COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2020

No. S 262

COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020

(ACT 14 OF 2020)

COVID-19 (Temporary Measures)
(Control Order) (Amendment No. 2)
Regulations 2020

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 34(1) of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020, the Minister for Health makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations are the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2020 and come into operation on 10 April 2020.

Amendment of regulation 2

2. Regulation 2(1) of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 254/2020) (called in these Regulations the principal Regulations) is amended —

(a)

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “common property”, the following definitions:

“ “contractor”, “occupier” and “principal” have the meanings given by section 4(1) of the Workplace Safety and Health Act (Cap. 354A);”;

(b)

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “early childhood development centre”, the following definition:

“ “employee” and “employer” have the meanings given by section 6 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act;”;

(c)

by deleting the words “trade and industry to provide certain goods or services” in paragraph (c) of the definition of “essential service provider” and substituting the words “domestic business policies to provide certain goods or services, for the period or from the date stated in the permit”;

(d)

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “essential service provider”, the following definition:

“ “essential service worker”, in relation to an essential service provider —

(a)	means an employee of the essential service provider; and
(b)	where the essential service provider is a principal, includes a contractor, a subcontractor or an employee of a contractor or subcontractor of the essential service provider, where the contractor, subcontractor or employee (as the case may be) works under the direction of the essential service provider as to the manner in which the work is carried out;”;

(e)

by deleting the words “section 2 of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A)” in the definition of “foreign employee” and substituting the words “section 2(1) of the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act 2015”;

(f)

by inserting, immediately after the words “section 15” in paragraph (c) of the definition of “movement control measure”, the words “or 17”;

(g)

by inserting, immediately after the word “work” in the definition of “permitted premises”, the words “, or any other premises at which the person is permitted by the Minister charged with the responsibility for domestic business policies to provide certain goods or services, but excludes any vehicle”;

(h)

by deleting the definitions of “open‑air stadium” and “public park”;

(i)

by inserting, immediately after the word “employees” in the definition of “specified dormitory”, the words “and that is not a specified hostel”;

(j)

by inserting, immediately after the definition of “specified dormitory”, the following definition:

“ “specified hostel” means any premises providing accommodation for guests, on land approved for use as a backpackers’ hostel under the Planning Act (Cap. 232);”;

(k)

by deleting the semi‑colon at the end of the definition of “subdivided building” and substituting a full‑stop; and

(l)

by deleting the definition of “worker”.

Amendment of regulation 4

3. Regulation 4 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)

by deleting the words “An individual” in paragraph (3) and substituting the words “Subject to paragraphs (3A) and (3B), an individual”;

(b)

by deleting the words “only to the extent necessary for any of the following purposes” in paragraph (3) and substituting the words “only to do directly with all reasonable speed, any or a combination of one or more of the following”;

(c)

by inserting, immediately after the word “provider” in paragraph (3)(b), the words “, an early childhood development centre”;

(d)

by deleting sub-paragraph (d) of paragraph (3) and substituting the following sub‑paragraph:

“(d)

to engage in any recreational activity alone or with any other individual who lives with the firstmentioned individual on a public path, or in a green or an open space that is managed or maintained by the Government or a public body and is accessible to the general public without payment of any fee;”;

(e)

by deleting sub‑paragraphs (e) and (f) of paragraph (3) and substituting the following sub‑paragraphs:

“(e)	to transfer temporary custody or care of a child pursuant to any agreement regarding the access rights of a parent of the child, or in discharge of a legal obligation;
(f)	to assist any individual who has a physical or mental disability, or is 12 years of age and below, or 60 years of age and above, with his or her daily needs, where there is no other assistance available to the individual;”;

(f)

by deleting sub‑paragraph (i) of paragraph (3) and substituting the following sub‑paragraphs:

“(i)	to the extent necessary to comply with an order of a court or a direction given in exercise of a power under any written law;
(ia)	to attend a funeral or funeral wake;”;

(g)

by inserting, immediately after paragraph (3), the following paragraphs:

“(3A) Where the individual resides in a specified dormitory or stays in a specified hostel, paragraph (3) applies subject to any measures implemented by the person operating or managing the specified dormitory or the specified hostel under regulation 13 or 13A, as the case may be.

(3B) Paragraph (3)(a), (d), (f), (k) and (l) does not apply where the individual is febrile or exhibits any specified symptom.”; and

(h)

by deleting sub‑paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (4) and substituting the following sub‑paragraphs:

“(a)	to enable an essential service provider to supply goods or services;
(b)	for any purpose connected with paragraph (3)(e), (i) or (k);”.

Amendment of regulation 7

4. Regulation 7 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)	by deleting sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1);
(b)	by deleting the words “without reasonable excuse” in paragraph (2) and substituting the words “in any public place other than a public place mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) or (c)”; and
(c)	by deleting the words “a public place” in paragraph (2)(a), (b) and (c) and substituting in each case the words “the public place”.

