F&B outlets gear up for mandatory regular tests for staff

Dine-in food and beverage (F&B) establishments are making arrangements for their staff to get tested for Covid-19 regularly, with some sending their employees for training to learn how to administer the tests.

While F&B players expect that the testing requirement will add to operational costs, they are taking steps such as sourcing test kits to adhere to the new measure.

This comes as dining in at F&B outlets resumes today with a group size limit of two.

Regular fast and easy testing (FET) will be mandatory from around the middle of next month for staff in higher-risk settings such as dine-in F&B establishments, gyms and fitness studios, and places that provide personal care services such as facials, where clients are unmasked, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced last Friday.

Some larger F&B operators will start their testing regimens earlier.

A spokesman for fast-food chain McDonald's said its employees will be sent for training and it will begin to receive test kits this week. It plans to kick-start regular testing next Monday.

A spokesman for Tung Lok Group said one of its in-house trainers has completed the training to supervise antigen rapid test (ART) self-swabs, with the rest of its staff set to undergo training today.

The restaurant group will implement regular testing once its staff are properly trained and it has received its test kits, he said.

"If this testing is what it takes to keep our restaurants open and give customers peace of mind stepping into our dining spaces, we definitely welcome it," he said.

MOH said last Friday that some F&B establishments have sent their employees for training and are ready to implement regular testing today.

It noted that more quick test centres will be progressively set up, with one each in Tekka and Yishun to be operational from today. These centres will support small businesses that are unable to organise supervised self-swabs on their own, the ministry said.

The Straits Times has contacted MOH for more details on the training programme.

The McDonald's spokesman said that while the chain supports the move to test F&B staff regularly, especially as vaccination coverage is not yet widespread, the testing regimen is an operational challenge, given that its staff work in shifts and many of them are part-timers.

"We would also appreciate clarity on how long this mandatory FET is expected to last, as having to get tested regularly in the longer term could discourage people from working in the F&B industry, which at the moment is already facing manpower challenges."

The spokesman added that there are also concerns about bearing the extra cost of tests amid rising costs and slowing business in the F&B industry.

Mr Victor Tay, chairman of White Restaurant, said it will train its staff to administer ARTs on their own to reduce time wasted in travelling to and waiting at quick test centres. "However, at the moment, we are still unsure if our staff are receptive to doing it themselves," he said.

He pointed out that testing the chain's 150 front-line staff every two weeks will result in substantial additional costs, especially with the reduction in revenue amid the higher cost of food delivery.

A spokesman for restaurant chain Crystal Jade said it has plans to facilitate the testing regimen and has contacted the authorities for details on testing procedures.

"In the meantime, we are sourcing quotes from different suppliers of test kits, as we are looking at making bulk purchases for our front-line staff - over 500 of them - and we need to ensure we have a consistent supply of test kits," the spokesman said.