Coronavirus Singapore
Nearly 600 breaches by nightlife establishment operators: SPF, SFA
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Jolene Ang
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Many of the more than 400 nightlife establishment operators in Singapore have fully complied with Covid-19 requirements.
But some have not been responsible, with nearly 600 breaches detected since October last year, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in a joint statement yesterday.
Nightlife establishments such as pubs, bars, nightclubs, discotheques and karaoke lounges have not been allowed to operate in their original form since March last year because of Covid-19. But they were permitted to switch to the food and beverage (F&B) sector in October, in order that they could make some revenue in the meantime.
Between Oct 1 last year and July 10 this year, the police conducted 202 operations against licensed public entertainment outlets - including those that had switched to F&B - as well as against unlicensed public entertainment outlets operating in industrial estates, office units and shophouses.
Some 540 checks on such outlets conducted during these operations resulted in the detection of 595 breaches of safe management measures, among other infringements.
Some 142 people were arrested for various offences, including under the Public Entertainments Act, Liquor Control Act, Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and Immigration Act, among others.
SPF and SFA said yesterday that breaches of safe management measures committed by the errant group of establishments are flagrant and carry much higher public health risks.
"Government agencies will continue to carry out enforcement action against errant outlets, including permanent revocation of licences and prosecution in court... (However) there is a limit to what enforcement can achieve," said SPF and SFA. "Business operators and patrons must play their part, and abide by the safe management measures put in place."
