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COVID-19 regulations may be changing at a feverish pace, but we're here to soothe your nerves.

This article will serve as a comprehensive one-stop resource for the current state of COVID-19 laws in Singapore. It is accurate as of 14 September 2021 and reflects the key changes as of 19 August 2021 - Preparatory Stage. You can count on us to update this article whenever the laws change.

This article will cover Singapore's laws and regulations regarding:

Social Gatherings

You may take part in social gatherings but must obey the following rules:

Social gatherings of up to 5 people are allowed in public areas, while households may accept up to 5 visitors a day*

Unvaccinated persons are strongly encouraged to keep to groups of 2 people

All individuals are urged to limit social circles to a small group of regular contacts

A cap of 1 distinct gathering a day applies for both public gatherings and household visits*

You also must remember to keep a distance of 1 metre from others while in public

*Grandchildren being cared for by grandparents are not included in the number of household visitors or social gatherings per day. However, grandparents should also minimise intermingling between grandchildren from different households.

First-time offenders who fail to comply with the above rules will be fined S$300 while repeat offenders will face higher fines.

Mask-Wearing

It is mandatory for all over the age of 6 to wear a mask over their nose and also cover their chin when not in their place of residence.

You may remove your mask only when:

You are eating or drinking while dining in

You are engaging in strenuous exercise such as running or jogging, static exercises and drills including taichi and qigong, brisk walking, or walking up hilly terrain. You must put your mask back on immediately once you have finished exercising

You are smoking, but must put your mask back on immediately after smoking

You are riding a motorcycle

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has recommended that people wear face masks of at least 2-3 layers of fabric and at least 95% bacterial filtration efficiency. Face masks are coverings that cover the wearer's nose and mouth, and can be medical or non-medical.

Examples of masks include cloth masks and surgical masks, but do not include the following:

Only the following people may use a face shield in place of a mask:

Children below 12 years of age who may have difficulty wearing and keeping face masks on for a prolonged period of time

People with health conditions that may result in medical difficulties when a mask is worn for a prolonged period of time

Brides and grooms during the solemnisation of their marriage

Teachers are no longer allowed to wear a face shield in place of a mask.

First-time offenders who fail to comply with the above rules will be fined S$300 while repeat offenders will face higher fines.

Vaccination

Vaccination is offered free to all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore.

A person is considered fully vaccinated when he or she has had time to develop sufficient protection, i.e. 2 weeks after the second dose of any one of the following COVID-19 vaccines:

Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty

World Health Organisation's Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines such as Sinovac-CoronaVac, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca

A person who has been fully vaccinated will be considered as having a "cleared status" . Apart from being fully vaccinated, however, a person can also gain a cleared status if they have:

Recovered fully from COVID-19, or has

Had a negative Pre-Event Testing (PET) result taken in the past 24 hours before the expected end of the event.

Please see our section below on PET for more information.

From 15 September, booster vaccinations (i.e. a third dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Moderna vaccines) will be made available to fully vaccinated persons who are :

Dining

You may dine-in in a group of up to 5 people if the group*:

Is fully vaccinated;

Has a valid negative PET result in the past 24 hours; or

Comprises unvaccinated children aged 12 years and below as long as the children are from the same household

Dine-in for people regardless of vaccination status is allowed for only groups of up to 2 persons in hawker centres and coffee shops.

You may remove your mask to eat or drink in places other than F&B establishments, such as parks and void decks. However, you must put your mask on immediately after you have finished eating or drinking.

Work

Up to 50% of employees are allowed to return to the workplace, regardless of vaccination status.

As of 8 September 2021, social gatherings and interactions are not allowed at the workplace.

If employees need to return to the workplace, their start times should be staggered and flexible working hours should be implemented. There should also be no cross-deployment of workers to multiple worksites if possible.

If an individual is alone in his or her own office with the door closed, his or her mask may be removed.

If an employee contracted COVID-19 and returned to the workplace, employers will have to ensure that all of its employees who can work from home should do so with immediate effect, for 14 days.

Please see MOM's requirements on Safe Management measures for the workplace for more information.

Events

Maximum operating capacity

The maximum operating capacity for attractions, museums, public libraries and some cruises is 50% . Events of up to 1,000 people are allowed if all attendees are fully vaccinated.

Religious services

Religious services may take place with:

Up to 50 attendees if they include people who are unvaccinated and without PET; and

Up to 1,000 attendees if they are fully vaccinated.

