2 F&B operators to be charged with breaching Covid-19 safety measures, another for holding staff gathering

SINGAPORE — The Urban Redevelopment Authority has filed charges against two food-and-beverage (F&B) operators, Mark Enterprise and Kim’s Place Seafood Restaurant, for breaching Covid-19 regulations on their premises. 

It also filed charges against a third company, Singapore Straits Wine Company, for holding a workers' gathering of 26 people at Kim’s Place Seafood Restaurant on Sept 7. The 26 people were each fined S$300.

The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said in a statement on Friday (Jan 29) that Mark Enterprise and Kim’s Place Seafood Restaurant, along with Invincible (BBCM), against which URA had filed charges last month, will be charged on Feb 2.

They are the first F&B operators to be charged with violating Covid-19 safety regulations.

Mark Enterprise, which is the operator of Try Again at 17 Circular Road in Boat Quay, had allegedly continued business operations on July 18 despite being issued an order to close its premises for a period of 10 days from July 18 to 27 for infringing several safety rules, MSE said.

Kim’s Place Seafood Restaurant, at 45 Joo Chiat Place, allegedly allowed gatherings of more than five persons split across multiple tables. It also allowed karaoke activities on its premises on Sept 7 and 12. 

For the breaches, MSE said that Kim’s Place Seafood Restaurant was also issued two closure orders totalling 30 days, from Jan 6 to Feb 4. 

FINED AND ORDERED TO CLOSE

Four other F&B outlets have also been ordered to close, while six outlets and 131 individuals were fined for breaching similar regulations.

MSE said that as part of stepped-up inspections to ensure compliance with the laws, government agencies conducted enhanced checks on F&B premises, malls and other public spaces on Jan 22 and 23.

The four outlets that have been ordered to close their premises for a period of 10 days are:

• Xiao Yao Ge at 350 Jurong East Avenue 1, which was found to have seated different groups of diners less than 1m apart on Jan 23. This is the restaurant’s third offence

• Main Entrance at 40 Sago Street in Chinatown, which was found to have allowed a gathering of more than eight individuals, failed to conduct temperature checks at the entrance and allowed customers to make speeches on Jan 23 

• My Heritage Food and Beverage Trading, trading as Killiney Kopitiam at Lucky Plaza, which failed to conduct temperature checks at the entrance and to ensure that its customers performed SafeEntry check-ins for contact tracing on Jan 26

• Tian Ya Hai Jiao KTV at 2 Aliwal Street near Jalan Sultan, which was found to be serving alcohol to diners past 10.30pm on Jan 10

Another four F&B outlets were fined S$1,000 each for breaching safety rules, and two more were fined S$2,000 each for repeat offences.

MSE said that the breaches included seating groups of diners less than 1m apart, accepting bookings for more than eight individuals and seating a group of more than eight people together.

They are:

• Dong Bei Ren Jia at 22 Upper Cross Street 

• Mei Heong Yuen Dessert at 76 Temple Street in Chinatown (repeat offender)

• Spring Court Restaurant at 52/56 Upper Cross Street

• Lao Si Chuan Dou Hua Zhuang at 46 Temple Street

• The Hot Pot Gathering at 32 Upper Cross Street (repeat offender)

• The Temple Restaurant at 25 Trengganu Street in Chinatown

Nine individuals from The Temple Restaurant and 18 individuals from Main Entrance were also each fined S$300 for gathering in groups of more than eight.

FINED AT PARKS AND BEACHES

For violations of regulations at parks and beaches managed by the National Parks Board, MSE reported that 104 individuals were fined, including gathering in groups of more than eight people and intermingling, on Jan 23 and 24.

At Changi Beach Park alone, 27 people were each fined S$300 on the two days.

“NParks will continue to step up enforcement at our parks and beaches,” MSE said.