Coronavirus: Businesses in Singapore roll out measures to keep patrons 1m apart

SINGAPORE - Restaurant owners closed tables, while retailers spaced out customers queueing up as they geared up on Friday (March 20) for new safe distancing requirements.

The Ministry of Health had announced measures to reduce the risk of local transmission of the coronavirus, including requiring public venues like eateries, shops and cinemas to keep patrons at least 1m apart.

Though the measures were to be rolled out progressively from Saturday, preparations had already begun at several businesses.

Casual restaurant chain Collin's has already moved out around 10 per cent of its tables in its Nex shopping mall outlet to ensure adequate spacing between groups of diners.

Mr Jonathan Lim, 48, chief development officer at SF Group, Collin's parent company, said: "It's a bit of a sacrifice and dine-in business has been impacted slightly. But we try to cope by having more offers to draw customers to dine during off-peak hours."

Chinese restaurant Soup Restaurant managing director Wong Wei Teck, 64, similarly said it started implementing the 1m safety distance and collecting diners' details for contact tracing at two of its 15 outlets. It intends to implement the measures at all outlets by the end of next week.

"We're a family restaurant and we frequently get big groups. It can be little bit troublesome for customers but it's safety first," said Mr Wong.

Meanwhile, Koi operations project manager Lim Zhi Liang, 34, said that at outlets with self-order touchscreen kiosks, staff will space them at least 1m apart and disinfect the touchscreens every 15 to 30 minutes. Floor markers will be rolled out across all 57 outlets over the next few days.

Over at Zouk in Clarke Quay, the nightspot is limiting the capacity in each of its four venues - Zouk main room, Capital, Phuture and Redtail - to 250 people each, including staff. Guest information will also be collected for contact tracing.

Mr Seah Kian Peng, group chief executive of FairPrice Group, said that 1m floor markers at the checkout counters and storewide announcements every 30 minutes to remind customers to space themselves would be progressively implemented at all 148 FairPrice outlets. He said, however, that there are no plans at the moment to limit the number of shoppers in stores.

NEA and town councils are also in the process of marking out seats at hawker centres to guide patrons on how to practise safe distancing.

To help businesses comply with the new requirements, Enterprise Singapore, the National Environment Agency, the Singapore Food Agency and the Singapore Tourism Board issued two joint advisories on Friday with steps the firms can take.

For instance, it said retail shops may use floor markers, along with clear signage, to indicate queuing positions for fitting rooms and at cashiers.

Shops may also limit the number of people within the store and let shoppers in progressively though supermarkets are advised not to create queues outside their stores.

Food and beverage establishments were advised to reduce queues outside their outlets by taking down diners' details and calling them when seats are available. If not possible, the 1m floor markers, with clear signage, should be used to manage the crowd.

The advisories also encouraged the use of self-checkout counters, cashless payments and mobile ordering to both speed up payment and prevent crowding at cashiers and pick-up points.

Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Chee Hong Tat, who on Friday visited some businesses in Nex mall in Serangoon that were putting safe-distancing precautions in place, said the effectiveness of the measures requires the cooperation of everyone.

"The (floor) markers may be there but the public must also get used to making some of these adjustments," said Mr Chee.

Most of the shoppers The Straits Times spoke to welcomed the moves.

Housewife Jennifer Foo, 47, who was shopping at Nex's FairPrice with her daughter, said:"It's a good thing that even supermarkets and shops are being more strict during this time. It'll make people more vigilant and more conscious about their personal hygiene."

Retired taxi driver Chu See Baa, 73, who opted to use the self-checkout counter, said: "A little bit of inconvenience is okay; it's better to be safe for everyone's sake."