Singapore: Fully vaccinated members of the same family will soon be able to dine together in groups of up to five in some hawker centres.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) stated on Monday (November 15) that the first batch of hawker centers is expected to implement access control and inspection systems by the end of November.
It added that the remaining hawker centres “should follow up soon.”
Since November 10, up to five family members who have been vaccinated can eat together at other restaurants that have undergone vaccination checks. Guests who are not in the same family can dine in groups of two.
The Ministry of Health stated that implementing and enforcing measures to differentiate vaccination in hawker centers and coffee shops is “more challenging”, adding that the National Environment Agency has been in contact with hawker associations and town councils.
For coffee shops, the Singapore Food Board also contacts the operators. Those who have established a system to control visits and check the vaccination status of their customers will also be allowed to gather up to five people from the same family. Otherwise, the current two-person team size will apply.
The ministry stated that people who have not been vaccinated can easily catch COVID-19 in an environment where they wear masks such as meals.
“Therefore, before anyone enters a hawker center or coffee shop, it is very important to properly check the vaccination situation and only allow those who are fully vaccinated to sit down and eat.
“This will have a very significant impact on our health care capabilities, especially the ICU occupancy rate.”
The Ministry of Health also announced that in addition to using the NRIC and SingPass apps, family members dining together can now use the myICA and SGWorkPass apps as proof of residence.
MORE ART KITS APPROVED
As more such kits are approved for sale, it is expected that the price of antigen rapid test kits will drop.
In retail stores in Singapore, the price of self-test kits usually exceeds S$10.
Flowflex ART kits were authorized for self-inspection under the Special Epidemic Channel (PSAR) on November 8, bringing the total number of ART kits approved in Singapore to nine.
Two other ART kits have been approved for PSAR registration.
The ministry stated that the government and medical institutions have been purchasing more ART kits “to reduce costs while ensuring that the kits authorized for sale in Singapore continue to meet strict safety and quality standards.”
“We expect that the prices of these kits will be significantly lower than the current prices of ART kits,” the Ministry of Health said.
