Back to P2HA: No dining in, social group sizes cut to 2 from July 22

SINGAPORE - Covid-19 measures will be tightened again from Thursday (July 22) to August 18, as Singapore goes back to phase 2 heightened alert to stem the recent spike in community cases.

Dining in will not be allowed during this period, among other restrictions, Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday (July 20). Eateries can only offer takeaway and delivery options.

Maximum group sizes for social gatherings will be reduced from five to two. The number of distinct visitors per household per day will also be capped at two, from the current five.

The announcement by the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 came as Singapore recorded its highest number of community cases since the pandemic began for the second straight day on Monday.

There were 163 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Monday, with the majority linked to the swelling Jurong Fishery Port cluster, which has 179 cases. The cluster linked to KTVs has 193 cases.

More clusters linked to the Jurong Fishery Port, especially in wet markets and hawker food centres, have been uncovered, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday.

"This is very concerning, as it can affect many people in our community all over the island," it added.

Singapore is expected to record 184 cases on Tuesday, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung during a virtual press conference, adding that while this was not good news, the momentum of increase has slowed.

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Mr Gan, who co-chairs the task force, said that given the rate at which new clusters are growing, tougher measures are necessary to slow down the spread of the virus to give time to raise vaccination coverage, especially among the elderly.

"We know that this news is extremely disappointing and frustrating to many, in particular for businesses in sectors such as F&B.

"These sectors have been very badly hit given the earlier restrictions, and have been working very hard to adapt to the changing regulations," he said.

He added: "We know that the last 18 months have been challenging, and we will provide additional support for the affected businesses as we make this shift."

On how the latest tightening fits into plans to live with an endemic Covid-19, Mr Gan said that the authorities' direction has not changed.

"However, when we outlined our plans to live with Covid, we also emphasised that we needed to significantly raise our vaccination, and meanwhile we still need to keep infection under control to protect the unvaccinated, especially the elderly. Over the next few weeks, we will make a much bigger push to get our elderly population vaccinated," he said.

Work-from-home will continue to be the default at workplaces, MOH said in a statement.

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Safety measures calibrated according to vaccination status will be re-introduced "at an appropriate time" as Singapore's vaccination coverage continues to increase, the ministry added.

Strenuous indoor exercise classes, or strenuous individual and group indoor sports and exercise activities, will also cease during this period.

Personalised services which require masks to be removed, such as facials, saunas, and makeup services, will not be allowed. The same goes for singing, and the playing of instruments that require intentional expulsion of air.

Maximum event sizes will also be scaled down. For instance, up to 100 persons will be allowed for marriage solemnisations, provided there is pre-event testing for all attendees. This is down from the current 250 people limit.

The task force had to rethink its posture with the significant shift in the public health situation, said Mr Ong. Key considerations include protecting hospital capacity from being overwhelmed.

The authorities also had to consider the level of community exposure, with the latest wave at wet markets and food centres affecting a wider spectrum of people, as well as some 200,000 people above the age of 60 who remain unvaccinated and therefore have a high likelihood of falling critically ill once infected, he said.

"Hence after thinking long and hard, we decided we have to revert to phase 2 heightened alert. It is most unsettling for the affected industries and the establishments, but we are so close, weeks away, to a stage where we have two-third or more of our population fully vaccinated around National Day, and then being able to much more decisively transit to a Covid-resilient posture."

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"Therefore, now is really not the time to risk it all. So we need to bite this bullet, dial back on social activities, and use this time to push through the vaccination efforts," said Mr Ong.

Mr Gan said: "I know today's announcement feels like a huge setback to many who have been observing the rules, and doing whatever it takes to keep themselves and the larger population safe.

"We deeply appreciate your efforts. Once we have slowed down the new clusters and hit higher vaccination rates, we would be able to continue with our reopening journey."

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.