Amendment of regulation 8

5. Regulation 8 of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting paragraph (b) and substituting the following paragraph:

“(b)	in any public place, except at a green or an open space that is managed or maintained by the Government or a public body and is accessible to the general public without payment of any fee.”.

Amendment of regulation 9

6. Regulation 9 of the principal Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after paragraph (1), the following paragraph:

“(1A) Paragraph (1) does not apply where an individual enters the premises to carry out such works as are necessary to avoid any imminent injury or damage to property within the premises.”.

Amendment of regulation 10

7. Regulation 10 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)	by deleting the words “for trade and industry” in paragraph (1)(b) and substituting the words “for domestic business policies”; and
(b)	by deleting paragraph (2).

New regulations 10A and 10B

8. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 10, the following regulations:

“Limiting of capacity

10A.—(1) An owner or occupier of any shopping centre in which there are permitted premises must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the number of customers and other individuals within the shopping centre at any one time does not exceed the prescribed threshold for the shopping centre.

(2) In this regulation —

“gross floor area” has the same meaning as “floor area” in rule 2(1) of the Planning (Development Charges) Rules (Cap. 232, R 5);

“prescribed threshold”, in relation to any shopping centre, means one person per 16 square metres of the shopping centre, computed by dividing the gross floor area (expressed in square metres) of the shopping centre by 16.

Obligations of occupiers of permitted premises

10B. An occupier of permitted premises must take the following measures:

(a)

as far as reasonably practicable, allow natural ventilation of the permitted premises during working hours;

(b)

take the body temperature of every individual entering the permitted premises, in order to determine whether the individual is febrile and to visually ascertain whether the individual displays any specified symptom;

(c)

obtain and keep the contact particulars of every individual (other than an essential service worker who ordinarily works in the permitted premises), before allowing the individual to enter the permitted premises, so as to facilitate contact tracing measures;

(d)

refuse entry to the permitted premises of any individual who is febrile or who exhibits any specified symptom, or who refuses to comply with any measure mentioned in paragraph (b) or (c);

(e)

where any individual in the permitted premises is found by the occupier to be febrile or to display any specified symptom —

(i)	as far as reasonably practicable, provide the individual with a surgical or other mask and require the individual to wear the mask;
(ii)	require the individual to immediately leave the permitted premises; or
(iii)	if the individual is not able to immediately leave the premises, isolate the individual;

(f)

refuse entry into the permitted premises of an individual whom the occupier knows or has reason to believe is subject to a movement control measure;

(g)

refuse entry into the permitted premises by an individual for any purpose other than to work for, supply an essential service to, procure goods or services from or otherwise deal with the essential service provider.”.

Amendment of regulation 12

9. Regulation 12 of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “other than private residential premises” and substituting the words “(other than residential premises) and an essential service provider in relation to its permitted premises”.

Amendment of regulation 13

10. Regulation 13 of the principal Regulations is amended —

(a)

by deleting paragraph (a) and substituting the following paragraphs:

“(a)	that access to shared facilities in the specified dormitory is controlled in order to minimise physical interaction between individuals staying in different rooms;
(aa)	subject to paragraph (f), that the time at which each individual may leave the specified dormitory is controlled in order to minimise the incidences of individuals who stay in different rooms leaving at the same time;”; and

(b)

by deleting paragraphs (d) and (h).

New regulations 13A and 13B and new Part 3A

11. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 13, the following regulations and Part:

“Requirements for specified hostels

13A. A person operating or managing a specified hostel must take all reasonable steps to ensure all of the following:

(a)

that access to shared facilities in the specified hostel is controlled in order to minimise physical interaction between individuals staying in different rooms;

(b)

that records are kept of each individual who leaves the specified hostel each day;

(c)

that the following are applied to every individual before entering or leaving the specified hostel:

(i)	the body temperature of the individual is taken in order to determine whether the individual is febrile;
(ii)	the individual is examined without physical contact to visually ascertain whether the individual shows any specified symptom;

(d)

that any individual who is febrile or exhibiting a specified symptom —

(i)	wears a surgical or other mask over the individual’s nose and mouth at all times while in the specified hostel; and
(ii)	is moved to and isolated in a room away from other individuals resident in the same specified hostel;

(e)

an individual who is febrile or exhibiting a specified symptom obtains medical treatment as soon as practicable after the onset of the fever or exhibition of the specified symptom;

(f)

no gatherings or events of any nature are held in the specified hostel;

(g)

except where paragraph (h) applies, that each bed provided for occupation in the specified hostel is at least one metre away from another bed provided for such occupation, whether or not they are occupied;

(h)

where a bunk bed is provided at the specified hostel, that only one level of the bunk bed is permitted for occupation and each occupied level of a bunk bed is not adjacent to an occupied level of an adjacent bunk bed;

(i)

to keep the specified hostel in a safe and sanitary condition.

