• The authorities are prepared to consider pilot trials with additional safety measures at some nightlife venues
• These measures might include pre-entry testing or surveillance cameras to ensure safe management measures are followed
• The Government will announce assistance packages for businesses moving out of the nightlife industry at a later date

SINGAPORE — Nightlife venues such as bars, karaoke lounges and nightclubs are expected to remain closed even after Singapore enters Phase Three of its reopening, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (Oct 20).

But the authorities are prepared to consider pilot trials in some of these settings, which it has deemed “higher-risk” of spreading Covid-19, to explore how the industry can resume safely.

As part of the trials, selected venues may be subject to more stringent measures, including pre-entry Covid-19 testing or even closed-circuit television cameras to ensure that patrons comply with safe management measures at all times.

These measures could also include existing restrictions for food and beverage outlets, such as preventing groups of patrons from intermingling and a requirement that music be played softly so patrons will not have to raise their voices to be heard, which would increase the risk of spreading the virus.

“These are some of the ideas we have, but we will be discussing this with the nightlife industry,” Mr Wong said, who is co-chair of the multi-ministry task force handling Singapore’s response to Covid-19, at a virtual press briefing.

“Based on the pilots, we will consider whether it is safe to proceed, and it's also for the industry itself to consider whether it's viable to proceed. Because with all these measures in place, a dance club may not sound like a dance club anymore.”

At the press briefing, the task force laid out the changes that can be expected with Phase Three of reopening, which Mr Wong said could occur before the end of the year.

Even after the pilot trials start, the nightlife industry has to be prepared for “quite a long period of restrictions being in place”, Mr Wong said.

The Government will therefore offer assistance packages to help business operators exit the industry and pivot to new areas. Details on this will be announced later, Mr Wong added.

He was then asked why the Government would allow “cruises to nowhere” with capacities of about 1,000 guests or more to resume, but not karaoke lounges where customers can be restricted to groups of five in a private room.

The Singapore Tourism Board announced on Oct 8 that two cruise lines had been given the green light to offer such round-trips with no ports of call from November.

In reply, Mr Wong said the nature of the activity at nightlife venues, be it singing, dancing or patrons speaking loudly, puts people at a higher risk of infection.

“These are all activities which are known to be of higher risk and are more likely to be super-spreader events,” he said, pointing to experiences elsewhere in the world.

Although this example was not cited at the briefing, in South Korea, more than 200 Covid-19 cases were linked to a nightclub cluster in the entertainment district of Itaewon in the capital Seoul after it reopened its bars and nightclubs in late April.

Mr Wong said the additional requirements for nightlife venues will be decided after discussions with the business owners.

“If they find it viable and they are also able to enforce and comply with the measures, indeed the activities can resume,” he added.

But if businesses find it difficult to proceed or enforce the measures, then the owners may find that it preferable to exit and transit to other businesses and the Government will provide an assistance package to help them, Mr Wong reiterated.