Those hankering for a night out at karaoke outlets and nightclubs will have to wait, as pilot plans to allow for a limited number of nightlife establishments to open have been put on pause.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Home Affairs announced yesterday that to prevent the formation of Covid-19 clusters in high-risk settings, and to minimise risk of further community transmission, plans to reopen nightclubs and karaoke outlets specifically will be deferred until further notice.

Three bars and pubs under a similar pilot will be allowed to continue to operate for now.

"We have seen an increase in the number of community cases in Singapore recently, of which some cases are currently unlinked and under investigation," the ministries said in a joint media statement.

The ministries added that nightclubs and karaoke outlets might be considered high-risk settings, with people coming into close contact for prolonged periods and in enclosed spaces.

"It is uncertain when the pilot may be able to commence, given the dynamic public health situation. Agencies will review the commencement of the pilots at a suitable juncture," the ministries added.

It was initially announced on Nov 6 last year that the Government would be running small-scale pilots for the nightlife industry to allow a limited number of outlets - including bars, pubs, nightclubs, discos and karaoke establishments - to reopen with stringent safe management measures, such as limited capacity and mask wearing on the dance floor.

Nightlife business associations were invited to nominate suitable nightclubs and karaoke outlets for the pilots, which were initially set to kick off this month.

Commenting on the deferment of the pilot plan to reopen nightclubs and karaoke outlets, Mr Nasen Thiagarajan, vice-president of the Singapore Nightlife Business Association (SNBA), said: "The recovery of nightlife business continues to remain slow and muted. While it is a setback to our operators who had put in their resources to make their outlet ready for the pilot, we understand the rationale and intention of the authorities in delaying the programme."

Mr Thiagarajan, who is also chairman of the SNBA pilot committee and chief executive of Harry's International, added that while the resumption of the pilot programme for clubs and discos remains uncertain, the affected pilot operators should review their available options - be it to pivot or exit - and contact the SNBA for assistance on the next steps forward.

Nightclub patrons also responded to news of the deferred pilot announcement with disappointment, but said they understood the reason behind the delay.

"Many of us were looking forward to being able to enjoy a night out at clubs. But with the uptick in community cases, adopting a wait-and-see approach might be best for now," said Mr Justin Hwang, 37, who works as a management consultant.

But others were worried about the state of the nightlife industry.

"I thought that the safe management measures in place at karaoke joints and nightclubs were more than sufficient to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

"I hope erring too much on the side of caution won't end up killing the nightlife industry entirely," said Mr Tejas Suresh Gadhave, 35, who works in finance.