PART 1 | Citation and commencement |
| 1. These Regulations are the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Religious Gatherings — Control Order) Regulations 2021 and come into operation on 12 July 2021. |
2. These Regulations apply to and only in relation to any religious gathering that is held or conducted —| (a) | on or after 12 July 2021; and | | (b) | in a place of worship, or anywhere else in Singapore which is not a home. |
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3.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —| “building” includes part of a building; |
| “cleared status” has the meaning given by the Infectious Diseases (Mass Gathering Testing for Coronavirus Disease 2019) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 273/2021); |
“COVIDSAFE capacity”, for any venue where a religious gathering takes place or is to take place, means the maximum number of individuals which the venue may accommodate if all the following are complied with:| (a) | the segregation requirement; | | (b) | the physical distancing requirement; | | (c) | regulations 10B(1)(k) and 12 of, and the First Schedule to the Main Control Order (where applicable), as if the venue were permitted premises and every worshipper at the religious gathering were a customer; |
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| “crew”, in relation to a live performance at a religious gathering, means an individual who is employed in connection with the staging of a performance other than as a performer in the live performance, whether under a contract of employment by or a contract for service with, any person staging the live performance and whether a religious worker or volunteer; |
“crowd management period”, for a religious gathering at a venue, means —| (a) | subject to paragraph (b), the period —| (i) | starting 60 minutes before the time that the religious gathering is stated will begin daily on any publicity material relating to the religious gathering; and | | (ii) | ending 60 minutes after the time that the religious gathering is stated will end daily on any publicity material relating to the religious gathering; or |
| | (b) | for a religious gathering to mark or commemorate one or more days of religious significance (whether or not also a public holiday) and for which there is no publicity material described in paragraph (a), the period —| (i) | starting 60 minutes before the first time in the day or each day (as the case may be) the venue is open to worshippers to attend the religious gathering; and | | (ii) | ending 60 minutes after the time in the day or each day (as the case may be) the venue closes admission to the worshippers to attend the religious gathering; |
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| “defined activity” has the meaning given by regulation 13(4); |
| “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; |
“home” means any of the following in Singapore:| (a) | a building that is used, constructed or adapted on a parcel of land solely for occupation as a single dwelling on the land, and includes any garden or yard appurtenant to that building and within that same parcel of land; | | (b) | an apartment or unit, or a flat or lot, in a subdivided building that is used, constructed or adapted solely for occupation as a complete and separate dwelling; | | (c) | a self‑contained room, suite or like accommodation in a hotel or hostel for tourist, visitor or other temporary accommodation of guests of the hotel or residents of the hostel; | | (d) | a room in any boarding premises used, constructed or adapted solely to provide accommodation —| (i) | for employees or workers in connection with their employment or work; or | | (ii) | for boarders or lodgers, |
| but not a room in such premises provided only with shared facilities like a communal living room, bathroom, laundry or kitchen; |
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“live performance”, in relation to a religious gathering, means any, or a combination of any, performance by performers in person in the venue where the religious gathering takes place in the presence of an audience of worshippers in the same venue, such as —| (a) | a performance (including an improvisation) of a script for a film, play or television, a dumb show or choreography if described in writing in the form in which the show or choreography is to be presented, or other dramatic work, including such a performance given with the use of puppets; | | (b) | a performance (including an improvisation) of a musical work (whether vocal or instrumental); | | (c) | a performance of a dance (including a weapon dance); | | (d) | a performance of legerdemain or magic; | | (e) | a performance of an expression of folklore; or | | (f) | a live art performance, |
| but excludes public speaking at a religious gathering; |
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| “Main Control Order” means the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 254/2020); |
“non‑worshipper”, in relation to a religious gathering taking place or to take place in a venue, means an individual who is lawfully present in the venue during a crowd management period of the religious gathering —| (a) | to deliver goods or provide services connected with the organising of the religious gathering by the organiser; | | (b) | to monitor and ensure the compliance, by worshippers and any other individuals present during the crowd management period of the religious gathering, with the requirements in these Regulations or any other Control Order; | | (c) | 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 | | (d) | to render help in the event of an emergency at the religious gathering; |
