PART 1 | Citation and commencement |
| 1. These Regulations are the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Major Business Events — Control Order) Regulations 2021 and come into operation on 24 April 2021. |
2. These Regulations apply to and only in relation to any business event that —| (a) | is held or conducted on or after 24 April 2021; and | | (b) | has or is likely to have a total number of more than 50 participants present —| (i) | at any time during any crowd management period of the business event; or | | (ii) | in one day, if there are 2 or more crowd management periods in a day. |
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3.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —| “approving authority” means the Senior Director (Operations), Ministry of Trade and Industry; |
| “building” includes part of a building; |
| “business” includes any business in Singapore, whether or not carried on for profit; |
“business event” means a meeting, an exhibition or a display, or a series of meetings, exhibitions or displays or a combination thereof, arranged or held in the course of business —| (a) | to discuss or negotiate matters relating to trade, commerce or finance, professional practice or matters, health, arts, science, technology, industry, economics, industrial relations, security, international affairs, the environment or any other cause or matter, whether or not of a similar kind; | | (b) | to temporarily exhibit or display goods of any kind for the purposes of sale or supply to a consumer or otherwise; or | | (c) | to promote the trading of goods or the provision of services to a consumer or otherwise, |
| to which individuals are admitted on payment of a fee or charge, on the basis of their membership of an organisation, or after making a contribution, or admitted free of charge, to attend the meeting or to enter or remain at the venue where a business event takes place, or is to take place; and in the case of a business event comprising a series of meetings, exhibitions or displays or a combination thereof, includes each meeting, exhibition or display and any opening ceremony or closing ceremony connected with that series; |
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“consumer” means a person —| (a) | who buys or takes on hire or lease, or is a potential buyer or hirer or lessor of, or borrows money for the purpose of buying, any goods otherwise than —| (i) | for resale or letting for hire or leasing; or | | (ii) | in the course of or for the purpose of carrying on the person’s business; |
| | (b) | who uses, or is a potential user of, or borrows money for the purpose of using, any service rendered for fee or reward, otherwise than in the course of or for the purpose of carrying on the person’s business; | | (c) | who buys, or is the potential buyer of, or borrows money for the purpose of buying, an estate or interest in land or a building otherwise than —| (i) | for the purpose of resale, commercial development, letting or hiring; or | | (ii) | in the course of or for the purpose of carrying on the person’s business; or |
| | (d) | who becomes a tenant or lessee of, or is a potential tenant or lessee of, any land or building otherwise than —| (i) | for assignment or sub‑letting; or | | (ii) | in the course of or for the purpose of carrying on the person’s business; |
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“Control Order” means any of the following:| (a) | the Main Control Order; | | (b) | these Regulations; | | (c) | the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Sporting Events and Activities — Control Order) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 277/2021); | | (d) | the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Performances and Other Activities — Control Order) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 927/2020); |
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“crowd management period”, for a business event, means —| (a) | the period —| (i) | starting 60 minutes before the time that the business event is stated will begin daily on any marketing material relating to the business event; and | | (ii) | ending 60 minutes after the time that the business event is stated will end daily on any marketing material relating to the business event; or |
| | (b) | if the business event is a series of meetings, exhibitions or displays, the period —| (i) | starting 60 minutes before the time that each meeting, exhibition or display is stated will begin on any marketing material relating to the business event; and | | (ii) | ending 60 minutes after the time that each meeting, exhibition or display is stated will end on any marketing material relating to the business event; |
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| “customer”, for a business event that is a trade show, includes a prospective customer who is also a participant at the trade show; |
| “enclosed space” means an area that is substantially enclosed by a roof and at least 2 walls, whether or not the roof or walls is or are permanent or temporary or open or closed, such as a room; |
“exhibitor”, for a business event that is a trade show, means a participant at the trade show whose purpose in taking part is —| (a) | to temporarily exhibit or display goods of any kind for the purposes of sale or supply to a consumer or otherwise; or | | (b) | to promote the trading of goods or the provision of services to a consumer or otherwise; |
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| “Main Control Order” means the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 254/2020); |
“marketing material”, for a business event, means any of the following:| (a) | a ticket for a business event; | | (b) | any catalogue or price list of tickets mentioned in paragraph (a); | | (c) | any advertisement (online or otherwise) or other publicity material promoting the business event; |
