Covid-19 rules at workplaces and events to be eased next month

More Covid-19 restrictions will be eased as Singapore makes headway in vaccinating its residents as well as keeping the pandemic under control, the multi-ministry task force tackling the coronavirus announced yesterday.

From April 5, up to 75 per cent of a firm's employees who are currently able to work from home will be able to return to the workplace at any one time, up from 50 per cent now, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the task force tackling Covid-19.

Working from home will no longer be the default as workplaces shift towards a more flexible and hybrid way of working, added the Ministry of Health (MOH).

More people will also be allowed to attend some events from April 24, with pre-event testing in place, including marriage solemnisations, wedding receptions, live performances and pilot business and sports events.

Those who have been fully vaccinated and have had time to develop sufficient protection will be exempted from pre-event testing from April 24, as the authorities move towards granting greater flexibility in rules for those who have been inoculated.

Marriage solemnisations and wedding receptions will be able to have 250 attendees if pre-event testing requirements are met, up from the current limit of 100.

Live performances at designated venues, pilot business-to-business events as well as pilot spectator sports events can have up to 750 attendees if they implement pre-event testing, or 250 attendees without testing.

From April 24, the cap for wakes and funerals on the day of burial or cremation will also be raised from 30 to 50 people at any one time.

Mr Wong said that while the authorities were initially concerned about a rise in local transmission of Covid-19 cases after the Chinese New Year, infections have been kept under control since then.

MOH's director of medical services Kenneth Mak said no new cases of locally transmitted infections in the community have been reported since March 12.

Mr Wong, who thanked everyone in Singapore for cooperating, said: "With the good progress we have made so far, we are able to now take some steps in easing some of our measures."

With vaccinations for prioritised groups well under way, the Republic will also expand vaccinations to younger age groups, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force.

He said the task force is looking at how it can allow more activities to resume for inoculated individuals, but reiterated that adhering to safe management measures remains key, even for this group.

Social gatherings, however, remain capped at eight. Mr Wong stressed that this rule remains unchanged, to guard against the risk of a resurgence in infections, as has happened in other countries.

"We really should look forward with caution and continue to move forward in a controlled, deliberate and steady manner. Don't get too excited that things are under control and then we can quickly open up everything. I think that would be rash and that can easily undo all the good things that we have achieved so far."

He also urged Singaporeans to continue to be mentally ready for any challenges ahead, citing the possibility of new strains emerging that could be more infectious and virulent, among other things.

In a Facebook post, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said around 800,000 people have received at least one vaccine dose so far and encouraged seniors and those newly eligible to take the vaccine. "As we scale up vaccination and resume more activities, we must continue to remain vigilant and adhere to safe management measures. This is the only way we can emerge stronger from this crisis together," he wrote.