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“nuptial event” means —| (a) | a ceremony at which a single marriage is solemnized according to proceedings prescribed by written law and without virtual participation; or | | (b) | a wedding; |
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“occupier”, for a venue where a religious gathering 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 crowd management period of the religious gathering; or | | (b) | the use temporarily or otherwise of the venue during that period for the purpose of the religious gathering; |
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| “organiser”, for a religious gathering, means a person who is responsible (whether fully or substantially) for the organising of the religious gathering; |
“other Control Order” means any of the following:| (a) | the Main Control Order; | | (b) | the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Foreign Employee Dormitories — Control Order) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 781/2020); | | (c) | the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Performances and Other Activities — Control Order) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 927/2020); | | (d) | the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Sporting Events and Activities — Control Order) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 277/2021); | | (e) | the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Major Business Events — Control Order) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 278/2021); |
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“performer”, in a live performance, means —| (a) | an actor, a model or a dancer; | | (b) | a singer, musician or member of an orchestra; | | (c) | an acrobat or a stunt performer; or | | (d) | any other individual who contributes in person to the sounds, movements or visual elements (or any combination thereof) of the performance, |
| and if the performance includes a live performance of a musical work (whether vocal or instrumental), includes the conductor; |
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“place of worship” means any place —| (a) | that is consecrated or dedicated generally or specifically, or is associated with or regularly used, for the conduct of religious services (such as a mosque, surau, temple, church, cathedral, chapel, sanctuary or synagogue); and | | (b) | the use of which as a place of worship is not a breach of planning control under the Planning Act (Cap. 232), |
| but excludes any individual’s home or any part of the common property of any subdivided building used (in whole or part) for residential purposes; |
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“private religious gathering” means a gathering of individuals that —| (a) | is for the purpose of allowing worshippers to engage in an act of worship at a religious service; | | (b) | is not open to attendance by worshippers in general, even if held in a place of worship; and | | (c) | is not a nuptial event, funeral event or funerary memorial event; |
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| “prohibited religious gathering” means a religious gathering of worshippers the total number of which, at any time during the crowd management period of the religious gathering, is in excess of the worshipper capacity applicable to that type of religious gathering; |
“public speaking”, in relation to a religious gathering, means any of the following activities undertaken by a religious worker or volunteer during the religious gathering:| (a) | the giving or engaging in any lecture, talk, address or sermon; | | (b) | the engaging in any reading, recitation or delivery of a literary work of religious significance, |
| but excludes any such activity occurring as part of a media conference within the meaning of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Performances and Other Activities — Control Order) Regulations 2020 or a business event (or part thereof) within the meaning of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Major Business Events — Control Order) Regulations 2021; |
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| “publicity material”, for a religious gathering, means an advertisement (online or otherwise) or any other publicity material promoting the religious gathering; |
“religious gathering” means a gathering of individuals that is for the purpose of allowing worshippers to engage in an act of worship at a religious service, but does not include any of the following gatherings:| (a) | a nuptial event, funeral event or funerary memorial event involving a religious service; | | (b) | a gathering of individuals to provide or receive (or both) lessons or teaching based wholly on a religious belief, religious opinion or religious affiliation, or a course of instruction or training to become a member of a religious order or in the duties of a minister of religion; | | (c) | a business event (or part thereof) within the meaning of the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures) (Major Business Events — Control Order) Regulations 2021; |
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“religious gathering for congregational worship” means a religious gathering of at least 5 worshippers who arrange to meet, or intentionally attend, in person for a common purpose of engaging in an act of worship at a religious service together or at about the same time, either —| (a) | consisting substantially of self‑prayer or self‑worship rituals undertaken without following an express programme or an order of religious service that is fixed in advance; or | | (b) | following an express programme or an order of religious service that is fixed in advance, |
| but is not a private religious gathering; |
