Reopening of nightclubs, karaoke hubs deferred

This is due to an increase in community cases of COVID-19.

Amidst a rise in COVID-19 community cases in Singapore, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have paused the reopening of nightclubs and karaoke outlets as these have been classified as high-risk settings.

“We have seen an increase in the number of community cases in Singapore recently, of which some cases are currently unlinked and under investigation,” the ministries said in a joint statement.

They added that it is uncertain when the pilot can commence given the dynamic public health situation, and that agencies will review the commencement of the pilots at a suitable juncture.

MTI and MHA announced in November the plan for small-scale pilots for nightlife establishments, with compliance to stringent safe management measures, “to establish the viability and robustness of the stringent SMMs in ensuring the safe conduct of the activities, and the ability of the nightlife industry to comply with them.”

The pilot for bars and pubs commenced in December, with three outlets still undergoing.