Up to 50 people are allowed to perform live during congregational and other worship services. If all the performers are vaccinated, up to 20 performers are allowed to be unmasked for singing or playing of wind and brass instruments if they pass an Antigen Rapid Test.

Marriages and weddings

The following attendance rules apply for wedding receptions and marriage solemnisations:

At home, up to 10 attendees are allowed or up to 5 visitors are allowed (whichever is higher)

At the Registry of Marriages or Registry of Muslim Marriages, up to 10 attendees are allowed for solemnisations but not wedding receptions

For solemnisations at external venues:

Up to 50 attendees are allowed without PET

Up to 1,000 attendees are allowed with PET unless the attendees have a cleared status (see the Vaccination section above for the definition of "cleared status")

Group sizes of only up to 5 people are allowed

For wedding receptions at external venues:

Up to 250 attendees are allowed with PET unless the attendees have a cleared status

Group sizes of only up to 5 people are allowed

If your wedding or solemnisation involves above 50 attendees:

Attendees must be assigned to multiple zones of up to 50 people each

Attendees cannot cross into a zone they are not assigned to

A 3-metre gap and a continuous physical barrier or a solid partition of 1.8 metres or taller must be installed between zones

The following mask regulations apply for weddings and marriage solemnisations:

The bride and groom may use a face shield instead of a mask throughout the solemnisation

The bride and groom may remove their masks or face shields only for key moments, such as the exchanging of vows and rings, to kiss, and during the wedding march-ins and outs. During these moments, the couple needs to maintain a 2-metre distance from the rest of the guests

All other attendees must have their masks on throughout the solemnisation process. Masks may be removed momentarily for photo-taking, but must be worn immediately after the photos are taken

*The above capacity and group limits on weddings and solemnisations do not include the solemniser and vendors but they should be kept to a minimum.

*No food and drinks are to be supplied or consumed during a solemnisation event.

Alternatively, solemnisations may also be held virtually.

Funerals

Funerals at external venues may accommodate up to 30 people . This 30-person limit excludes religious and supporting workers, but they must be kept to a minimum.

Live instrumental music (except wind) may be performed.

What is Pre-Event Testing (PET)?

To begin with, there are 2 main types of COVID-19 tests:

1. The Antigen Rapid Test (ART); and

2. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

An ART takes around 30 minutes to produce results, whereas a PCR test takes up to 48 hours.

As mentioned above, PET may be required for entry into certain events that involve more than 50 attendees. Most PETs require attendees to take an ART as it produces results much quicker.

People who are fully vaccinated do not need to undergo PET.

Sports and Fitness Activities

You may engage in indoor and outdoor sports activities - this means you may resume activities in areas such as gyms, fitness studios and swimming pools. This is subject to the following rules:

You may participate in indoor mask-off sports or exercise activities in groups of up to 5 people who have a cleared status

You may participate in indoor mask-on and outdoor mask-on and mask-off sports or exercise activities in groups of up to 5 people irrespective of the cleared status of the individuals

A maximum of 30 people including an instructor is allowed for indoor mask-off high-intensity activities

A maximum of 50 people including an instructor is allowed for indoor mask-on and outdoor mask-on and mask-off activities

Permitted and Prohibited Activities

The following activities and operations are currently permitted:

Enrichment classes:

Only up to 50 persons are allowed per class and there must be a 1-metre distance between students.

If the business is unable to maintain a 1-metre distance between students, students should keep to groups of no more than 5 people with a spacing of 1 metre between groups

Home-based businesses that receive only up to 5 unique visitors a day

Home-based services such as tuition and hair-dressing services are allowed

Only 5 students/visitors are permitted

Service providers and visitors must wear a mask and maintain a distance of 1 metre

Personal care and appearance services that require masks to be removed (e.g. facials, saunas) for individuals with a cleared status

Serving of food and beverages to cinema patrons of up to 5 persons if all patrons have a cleared status

Lessons involving singing or the playing of instruments that involve the expulsion of air, such as wind and brass instruments, provided that all participants and unmasked instructors have a cleared status

Tour groups of up to 50 people for conveyance tours (i.e. tours that involve the movement of people like DuckTours), or tours of up to 20 people for non-conveyance tours

The following activities are prohibited:

Singing in karaoke establishments

Using barbeque pits and campsites in parks, HDB estates, condominiums and country clubs

When Do You Need to Get Tested for COVID-19?

You may need to undergo PET when attending events. Please see the section above on PET for more information.