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| “religious service” means a ceremony or rite, or an observance or a worship, sermon or service, based wholly on a religious belief, religious opinion or religious affiliation; |
“religious worker” means any of the following individuals:| (a) | a minister of religion, such as an imam or asatizah, a mufti, pastor, bishop, rabbi, priest or reverend; | | (b) | a full‑time member of a religious order, such as a monk or nun; | | (c) | a full‑time employee who is assisting any individual mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) in connection with the conduct of any ceremony or rite or an observance or a worship, sermon or service at a religious gathering, including by preparing food or offerings or playing any musical instrument; |
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| “room” means an area within a building that has a ceiling and is fully enclosed on all sides; |
| “segregation cohort” has the meaning given by regulation 6(2)(a); |
| “segregation requirement” has the meaning given by regulation 6(1) or (2); |
“stage area”, for a live performance in a venue where a religious gathering is taking place —| (a) | means such area within the venue as is designed to be used by performers in such a live performance to perform on or in; and | | (b) | includes the backstage, a dressing room, a projection or lighting suite, a sound booth, an orchestra pit or a flying scenery or other similar theatrical prop or infrastructure, |
| but excludes any part of the worshippers’ area in that venue; |
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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 religious gathering, means an enclosed space or unenclosed space where the religious gathering takes place or is to take place, whether or not the space is or is within a place of worship; |
“volunteer”, in relation to a religious gathering, means an individual at the religious gathering in person —| (a) | who —| (i) | volunteers to assist any religious worker conducting any part of the religious service, the conduct of which is the purpose of the religious gathering; or | | (ii) | is otherwise providing voluntary services in connection with the religious gathering, such as singing or playing of musical instruments; and |
| | (b) | who is not a worshipper at the same religious gathering; |
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| “wedding” means an organised gathering of individuals in connection with the celebration of a single marriage, being a marriage in respect of which no organised gathering has earlier taken place in connection with the celebration of that marriage; |
“worshipper”, in relation to a religious gathering, means —| (a) | an individual who attends in person to engage in an act of worship at a religious service, the conduct of which is the purpose of the religious gathering; or | | (b) | an individual who has a lawful reason to enter or remain in the place where the religious gathering is held but is not any of the following:| (i) | an individual in paragraph (a); | | (ii) | a non‑worshipper; | | (iii) | a volunteer at the religious gathering; | | (iv) | a religious worker in pursuit of his or her vocation as a religious worker at the religious gathering, whether or not as an employee of any person; |
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| “worshipper capacity” has the meaning given by regulation 5; |
| “worshippers’ area” means an area (sheltered or otherwise) within the venue where a religious gathering takes place or is to take place, that is where worshippers are admitted to attend and pray, worship or otherwise take part in any other way in the religious gathering, but excludes any entry and exit place. |
| (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. |
| (3) Nothing in these Regulations prevent the consumption of food, drink or medicine in an emergency where the food, drink or medicine is necessary to preserve life or prevent injury or further injury. |
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4. The physical distancing requirement means keeping a distance of at least one metre —| (a) | between every member of any gathering of 5 or fewer worshippers at a religious gathering taking place in a venue from —| (i) | any other worshipper at the religious gathering in that venue who is alone; or | | (ii) | any other worshipper at the religious gathering in that venue who is a member of another gathering of such worshippers; or |
| | (b) | between any 2 individuals in the venue, in all other cases. |
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5.—(1) For a religious gathering conducted for a congregational worship in a venue that is or is within a place of worship, the worshipper capacity is —| (a) | 250; or | | (b) | the COVIDSAFE capacity of the venue, if it is lesser in number than sub‑paragraph (a). |
(2) For a religious gathering conducted for a congregational worship in a venue that is not and not within a place of worship, the worshipper capacity is —| (a) | 50; or | | (b) | the COVIDSAFE capacity of the venue, if it is lesser in number than sub‑paragraph (a). |
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(3) For a private religious gathering taking place in a venue, the worshipper capacity is —| (a) | 50; or | | (b) | the COVIDSAFE capacity of the venue, if it is lesser in number than sub‑paragraph (a). |
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| Segregation requirements and segregation cohort |
