SINGAPORE — A hotpot restaurant in Shaw House has been suspended for 10 days and fined S$2,000 for failing to comply with safe management measures, including allowing 20 people to gather in a locked private room.

Hai Xian Lao restaurant, located on the fourth level of Shaw House at 350 Orchard Road, had allowed customers to consume alcohol on its premises after 10.30pm and did not maintain a distance of 1m between groups of customers, said the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Saturday (Aug 15).

The restaurant had also failed to ensure that group sizes did not exceed five persons.

STB said that its enforcement officers saw a group of more than 20 people leaving the restaurant on Friday night. Further checks revealed the group had been seated in a locked private room within the restaurant.

Staff at the restaurant were "uncooperative, and at times aggressive" towards the enforcement officers, added STB, and had tried to block them from entering the restaurant and the private room.

“STB takes a serious view of non-compliance for safety management measures by both businesses and members of the public," said Ranita Sundramoorthy, director for retail and dining at STB.

"While we encourage people to go out and enjoy what our local businesses have to offer, we strongly urge them to do so in a safe and socially responsible manner, so as to minimise the risk of further COVID-19 tranmissions within the community." CNA

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