SINGAPORE - The licensee of Gemma Steakhouse at the National Gallery was fined $14,000 on Wednesday (May 19) for holding a Halloween-themed dinner for about 75 diners in October last year.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a statement that Il Lido was fined for breaching safe management measures (SMM) during the second phase of Singapore's reopening from the circuit breaker last year.

The restaurant had breached SMMs by accepting a large booking for the dinner and failing to take reasonable steps to prevent intermingling among the diners, said SFA.

Investigations had found that the restaurant had worked with a private members' club to organise the dinner, which was attended by about 75 people comprising both members of the club and their guests.

Although the diners were seated at tables of up to five, closed-circuit television footage showed multiple occasions of intermingling between those from different tables.

The footage also showed that the restaurant staff did not take reasonable steps to prevent intermingling between them.

The agency had then issued an order requiring Il Lido to close the restaurant for 20 days from Dec 3 to 22 last year.

During phase two of Singapore's reopening from the circuit breaker from June 19 to Dec 27 last year, social gatherings of groups of more than five outside an individual's residence were prohibited.

F&B outlets were also prohibited from accepting bookings from groups larger than five, even if such groups were split across multiple tables.

Interactions between people of different tables were also not allowed.

"The Government holds a serious view of flagrant breaches of SMMs. While the majority has been adhering to the measures, it is regrettable that there remains a minority who continue to breach SMMs," added SFA.

"SFA will not hesitate to take strong enforcement action against operators and individuals who treat SMMs with flagrant disregard."