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“non‑participant”, in relation to a business event, means an individual who is lawfully present in the venue during a crowd management period of the business event —| (a) | to deliver goods or provide services connected with the organising of the business event by the event organiser; | | (b) | to regulate the intervals between meetings, exhibitions or displays at the business event; | | (c) | to monitor and ensure the compliance, by participants and any other individuals present during the crowd management period of the business event, with the requirements in any of the Control Orders; | | (d) | to execute an order of a court or a direction given by or on behalf of a public officer or a public body in exercise of a power under any written law; or | | (e) | to render help in the event of an emergency at the business event; |
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“occupier”, for a venue where a business event takes place or is to take place in, means a person who has —| (a) | the charge, management or control of the venue, either on the person’s own account or as agent of another person, during the period of the business event; or | | (b) | the use temporarily or otherwise of the venue during that period for the purpose of the business event;| The hirer of a set of adjoining rooms in a convention centre for a business event to take place in those rooms. The occupier of the rest of the convention centre which is not hired out for the same business event is not an occupier for that event. |
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“organiser”, for a business event, means a person who is responsible (whether fully or substantially) for —| (a) | the organising of the business event; and | | (b) | the receipt of revenue from the business event (if any), |
| but does not include a person by reason only of being a party to a sponsorship‑like arrangement connected with the business event; |
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“participant”, in relation to a business event, means an individual who is entitled to be admitted to a venue where the business event takes place, or is to take place, for any of the following purposes: | (a) | to attend, watch, vote or take part in any other way, in the meetings, exhibitions or displays staged or conducted, or to be staged or conducted, in the venue; | | (b) | to preside at, speak or otherwise take charge of proceedings in, or to regulate the number and length of, meetings, exhibition or displays staged or conducted, or to be staged or conducted, at the business event; | | (c) | to work in one or more of the following capacities with any individual mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) during the business event:| (i) | an individual who accompanies an individual mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) to promote or give protection, advice or assistance to the latter individual during any meeting, exhibition or display at the business event; | | (ii) | an individual who undertakes to represent the interests of an individual mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) in procuring the engagement of the latter individual as a speaker, presenter or person presiding at any meeting or discussion at the business event (called a manager); | | (iii) | an individual who assists an individual mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) as advised by a manager, or who assists the manager in representing the interests of the individual mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b); |
| | (d) | to report on the business event, |
| but excludes any non‑participant who is present at the business event venue during the business event; |
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“participants’ area” means an area (sheltered or otherwise) within the venue for a business event that is —| (a) | for a business event that is a trade show — where the exhibition or display is or is to be held; or | | (b) | for a business event that is not a trade show — where participants are admitted to attend, watch, vote or take part in any other way, in the event, |
| but excludes any ticketing area, turnstile or other entry and exit place, washroom or other like facilities for the convenience of participants; |
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| “room” means an area within a building that has a ceiling and is fully enclosed on all sides; |
“sponsorship‑like arrangement” means —| (a) | a right to associate a person or a person’s goods or services with — | | (b) | an affiliation or association (whether commercial or non‑commercial) with — |
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| “ticket”, for a business event, means a ticket issued or offered for sale by a person authorised by a business event organiser of the business event, to make the first supply of tickets entitling the purchaser of such a ticket or a holder thereof to enter the venue where the business event is or is to be held, to participate in the business event; |
“trade show” means a meeting or series of meetings arranged or held in the course of business —| (a) | to temporarily exhibit or display goods of any kind for the purposes of sale or supply ordinarily other than to a consumer; or | | (b) | to promote the trading of goods or the provision of services ordinarily other than to a consumer; |
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| “unenclosed space” means a space that is wholly outdoors or is a space other than an enclosed space; |
| “unmasked”, in relation to an individual, means to be not wearing a mask and includes an individual wearing a face shield in lieu of a mask; |
“venue”, for a business event, means an enclosed space or unenclosed space where the business event takes place or is to take place in;| A function room in a hotel or convention centre. |
| An open space (whether or not tented) for the display of aircraft at an aviation industry business event. |
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| (2) Unless expressly provided otherwise in these Regulations, any word or expression in these Regulations that is defined in the Main Control Order has the meaning given to it by the Main Control Order. |
