No. S 182
Infectious Diseases Act
(CHAPTER 137)
Infectious Diseases
(COVID-19 — Stay Orders)
Regulations 2020
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 73 of the Infectious Diseases Act, the Minister for Health makes the following Regulations:
Citation
1.  These Regulations are the Infectious Diseases (COVID-19 — Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.
Definitions
2.—(1)  In these Regulations —
“antigen rapid test” or “ART” means an antigen rapid test carried out in Singapore in relation to an individual, the purpose of which is to test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in that individual;
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
“at-risk individual” means an individual who —
(a)on or after 26 March 2020, enters Singapore (by land, sea or air) from a country or territory outside Singapore;
(b)comes into contact or has come into contact with any other individual who is, or is suspected to be, infected with COVID‑19;
(c)has undergone a PCR test and the test result is pending or uncertain; or
(d)on or after 26 March 2020, appears to the specified person to be or have been exposed to the risk of becoming infected with, or a carrier of, COVID‑19;
“authorised accommodation worker” means an individual who is —
(a)deployed at work in a place of accommodation providing any sleeping facilities and residential accommodation in the course of any business; and
(b)authorised by a specified person to exercise a power under these Regulations;
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
“COVID-19” means the infectious disease known as Coronavirus Disease 2019;
“PCR test” means a polymerase chain reaction test carried out in Singapore in relation to an individual, the purpose of which is to test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in that individual;
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
“place of accommodation”, for an individual, means —
(a)a house or flat in Singapore that is the individual’s home in Singapore;
(b)any other premises in Singapore that the individual is ordinarily resident at when in Singapore (such as a room in a student hostel); or
(c)a room, or a partitioned-off space for sleeping, that is in a hotel, hostel, guesthouse, serviced apartment or dormitory or in any other premises in Singapore that provides sleeping facilities and residential accommodation, whether or not other accommodation is also provided;
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
“relevant medical certificate” means a medical certificate issued by a medical practitioner with a valid practising certificate —
(a)certifying that an individual has acute respiratory symptoms and excusing the individual from work or school for a period specified in the medical certificate not exceeding 5 days; or
(b)certifying that an individual has tested positive in a serology test conducted on or after 1 July 2020 and excusing the individual from work or school for a period specified in the medical certificate not exceeding 14 days,
but does not include a medical certificate issued to an individual mentioned in paragraph (b) who has, at any time before undergoing the serology test for which the medical certificate is issued, tested positive in an earlier serology test;
“respiratory specimen” includes human biological tissue, saliva or mucus;
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
“serology test” means a COVID-19 serology test;
“specified person” means the Director or any police officer, immigration officer or Health Officer;
“traveller” means an individual described in paragraph (a) of the definition of “at-risk individual”.
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(2)  For the purposes of these Regulations, where an individual undergoes —
(a)a test or tests consisting of PCR test or tests only;
(b)an ART or 2 or more antigen rapid tests only; or
(c)a series of tests consisting of PCR tests and antigen rapid tests,
the individual’s test result is treated as negative for SARS-CoV-2 under the same conditions as described in regulation 8(1), (2) or (3) (as the case may be) of the Infectious Diseases (Mass Gathering Testing for Coronavirus Disease 2019) Regulations 2021 (G.N. No. S 273/2021).
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
Stay orders
3.—(1)  A specified person may, for the purpose of preventing the spread of COVID-19, order any at-risk individual to go directly to one or more places of accommodation specified in the order or in writing by a specified person or an authorised accommodation worker and not leave the place or places (as the case may be) of accommodation —
(a)if the individual is a traveller who is, on or after 17 June 2020 at 11.59 p.m. but before 6 May 2021, required under section 55(1)(f) of the Act to undergo, and undergoes, a PCR test — for the period starting upon the issue of the order and ending on the day the individual is notified of his or her test result (not including a test result that is uncertain) or the 14th day after the issue of the order, whichever is later;
[S 535/2020 wef 01/07/2020]
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(aa)if the individual is a traveller entering Singapore, on or after 6 May 2021 — for the period starting upon the issue of the order and ending —
(i)on (and including) either the 7th day, 14th day or 21st day after the date the order was issued, as specified in the order; or
(ii)on (and including) the day that the individual is notified that he or she tests negative for SARS-CoV-2 after undergoing any ART or PCR test on a respiratory specimen last taken from the individual before the end of the period specified under sub-paragraph (i),
whichever ends later; or
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(b)in any other case — for the period specified in the order, starting upon the issue of the order and ending not later than the 14th day after the issue of the order.
