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Extension of Circuit Breaker period and tightened list of essential services

April 23, 2020

Dear ICCS Members, 

We are sharing below the latest updates concerning the extension of the Circuit Breaker.
Please, kindly share it within your company.

 

Extension of Circuit Breaker period

1. As announced by PM Lee, the circuit breaker period will be extended by another 4 weeks until 1 June 2020 (inclusive). The Government will continue to monitor the situation closely, and may be able to gradually ease some of the measures if there is a significant decline in our local transmission numbers.

2. Businesses which had earlier received approvals by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to operate during the original Circuit Breaker period from 7 April 2020 to 4 May 2020 can continue doing so until 1 June 2020.

3. The Government will continue supporting businesses and workers throughout the extended circuit breaker period.  

Tightened list of essential services and measures for workplaces that remain open

4. The Multi-Ministry Taskforce has also announced that fewer businesses will be permitted to operate during the Circuit Breaker. This will further reduce the number of workers who have to physically go to work, so that we can minimise the movement and interaction of people, and curb the spread of COVID-19.

5. The Government will introduce the following additional measures targeted at workplaces:

  • Suspend the operations of less critical consumer services with effect 21 April 2020, 2359hrs;
  • Place additional restrictions on selected consumer-facing businesses to further reduce customer interactions with effect 21 April 2020, 2359hrs;
  • Reduce the number of businesses allowed to operate at their work premises. Affected businesses will be notified by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and have 24 hours upon notification to wind down their business operations completely.

6. You can find at the following link the list of F&B and retail businesses affected by the above measures.
     F&B and Retail Businesses list.pdf

 

Additional safeguards against community transmission

7. For workplace premises which remain open, employers must put in place effective measures to avoid transmission of COVID-19 at and across workplace premises:

  • Not allowing teams working in different locations to interact physically with one another;
  • Implementing safe distancing measures at every workplace premise;
  • Ensuring workers wear masks at the workplaces;
  • Ensuring workers log their entry into and exit from their workplaces using SafeEntry

 

8. Businesses must ensure that their foreign workers have appropriate housing options to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19. With effect from 21 April 2020, 2359hrs, daily movement of workers in and out of all dormitories will no longer be allowed. Workers living in the dormitories who had earlier been allowed to commute to work will no longer be allowed to do so. 

Queries on the Latest Measures

9. For all enquiries on the latest measures, please write to safedistancing@enterprisesg.gov.sg or call at 6898 1800. Phone lines will be open from 8.00am to 9.00pm on 22 April 2020, and 8.30am to 5.30pm daily thereafter. 

10. For more information please visit www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/covid-19.

 

Best regards, 

Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore