets - Giant Supermarket at Bedok Shopping Complex and Cold Storage supermarket at Siglap V condominium near East Coast Road - have been fined $1,000 each for not having staff overseeing SafeEntry checkpoints.
With dining in slated to resume from June 21, government agencies will step up enforcement at F&B establishments and take firm action against any breaches of Covid-19 rules, said MSE.
Such breaches include a failure to maintain a 1m safe distance between groups and prevent them from intermingling, allowing group sizes larger than five, serving and allowing the consumption of alcohol after 10.30pm, and providing live entertainment and games.
"Enforcement actions will include fines, closures even for first offences and the revoking of food shop, public entertainment or liquor licences," said the ministry.
It reminded patrons and operators of F&B establishments to adhere strictly to safe management measures as these places are high-risk settings where coronavirus transmission has taken place in recent weeks.
MSE also said the National Parks Board (NParks) will continue to temporarily close access to some parks and sections of beaches, lawns and facilities - such as hard courts, shelters and carparks - when these areas get too crowded or people there remain non-compliant with safe management measures.
NParks has advised compliance with safe management measures in more than 6,000 instances to park-goers who were not wearing masks, and on more than 800 occasions to people who had gathered in groups of more than two, said MSE.
The latest breach by the Steamov restaurant in Beach Road - it had allowed customers to dine there at 9.30pm on May 28 - is its third offence.
The Starz Bistro had also allowed customers to dine in on May 22, as well as let customers consume alcohol there after 10.30pm that day.
The ministry said that agencies have identified places where safe management measures are more frequently breached and have stepped up their enforcement presence there.
These hot spots include parks and common areas of Housing Board estates such as hard courts, basketball courts and pavilions.
"Where repeated breaches of safe management measures have been observed, agencies will close off facilities to ensure the safety of the community," said the ministry.
For example, a pavilion at Block 90 Pipit Road was cordoned off on May 31 after more than 12 people were found gathering there for dance sessions on multiple occasions.
"We therefore urge members of the public to use these facilities responsibly," said MSE.
