4.—(1) Regulation 3(1) and (2) does not apply to or in relation to an individual or a child —
(a)
who is below 6 years of age;
(b)
when the individual or child is engaged in any strenuous physical exercise;
Examples
An individual who is jogging or running, but not walking.
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
(c)
when lawfully directed by a person to remove the mask in order to ascertain the identity of the individual or child;
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
(d)
when —
(i)
travelling (whether as a passenger or driver) in a vehicle that is not any of the following:
(A)
an emergency ambulance within the meaning of paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Healthcare Services Act 2020;
(B)
a medical transport within the meaning of paragraph 2 of the First Schedule to the Healthcare Services Act 2020;
(C)
a bus or train used to provide a public transport service; or
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
(ii)
riding a motorcycle, whether or not in the course of employment;
(e)
when the individual is carrying out, in the course of employment, an activity —
(i)
that requires that no mask may be worn because wearing a mask creates a risk to the individual’s health and safety; or
(ii)
that requires that no mask may be worn to carry out that activity but subject to the extent and in the circumstances authorised by these Regulations or the Workplace Safety and Health (COVID-19 Safe Workplace) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 992/2021);
Example
A news reporter may remove his or her mask when filming in a hospital for a televised news broadcast.
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
(f)
when the individual or child is consuming food, drink or medication;
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
(g)
when the individual or child is undergoing dental or medical care or treatment to the extent that such care or treatment requires that no mask be worn;
(h)
when the individual or child is receiving an authorised service from a permitted enterprise which is operating in accordance with these Regulations but only —
(i)
to the extent that it is otherwise not reasonably practicable to receive that service when wearing a mask; and
(ii)
within the limit these Regulations expressly place on unmasked individuals connected with the provision of that authorised service;
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
(i)
when the individual or child is —
(i)
a prisoner detained in a prison in his or her cell; or
(ii)
a resident or detainee required to reside or otherwise be detained by or under any written law and in his or her room in a remand centre, rehabilitation centre or other place of safety or protection,
subject to any policies of that prison, centre or place;
(j)
when the individual is a party to a marriage and has an enhanced cleared status, but only during the solemnisation of the marriage or the wedding in celebration of the marriage;
[S 225/2022 wef 29/03/2022]
[S 795/2022 wef 10/10/2022]
(k)
when the individual or child is —
(i)
otherwise authorised by paragraph (2) to wear a face shield in lieu of a mask; or
(ii)
otherwise expressly required or authorised by any other provision in these Regulations or an Act to not wear a mask;
[S 225/2022 wef 29/03/2022]
[S 475/2022 wef 14/06/2022]
(l)
when the individual or child is —
(i)
in an open-air area; or
(ii)
within a place that is not a mask-on zone; or
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
(m)
without limiting sub-paragraph (h), when —
(i)
the individual or child is filming or taking a photograph of or comprising his or her face, whether alone or with others; or
(ii)
the face of the individual or child is being filmed or being photographed (whether alone or with others) with the individual’s consent and not incidentally or accidentally in monitoring or surveillance of the place or recording an event which the individual or child is at.
Examples
An employee of a hospital may remove his or her mask in the hospital for a photo of him or her to be taken for the purpose of applying for an employee pass.
Participants of a mid-autumn festival celebration event held in an old folks’ home may remove their masks for the purpose of taking a group photo to commemorate the event.
An individual attending a medical conference held in a hospital cannot unmask only because a recording is made of the conference proceedings and audience participation at the conference.
A customer at a retail shop within a hospital with signage at its entrance about the presence of CCTV surveillance within the shop, cannot unmask only because his or her face will be photographed or filmed by the surveillance or monitoring equipment.
[S 699/2022 wef 29/08/2022]
[S 475/2022 wef 14/06/2022]
(2) An individual or a child may wear a face shield in lieu of a mask only in any of the following circumstances:
(a)
if wearing a mask over the individual’s or child’s nose and mouth leads to severe medical conditions for the individual or child (as the case may be) and wearing a face shield does not;
(b)
if the child is 12 years of age or younger;
(c)
if the individual is any of the parties being married during a solemnisation of their marriage, but only during the solemnisation proceedings;
(d)
if the individual or child is —
(i)
a performer in a live performance;
(ii)
an interviewee at a media conference;
(iii)
a speaker engaged in public speaking; or
(iv)
an athlete or a contestant participating in a sporting activity played or conducted at a sporting event,
but subject to any other provision in these Regulations.
(3) An individual or a child who removes his or her mask under an exception under this regulation must resume wearing the mask as soon as practicable after the circumstances of the exception end.
Examples
An individual must resume wearing a mask as soon as he or she has finished eating or drinking at the food court in a hospital.
An employee of a hospital must, after having his or her photo taken in the hospital for the purpose of applying for an employee pass, resume wearing his or her mask after the photo has been taken.