7 F&B outlets, including 2 repeat offenders, ordered to close temporarily for breaching COVID-19 rules

SINGAPORE: Seven food and beverage outlets were ordered to close for breaching COVID-19 safe management measures and vaccination differentiated measures, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said on Wednesday (Dec 22). 

The offences include failing to minimise interaction between staff and customers, as well as not putting in place a system to perform checks on the vaccination status of customers before their entry, said MSE.

Among the outlets that were ordered to close, two were repeat offenders, namely HARU - located in Central Mall on Magazine Road - and Euphoria, located in Tanglin Shopping Centre.

In May, Haru was ordered to close temporarily after allowing gatherings of more than eight people.

In August, it was ordered to close for 30 days after delaying the entry of enforcement officers and providing false information that there were no customers in its premises. 

In its latest offence, it provided dice games for customers to play in its premises. It was ordered to close for 40 days from Dec 22 to Jan 30, 2022. 

The other repeat offender was Euphoria, which failed to minimise interaction between staff and customers. It also "deployed hostesses", said MSE.

The F&B outlet in Tanglin Shopping Centre failed to ensure safe distancing of 1m between groups of customers, did not ensure SafeEntry check-in by every customer, and did not have a system to perform checks for vaccination statuses before customers entered.

It was ordered to close for 20 days from Dec 18 to Jan 6, 2022.

The remaining five establishments were ordered to close for 10 days.

These included PUB 98 at 237 Joo Chiat Road, which delayed the entry of enforcement officers into its premises and allowed intermingling between different groups of seated customers.

The seven F&B outlets ordered to close temporarily are: 

1. Angel Bar Beer in Golden Mile Complex
2. Haru in Central Mall
3. PUB 98 on Joo Chiat Road
4. Mohican Pub and Music Lounge on Madras Street
5. Euphoria in Tanglin Shopping Centre
6. Club Hermes on Kitchener Road
7. The Tanglin Gin Jungle on Dempsey Road

Two other F&B outlets were fined S$1,000 each for breaching safe management measures.

CY Bistro in Golden Mile Complex failed to ensure safe distancing of at least 1m between groups of customers. Thong Lor, also in Golden Mile Complex, did not ensure SafeEntry check-ins by every customer that entered the premises.

The nine establishments were caught following stepped-up enforcement checks by government agencies, MSE said.

The ministry added that strict compliance with safe management measures, including vaccination differentiation measures, is "critical for everyone’s safety", particularly amid the global risk of the Omicron variant.

"During the year-end festive period, agencies will continue to step up checks on F&B outlets to ensure that (vaccination differentiated measures) and (safe management measures) are strictly adhered to.

"Firm enforcement action will be taken against operators and individuals who do not comply with (safe management measures), including the proper wearing of masks. Enforcement action includes prosecution and the revocation of licences," said MSE.