SINGAPORE, Sept 15 — A food and beverage (F&B) outlet in Orchard Road, here was found serving alcohol beyond the permitted hours.
To deceive the enforcement officers, the outlet served beer in metal teapots and the bottles of beer sold were concealed at the bottom of the fridge storing drinks.
This was one of the examples of how the Covid-19 Safe Management Measures (SMMs) were breached by F&B premises highlighted by Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), here, today.
As part of stepped-up checks for compliance with the SMMs, the MSE said government agencies conducted additional patrols of nightspots over the weekend.
A total of 149 F&B outlets in known hotspots were inspected with 23 found to have flouted the SMMs.
Expressing her disappointment, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu said: “COVID-19 remains a grave threat, and breaching of the SMMs constitutes a serious offence. I urge F&B operators and patrons to observe the measures for our collective safety.”
According to the MSE, these stepped-up enforcement checks involved enforcement officers from seven government agencies, including from the Singapore Police Force.
They come on top of the routine inspections that agencies undertake daily at F&B outlets, which include coffee shops and hawker centres throughout Singapore.
In total, more than 3,000 inspections of F&B outlets were conducted over the weekend.
The agencies are reviewing the breaches and appropriate enforcement actions will be taken, including temporary closure of the outlets and the issuance of fines.
As at noon yesterday, Singapore classified 991 cases as imported, 2,238 as community cases and 54,177 involving dorm residents. — Bernama
