SINGAPORE — Popular Indian restaurant chain Banana Leaf Apolo was fined S$10,000 on Wednesday (May 5) for repeatedly breaching Covid-19 safe distancing rules last year, during Phase Two of Singapore’s reopening.

Restaurant staff at its Little India Arcade outlet, located along Serangoon Road, had allowed 40 people to attend a birthday party on the second floor of its premises on Sept 12 last year.

The restaurant also set up a sound system, microphone and speakers for the guests to play a video montage, and offered a self-service buffet.

During Phase Two, which lasted from June 19 to Dec 28 last year, only five people were allowed to publicly gather in a group when dining out or visiting homes, for instance. Food-and-beverage operators were — and still are — banned from offering self-service buffet lines.

Banana Leaf Apolo’s general manager pleaded guilty on behalf of the restaurant to two charges under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020. Three other similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

The party went on for four hours from 6pm to 10pm, with some guests intermingling across tables without keeping a safe distance of at least 1m. The tables were positioned close to each other and the backs of chairs were not at least 1m apart from each other either.

At least two guests used the microphone to make speeches, while some helped themselves to food from the buffet and gave them to others.

Restaurant staff did not tell them to stop, while the restaurant manager was not there as he was managing another event at the ground floor.

Closed-circuit television cameras captured footage of the party and safe distancing ambassadors also reported what was happening.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Koh sought the fine imposed, noting that the party posed a high risk of transmitting Covid-19 and could have formed a new cluster, though it ultimately did not.

The prosecutor also argued that there was no reason for Banana Leaf Apolo to accept the large booking.

The firm’s general manager told the court in mitigation: “We would like to apologise for what happened and we have taken a lot of measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

He added that they have invited the Singapore Tourism Board to go to the restaurant to see what they implemented.

Banana Leaf Apolo could have been fined up to S$10,000 for each charge. Repeat offenders can be fined up to double that amount.

The chain first opened its doors in 1974 and now has four outlets in Singapore.

On Tuesday, the Government announced that Singapore will be effectively returning to Phase Two from Saturday onwards after a spike in Covid-19 community cases.