You will also need to be tested if you have been identified to be a close contact of a COVID-19 case. If this is the case, you will receive a "Health Risk Warning" SMS from the Ministry of Health to undergo a mandatory PCR test at designated testing centres. You must stay isolated until you receive your results. You will also have to do an ART on the third, fifth and seventh day of your last exposure, followed by a final PCR test at a designated testing centre on the 14th day.

On the other hand, you will receive a "Health Risk Alert" SMS if your SafeEntry check-in/out records from the past 14 days overlap with those of a COVID-19 case. In this case, you are encouraged to perform regular ART throughout the 14 days after receiving the SMS, although this is not mandatory.

If you work in higher-risk businesses such as F&B establishments, establishments providing facial services, saunas or make-up services, gyms and fitness studios, you will need to undergo regular Fast and Easy Testing (FET) regardless of your vaccination status.

FET involves taking an ART every 14 days regardless of your vaccination status, and will take place via Employer-Supervised Self Swab or at Quick Test Centres.

However, from 1 October 2021, if you are an unvaccinated instructor or staff working in private tuition or an enrichment centre who works with students 12 years old and below, you will need to undergo FET as well, and will have to be tested with FET twice a week.

From 13 September 2021, if you are a cleaner who works in private tuition and enrichment centres with students 12 years old and below, you will have to undergo FET once every 7 days.

Overseas Travel

Generally, if you are returning to Singapore from overseas travel, you will need to take a PCR test upon arrival, and may also need to serve a Stay-Home Notice (SHN) for up to 14 days.

Travellers arriving from higher-risk countries/regions will be required to serve their SHN at an SHN Dedicated Facility (SDF), which is typically randomly assigned unless the traveller pays a higher fee. The duration of your SHN will depend on your travel history.

All travellers to Singapore from the countries/regions under "Category I" within the last 21 days may enter Singapore without having to serve their SHN if they test negative in an On-Arrival PCR test:

All travellers to Singapore from the countries/regions under "Category II" within the last 21 days have to undergo a 7-day SHN at their accommodation of choice:

New Zealand (as of 30 August 2021, from 2359 hours, provided that the traveller is a Singapore citizen, Permanent Resident or Long-Term Pass Holder. Short-term visitors with travel history to New Zealand within the last 21 days, and who do not fall within any of these categories, will not be allowed to enter Singapore until further notice. )

South Korea

Unvaccinated travellers to Singapore from the countries/regions under "Category III" within the last 21 days have to undergo a 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities, while vaccinated travellers under this category may opt out of dedicated SHN facilities and serve their SHN at an accommodation of their choice:

Travellers to Singapore from all other countries/regions which are classified under "Category IV", have to undergo a 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities. In addition, travellers from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka will have to take an ART upon arrival.

Under the newly-implemented Vaccinated Travel Lane that commenced on 8 September 2021, fully vaccinated persons travelling from Brunei and Germany may travel to Singapore without serving an SHN on arrival if they carry out the following tests:

Take a pre-departure PCR test within 48 hours of their scheduled departure

Take a PCR test upon arriving in Singapore; and

Take two additional PCR tests on days 3 and 7 of their stay in Singapore (if they have not left yet)

This is provided that the travellers had remained in the above-mentioned countries for 21 consecutive days prior to arriving in Singapore.

Employees living in Malaysia may enter Singapore with a Periodic Commuting Arrangement , which allows movement of workers between both countries. This Arrangement must be applied for by their employers and will allow workers to remain in their country of employment for at least 90 days before returning to their home country for short-term home leave.

For more updates on COVID-19 restrictions on travel to and from Singapore, please refer to the SafeTravel portal.

As more are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 across the world, some countries have begun to make COVID-19 vaccine passports available. These "passports" allow vaccinated persons to travel with fewer or no restrictions. In time, Singapore might also integrate a COVID-19 vaccine passport into its travel or event regulations.

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It is imperative that we continue to work together to keep Singapore a safe and healthy community even during these tough times. The government will review the current measures and may adjust the regulations accordingly if the current COVID-19 situation remains stable.

We will be updating this article as and when such new COVID-19 laws are put in place. In the meantime, we hope you stay positive and test negative.

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COVID-19 Rules and Restrictions in Singapore (September 2021) | SingaporeLegalAdvice.com

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COVID-19 regulations may be changing at a feverish pace, but we're here to soothe your nerves. This article will serve as a comprehensive one-stop resource for the current state of COVID-19 laws in Singapore. It is accurate as of 14 September 2021 and reflects the key changes as of 19 August 2021 - Preparatory Stage.

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Singapore could see rise in number of COVID-19 patients in ICU over coming weeks