SINGAPORE — Two drinks stalls here have been ordered by the authorities to shut down temporarily for serving alcohol after 10.30pm, which is a violation of comply safe management rules to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

In a news release on Wednesday (Jan 20), the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Singapore Police Force said that the licensees of the two businesses — a drinks stall at eating house Bistro 8 located at Kelantan Lane in Jalan Besar, as well as a drinks stall at Happy Hawkers coffee shop in Bukit Batok — will also be fined S$1,000 for their offences.

The Bistro 8 drinks stall has been ordered to close from Jan 20 to 29, while the one at Happy Hawkers will be closed from Jan 22 to 31.

The authorities said that they had acted on feedback on Jan 7 that the Happy Hawkers coffee shop had been serving alcoholic beverages after 10.30pm.

Officers from SFA and the police then inspected the premises and found customers drinking alcohol at around 11.20pm at the coffee shop’s outdoor refreshment area.

The beverages were found to have been sold and served from the drinks stall at the coffee shop.

A similar operation was conducted by the authorities on Jan 14 at the premises of Bistro 8 on Kelantan Lane.

SFA and police officers found customers drinking alcohol at 10.50pm at the eating house’s indoor refreshment area.

The authorities stressed that during Phase Three of Singapore’s gradual reopening of the economy, the serving and consuming alcohol at food-and-beverage establishments after 10.30pm is strictly prohibited under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020.

Under the law, first-time offenders can be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed for up to six months, or both. Repeat offenders face harsher penalties.

In a reminder to the public, the authorities stressed that Covid-19 remains “a grave threat and (that) we must not be complacent”.

“We urge all businesses and members of the public to be socially responsible and to continue to adhere to safe management measures while we resume activities in Phase Three,” they said.