[S 472/2020 wef 17/06/2020]
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(1A)  A specified person or an authorised accommodation worker may further order any at-risk individual who is issued an order under paragraph (1) to do one or more of the following, during the period that the order under paragraph (1)(a), (aa) or (b) (as the case may be) applies to the at-risk individual, to enable the electronic monitoring of the at‑risk individual’s whereabouts at any time during that period:
(a)to wear in the specified manner, and keep activated, at all times the electronic wristband provided by the specified person or authorised accommodation worker (as the case may be);
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(b)to use a mobile application in the manner specified in the order;
(c)to ensure that the electronic gateway device provided by the specified person or authorised accommodation worker (as the case may be) is at all times activated at the at‑risk individual’s place of accommodation;
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(d)to do such other thing as may be specified in the order that is incidental to sub‑paragraph (a), (b) or (c).
[S 668/2020 wef 10/08/2020]
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(1B)  Any person who unlawfully destroys, damages or tampers with the electronic wristband or electronic gateway device mentioned in paragraph (1A)(a) or (c) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
[S 668/2020 wef 10/08/2020]
(2)  Subject to paragraph (2A), any individual who, on or after 1 July 2020, is issued a relevant medical certificate must not leave the individual’s place of accommodation for the period starting upon the issue of the relevant medical certificate and ending —
(a)if, during the period specified in the relevant medical certificate, the individual undergoes a PCR test — on the day the individual is notified that he or she has tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 in that test or upon the expiry of the period specified in the relevant medical certificate, whichever is earlier; or
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
(b)in any other case — upon the expiry of the period specified in the relevant medical certificate.
[S 535/2020 wef 01/07/2020]
(2A)  Paragraph (2) does not apply if the individual had, within 90 days before the day the relevant medical certificate is issued, a positive test result in a PCR test or serology test, and no positive test result in a PCR test or serology test earlier than 90 days before that day.
[S 535/2020 wef 01/07/2020]
(3)  Subject to paragraph (4), an individual who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with an order under paragraph (1) or (1A) or contravenes paragraph (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
[S 668/2020 wef 10/08/2020]
(4)  To avoid doubt, it is a reasonable excuse for the purposes of these Regulations if the individual leaves the place of accommodation —
(a)only where necessary to obtain —
(i)medical treatment for a suspected COVID-19 infection at a hospital, medical clinic or any other place, designated by the Director for the treatment of COVID-19; or
(ii)emergency medical treatment or other medical treatment that is of a pressing nature; or
[S 193/2020 wef 29/03/2020]
(b)with the prior express permission of the Director or another specified person, whether general or specific.
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
[S 184/2020 wef 27/03/2020]
Measures for individuals under stay orders, etc.
4.—(1)  Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), an individual who is subject to a movement control measure requiring the individual to not leave a place of accommodation commits an offence if the individual, without reasonable excuse —
(a)allows into that place of accommodation any other individual not ordinarily resident in that place of accommodation;
(b)comes into contact or close proximity with any individual not ordinarily resident in that place of accommodation;
(c)fails or neglects to wear a surgical or other mask over the individual’s nose and mouth when the individual leaves the place of accommodation for any reason permitted in regulation 3(4);
(d)fails or neglects to inform the individual’s employer or the principal of the school in which the individual is enrolled as a student or teaches at (as the case may be) that the individual is subject to a movement control measure; or
(e)does not answer within a reasonable time any call or message sent by or under the authority of the Director or a Health Officer.
(2)  Paragraph (1)(a) does not apply where the other individual is delivering food or other essential goods to the place of accommodation.
(3)  Paragraph (1)(a) and (b) does not apply where the other individual —
(a)is providing services as are necessary for the individuals living in that place of accommodation to avoid any imminent danger or damage to life or property in that place of accommodation;
(b)is providing medical treatment or other medical therapy or care to an individual who has a physical or mental disability; or
(c)is a Health Officer or police officer.
(4)  An individual who is guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(5)  For the purposes of this regulation, an individual is subject to a movement control measure for so long as the individual is required to not leave a place of accommodation because of —
(a)an order made under regulation 3(1);
(b)regulation 3(2); or
(c)an order under section 15 or 17 of the Act.
(6)  For the purposes of this regulation, an individual is in close proximity to another individual if there is a distance of less than 2 metres between the 2 individuals.
[S 263/2020 wef 10/04/2020]
Cancellation of stay order
5.—(1)  The Director or another specified person may at any time cancel any order given to or in relation to an individual under regulation 3(1) before the order ceases to have effect under that regulation.
(2)  However, the cessation of an order given to or in relation to an individual under regulation 3(1) having effect (whether or not by cancellation under this regulation) does not prevent another order being made and given by a specified person if the specified person is satisfied that the circumstances warrant it under regulation 3(1).
[S 303/2021 wef 06/05/2021]
Made on 25 March 2020.
CHAN YENG KIT
Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.
[AG/LEGIS/SL/137/2020/7 Vol. 1]
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