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| Meaning of physical distancing requirements |
4.—(1) The general physical distancing requirement means the requirement to ensure that, within any part of the venue for a business event, there is a distance of at least one metre —| (a) | between every member of any gathering of 8 or fewer participants of the business event from —| (i) | any other participant of the business event in the venue who is alone; or | | (ii) | any other participant of the business event in the venue who is a member of another gathering of such participants; or |
| | (b) | between any 2 individuals in the venue, in all other cases. |
| (2) However, paragraph (1) does not apply to prevent physical contact between individuals in the venue of a business event to be a shorter or longer distance where expressly otherwise required or allowed by or under any Control Order during the crowd management period of the business event. |
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| Meaning of participant capacity requirement |
5. The participant capacity requirement for a venue where a business event takes place, or is to take place, means the requirement that limits the total number of participants who are or may be allowed to be present within the participants’ area of the venue at any one time during the crowd management period of the business event to —| (a) | where the total floor area of the participants’ area for the business event is more than 930 square metres — a number (rounded up to the nearest whole number) calculated by dividing by 8 that total floor area of the participants’ area; and | | (b) | where the total floor area of the participants’ area for the business event is 930 square metres or smaller — a number which the participants’ area can accommodate if all the following are complied with:| (i) | the segregation requirement; | | (ii) | the general physical distancing requirement; | | (iii) | regulations 12 and 13E(1)(d) and the First Schedule (where applicable) of the Main Control Order. |
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| Meaning of segregation requirement |
6.—(1) The segregation requirement for a venue where a business event that is not a trade show takes place, or is to take place, means the requirement —| (a) | to establish for the business event, one or more segregation zones in the participants’ area in the venue, with each zone providing for seating for not more than 50 individuals and no accommodation for standing participants; | | (b) | to clearly delineate the boundaries of each segregation zone in a substantially unbroken manner by means of any of the following:| (i) | any wall or other non‑porous partition or screen that is 1.8 metres or taller measured from the floor of the part of the participants’ area; | | (ii) | any stanchion with barrier rope or tape or other similar physical barrier, that is at least 3 metres away from the boundary of another segregation zone; |
| | (c) | to allocate each participant of the business event to not more than one segregation zone for the business event, and not more than one business event at the same time; | | (d) | to ensure that any participant who is allocated to a segregation zone for the business event, does not, during the crowd management period of that business event, enter or remain within —| (i) | another segregation zone for that same business event; or | | (ii) | the venue where another business event is taking place concurrently and in the vicinity of the venue where the firstmentioned business event takes place or is to take place; and |
| | (e) | to establish and apply procedures or controls so as —| (i) | to ensure that a participant allocated to a segregation zone for the business event, does not physically interact with another participant allocated to another segregation zone for that business event, when they enter or leave each other’s allocated segregation zone; and | | (ii) | to minimise the transmission of COVID‑19 between participants allocated to different segregation zones. |
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(2) The segregation requirement for a venue where a business event that is a trade show takes place, or is to take place, means the requirement —| (a) | to establish one or more segregation zones in the participants’ area in the venue, with each zone providing for not more than 50 individuals to be present, whether exhibitors or customers; | | (b) | to clearly delineate the boundaries of each segregation zone in a substantially unbroken manner by means any of the following:| (i) | any wall or other non‑porous partition or screen that is 1.8 metres or taller measured from the floor of the part of the participants’ area; | | (ii) | any stanchion with barrier rope or tape or other similar physical barrier, that is at least 3 metres away from the boundary of another segregation zone; |
| | (c) | to allocate —| (i) | each customer who is a participant of the business event to not more than one segregation cohort for the business event; and | | (ii) | each exhibitor who is a participant of the business event to not more than one segregation zone for the business event; |
| | (d) | to ensure that —| (i) | any customer who is a participant allocated to a segregation cohort for the business event, does not, during the crowd management period of that business event join another segregation cohort for that same business event; or | | (ii) | any exhibitor who is a participant of the business event does not, during the crowd management period of that business event enter or remain in another segregation zone for that same business event or another business event taking place concurrently and in the vicinity of the venue where the firstmentioned business event takes place or is to take place; and |