Requirements for funeral parlours, etc.

13B. An owner or occupier of a funeral parlour or any other premises for the time being used for a funeral wake or funeral (called in this regulation a specified place) must take all reasonable steps to ensure that —

(a)	there are not more than 10 individuals in any room within the specified place at any time; and
(b)	the measures mentioned in regulation 12 are implemented in relation to the specified place.

PART 3A

REQUIREMENTS IN RELATION TO ESSENTIAL SERVICE
PROVIDERS AND ESSENTIAL SERVICE WORKERS

Application of this Part

13C.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this Part applies only to —

(a)	an employer or a principal that is an essential service provider (other than the Government or a public body); and
(b)	in relation to the permitted premises at which an essential service provider (other than the Government or a public body) is permitted to carry on its business, undertaking or work.

(2) However, this Part does not affect —

(a)	any hospital, clinic or other healthcare institution or facility for the reception, lodging, treatment or care of individuals requiring medical treatment;
(b)	any premises exempted under paragraph 2 of the Workplace Safety and Health (Exemption) Order (Cap. 354A, O 1); and
(c)	any place of residence at which the business, undertaking or work of an essential service provider is being carried out.

Essential service provider to implement telecommuting

13D. Every essential service provider must —

(a)	provide the facilities necessary for every essential service worker who is not on leave to work in the worker’s place of residence in Singapore; and
(b)	direct every essential service worker who is not on leave to work in the worker’s place of residence,

unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so.

Safe distancing measures for essential service workers and other individuals

13E.—(1) An essential service provider must implement the following measures in respect of every essential service worker at work at the permitted premises, or other individual at the permitted premises:

(a)	as far as reasonably practicable, essential service workers are grouped and deployed to work in 2 or more groups so as to minimise physical interaction between the workers in the different groups when at work at the permitted premises;
(b)	as far as reasonably practicable, essential service workers who are required to work in the permitted premises do not all arrive at and leave the permitted premises at the same time;
(c)	any essential service worker who exhibits any specified symptom or is otherwise physically unwell is required to report, immediately upon the onset of the symptom or feeling physically unwell, to the essential service provider, either directly or indirectly through one or more other persons appointed by the essential service provider for the purpose of receiving the report;
(d)	the essential service provider takes reasonable steps to ensure that there is a distance of at least one metre between any 2 individuals in the permitted premises (other than a public place).

(2) An essential service provider must implement the following measures in respect of any individual (not being an essential service worker) who seeks entry to the permitted premises (other than a public place):

(a)

limit entry of individuals to the permitted premises only for the purpose of —

(i)	procuring or delivering goods or services connected to the business, undertaking or work of the essential service provider; or
(ii)	providing any other essential service to the essential service workers at the permitted premises;

(b)

ensure that the individuals mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a) —

(i)	do not arrive at the permitted premises at the same time;
(ii)	do not remain in the permitted premises for a longer period than necessary for their duties; and
(iii)	keep a distance of at least one metre away from any other individual (whether or not also an essential service worker) at the permitted premises.

Prohibition of activities

13F. An essential service provider must not hold or allow the holding of any event that involves any meeting in person between an essential service worker and any other individual, except —

(a)	for any purpose critical to the essential service provider’s business or operations; or
(b)	for professional or vocational training, testing, certification or accreditation of an essential service worker.

Communication by essential service provider

13G. An essential service provider must, as far as reasonably practicable —

(a)	communicate to all essential service workers the arrangements, steps or other measures mentioned in regulations 13D, 13E, 13F and 13J that apply to them; and
(b)	communicate to all individuals (other than essential service workers) the measures mentioned in regulations 13E(1)(d) and (2) and 13F that apply to them.

Essential service worker subject to movement control measure not to go to work

13H. An essential service provider must not require or permit an essential service worker who is subject to a movement control measure to enter the permitted premises.

Safe distancing requirement for transport of essential service workers

13I. An employer who is an essential service provider must ensure that the essential service workers who are transported to and from work in a mode of conveyance provided by the essential service provider are seated at least one metre apart in that mode of conveyance.

Essential service worker and individual must comply with requirements and directions

13J. Where —

(a)	an essential service worker, or other individual on the permitted premises of an essential service provider, is required or directed by the essential service provider or owner or occupier of the permitted premises to do or refrain from doing any thing; and
(b)	that requirement or direction is given so that the essential service provider or owner or occupier complies with regulation 10, 10A, 10B, 12, 13D, 13E, 13F or 13I, as the case may be,

the essential service worker or individual must comply with that requirement or direction as far as reasonably practicable.”.

[G.N. No. S 261/2020]

Made on 10 April 2020.

NG HOW YUE

Permanent Secretary
(Health Development),
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.

[AG/LEGIS/SL/65C/2020/2 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 34(4) of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020).

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