6.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the segregation requirement for a venue where a religious gathering takes place, or is to take place, is the requirement —| (a) | to establish for the religious gathering, one or more segregation zones in the worshippers’ area in the venue, with each zone providing for not more than 50 individuals whether seated, standing or both; | | (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 worshippers’ 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 worshipper of the religious gathering to not more than one segregation zone for the religious gathering, and not more than one religious gathering at the same time; | | (d) | to ensure that any worshipper who is allocated to a segregation zone for the religious gathering does not, during the crowd management period of that religious gathering, enter or remain within —| (i) | another segregation zone for that same religious gathering; or | | (ii) | the venue where another religious gathering is taking place concurrently and in the vicinity of the venue where the firstmentioned religious gathering takes place or is to take place; and |
| | (e) | to establish and apply procedures or controls so as —| (i) | to ensure that a worshipper allocated to a segregation zone for the religious gathering does not physically interact with another worshipper allocated to another segregation zone for that religious gathering, when they enter or leave each other’s allocated segregation zone; and | | (ii) | to minimise the transmission of COVID‑19 between worshippers allocated to different segregation zones. |
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(2) For a religious gathering where worshippers engage substantially in self‑prayer or self‑worship rituals without any express programme or order of religious service that is fixed in advance, the segregation requirement for a venue where such a religious gathering takes place, or is to take place, is the requirement —| (a) | to allocate worshippers at the religious gathering into segregation cohorts of not more than 50 worshippers each; | | (b) | to allocate each worshipper at the religious gathering to not more than one segregation cohort for the religious gathering; | | (c) | to allow not more than one segregation cohort to enter the worshippers’ area to attend the religious gathering at the venue at any time; | | (d) | to ensure that any worshipper allocated to a segregation cohort for the religious gathering does not, during the crowd management period of that religious gathering, join another segregation cohort for that same religious gathering; and | | (e) | to establish and apply procedures or controls so as —| (i) | to ensure that a worshipper allocated to a segregation cohort does not physically interact with another worshipper allocated to another segregation cohort when they enter or leave the worshippers’ area; and | | (ii) | to minimise the transmission of COVID‑19 between worshippers allocated to different segregation cohorts of worshippers. |
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| Contact tracing requirement |
7.—(1) The contact tracing requirement for a venue where a religious gathering takes place or is to take place is 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 religious gathering that enable or facilitate contact tracing of every worshipper and non‑worshipper who enters the venue.| (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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| Entry control and enhanced entry control |
8.—(1) The basic entry controls for a venue where a religious gathering takes place, or is to take place, means —| (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 occupier of the venue knows or has reason to believe —| (i) | is a symptomatic case; | | (ii) | is subject to a movement control measure; | | (iii) | refuses to comply with any measure mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a); or | | (iv) | refuses to comply with any contact tracing measure established or applied by the occupier in order to comply with the contact tracing requirement; and |
| | (c) | to refuse entry to the venue by any individual whom the occupier of the venue knows or has reason to believe to be seeking entry for any purpose other than as a worshipper or non‑worshipper. |
| (2) The enhanced entry controls with respect to a venue where a religious gathering takes place, or is to take place, means a requirement to establish and maintain, during the crowd management period of the religious gathering, all reasonably practicable procedures and protocols that ensure that any worshipper without a cleared status does not enter or remain within the venue during that crowd management period. |
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9. The cleaning requirement for a venue in which a religious gathering 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 worshipper, religious worker, volunteer or non‑worshipper (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 crockery, utensils, vessels or other equipment which is shared or may be shared by, or used or may be used by or on, more than one worshipper, religious worker or volunteer at the religious gathering (or any of them in combination) during the religious gathering —| (i) | are 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 crockery, utensils, vessels or equipment by or on several such individuals; and | | (ii) | are 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 religious gathering to allow for cleaning as described in paragraph (a) or (b) or both, in between the earlier religious gathering and the start of the next religious gathering; or | | (ii) | if the religious gathering is a series of meetings, since the end of an earlier meeting to allow for cleaning as described in paragraph (a) or (b) or both, in between the earlier meeting and the start of the next meeting; 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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