| | (e) | to establish and apply procedures or controls so as —| (i) | to ensure that a participant allocated to a segregation cohort does not physically interact with another participant allocated to another segregation cohort when they enter or leave a segregation zone; | | (ii) | to ensure that a participant allocated to a segregation zone does not physically interact with another participant allocated to another segregation zone when they enter or leave their respective segregation zones; and | | (iii) | to minimise the transmission of COVID‑19 between participants allocated to different segregation cohorts and to different segregation zones. |
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| Meaning of contact‑tracing requirement |
7.—(1) The contact‑tracing requirement for a venue where a business event takes place or is to take place means the requirement to establish and apply, so far as is reasonably practicable, (jointly with another or otherwise) appropriate procedures and controls specially relating to the business event —| (a) | that enable or facilitate contact tracing of every participant and non‑participant who enters the venue; and | | (b) | that comply with any direction under regulation 15(3) addressed to the occupier in relation to that business event. |
| (2) The contact‑tracing requirement in these Regulations is in addition to the requirement in regulation 10B(1)(c) of the Main Control Order. |
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| Meaning of entry controls |
8.—(1) The basic entry controls for a venue where a business event takes place, or is to take place, means the requirement —| (a) | to establish and apply appropriate procedures and controls (jointly with another or otherwise) that ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that every individual about to enter the venue is assessed, before entering, to determine whether he or she is a symptomatic case; | | (b) | to refuse entry to the venue by any individual whom the venue manager of the venue knows or has reason to believe —| (i) | is a symptomatic case; | | (ii) | is subject to a movement control measure; | | (iii) | who refuses to comply with any measure mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a); or | | (iv) | who refuses to comply with any contact‑tracing measure established or applied by the venue manager in order to comply with the contact‑tracing requirement; and |
| | (c) | to refuse entry to the venue by any individual whom the venue manager of the venue knows or has reason to believe to be seeking entry for any purpose other than as a participant or non‑participant. |
| (2) The “enhanced entry controls” with respect to a business event means a requirement to establish and maintain, during the crowd management period of the business event, all reasonably practicable procedures and protocols that ensure that any participant or non‑participant or combination of participants and non‑participants, without a cleared status, do not enter or remain within the venue where the business event takes place, or is to take place, during that crowd management period. |
| (3) Any word or expression in paragraph (2) that is defined in the Infectious Diseases (Mass Gathering Testing for Coronavirus Disease 2019) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 273/2021) has the meaning given to it by those Regulations. |
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| Meaning of cleaning requirement |
9. The cleaning requirement for a venue in which a business event takes place, or is to take place, means the requirement —| (a) | to ensure that any common area, furniture or fittings within the venue which are not for the exclusive use of any participant or non‑participant (or any of them in combination) in the venue, or are used by any of these individuals to move through the venue (commonly called high‑touch places and surfaces) —| (i) | are periodically cleaned and disinfected within each day, following appropriate procedures and at an appropriate frequency so as to minimise the transmission of COVID‑19 from the use of the same area by several such individuals at the same time or different times; and | | (ii) | are, as far as is reasonably practicable, at all times provided with easily accessible disinfecting agents like hand sanitisers, disinfectant sprays, paper towels and wipes, for the free use of such individuals in the venue; |
| | (b) | to ensure that any equipment or device, goods, article or thing, being an equipment or a device, or goods or an article or a thing which is exhibited or displayed, shared or may be shared by, or used or may be used by or on, more than one participant or non‑participant (or any of them in combination) during the business event —| (i) | is periodically cleaned and disinfected after each use, following appropriate procedures and at an appropriate frequency so as to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID‑19 from the sharing or common and continuous touching of the equipment, device, goods, article or thing by or on several such individuals; and | | (ii) | is not easily accessible for use by more than one such individual (or any combination of them) at the same time or different times, by applying appropriate procedures and controls that minimise such sharing or use and the physical interaction between these individuals; |
| | (c) | to ensure that a reasonable period of time elapses —| (i) | since the end of an earlier business event to allow for cleaning as described in sub‑paragraph (a) or (b) or both, in between the earlier business event and the start of the next business event; or | | (ii) | if the business event is a series of meetings, exhibitions or displays, since the end of an earlier meeting, exhibition or display to allow for cleaning as described in sub‑paragraph (a) or (b) or both, in between the earlier meeting, exhibition or display and the start of the next meeting, exhibition or display, as the case may be; and |
| | (d) | to ensure that the venue is cleaned and disinfected at the end of daily business, and before re‑opening after any closure of business or undertaking (voluntarily or otherwise) at the venue. |
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