Coronavirus: Singapore bans public and private gatherings of any size in outbreak fight
- Under laws passed in Parliament on Tuesday, family members or friends who are not living together cannot gather at home or in public spaces
- The government said that the ‘circuit breaker’ measures, which are in place till May 4, will be reviewed once the period has ended
During a debate on the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Bill, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that the laws would include any private parties or gatherings among family members or friends who are not living together, at home or in public spaces such as in parks and the void decks of public housing estates.
The Bill provides the legal basis for the government to enforce the enhanced safe-distancing measures that it has introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
These new laws are valid for six months and empower the Health Minister or any public officer authorised by him to appoint enforcement officers to take action against individuals, business owners or entities flouting the orders and requirements, Gan said.
Enforcement officers will include police officers, public officers and health officers appointed under the Infectious Diseases Act.
The Bill allows the Health Minister to prohibit events and gatherings or impose conditions on how they are conducted and on the participation in such activities, Gan said.
“This enables us to better regulate events and gatherings, including those that take place on private properties. For example, we had earlier required certain events and mass gatherings to be deferred or cancelled. We will now also disallow social gatherings of any size in both private and public spaces.”
TODAY understands that activities that are essential for daily living needs such as dropping children off for informal childcare at a relatives’ place or checking in on elderly parents are not considered social gatherings.
Meanwhile, Singapore on Tuesday reported 106 new Covid-19 cases, taking the city state’s total to 1,481.
Gan noted that the Bill also restricts the movement of people in specified places and limits the usage of specific premises and facilities. This includes the use of common areas such as void decks and shared facilities in Housing and Development Board estates and private condominiums.
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He added that some people might refuse to adhere to safe-distancing measures put in place by food-and-drink venues such as coffee shops or supermarkets or they may loiter and intermingle in groups in public areas instead of staying at home.
“For our enhanced safe-distancing measures to work, we need members of the public to take the measures seriously. Therefore, failure to adhere to the measures without a reasonable justification will constitute an offence,” he added.
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“Let me reassure members (in Parliament) that the enforcement officers will look at the facts of the cases carefully, including whether there are reasonable explanations for any non-compliance, before taking action.”
The penalties are aligned with those under the Infectious Diseases Act. For first-time offenders, the penalty is a fine of up to S$10,000 (US$7,031), imprisonment of up to six months, or both. For second or subsequent offences, the penalty is a fine of up to S$20,000 (US$14,062), imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.
Gan also said that the “circuit breaker”, which will be in place till May 4, will be reviewed once the period has ended and the government will decide whether there is a need to extend the “circuit breaker” period, and if so, whether some of the measures need to be adjusted.
