COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020

by Minister for Health, Singapore

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First published in the Government Gazette, Electronic Edition, on 27 April 2020 at 11.59 pm.

No. S 254

COVID-19 (TEMPORARY MEASURES) ACT 2020
(ACT 14 OF 2020)

COVID-19 (TEMPORARY MEASURES)
(CONTROL ORDER) REGULATIONS 2020

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

PART 1 PRELIMINARY
Regulation
1.	Citation and period in force
2.	Definitions
3.	Application
PART 2 RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE
4.	Restrictions on leaving or entering place of residence
5.	Alternative place of residence
6.	Prohibition on social gatherings
7.	Individuals to keep safe distance
8.	Restriction on use of sports or recreation facilities
PART 3 RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION TO PREMISES AND BUSINESSES
9.	Closure of premises
10.	Essential service providers permitted to operate
11.	Non-essential service provider may only work from home
12.	Safe distancing for seating and queues
13.	Requirements for specified dormitories

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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:

PART 1
PRELIMINARY

Citation and period in force

1.—(1) These Regulations are the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.

(2) These Regulations are in force for the period between 7 April 2020 and 4 May 2020 (both dates inclusive).

Definitions

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

"boarding premises" has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act 2015 (Act 3 of 2015);

"common property" has the meaning given by section 3(1) of the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158);

"designated place" means any premises owned by the Government or a public body, or private premises, that the Minister designates as an alternative place of accommodation;

"Director" has the meaning given by section 2 of the Infectious Diseases Act (Cap. 137);

"early childhood development centre" has the meaning given by section 2 of the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017 (Act 19 of 2017);

"enforcement officer" means a person appointed under section 35(1) of the Act;

"essential service" means—

(a) any provision of goods or services by the Government or any public body in the exercise of its public functions; or

(b) any provision of goods or services specified on the prescribed website;

"essential service provider" means—

(a) the Government or any public body;

(b) a person who provides any essential service; or

(c) a person who is given permission by the Minister charged with the responsibility for trade and industry to provide certain goods or services;

"event" includes a meeting or gathering of any nature;

"foreign employee" has the meaning given by section 2 of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (Cap. 91A);

"management corporation" has the meaning given by section 3(1) of the Land Titles (Strata) Act;

"movement control measure", in relation to an individual, means a requirement for the individual not to leave a place of accommodation because of—

(a) an order made under regulation 3(1) of the Infectious Diseases (COVID-19—Stay Orders) Regulations 2020 (G.N. No. S 182/2020);

(b) regulation 3(2) of the Infectious Diseases (COVID-19—Stay Orders) Regulations 2020; or

(c) an order under section 15 of the Infectious Diseases Act;

"open-air stadium" means any stadium managed or operated by the Singapore Sports Council that is not enclosed on all sides;

"permitted premises" means any premises where an essential service provider ordinarily carries on any business, undertaking or work;

"prescribed website" means the Internet website of the Government at https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/essentialservices/;

"public body" means a body corporate established by a public Act for the purposes of a public function;

"public park" has the meaning given by section 2 of the Parks and Trees Act (Cap. 216);

"public path" has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Active Mobility Act 2017 (Act 3 of 2017);

"specified dormitory" means any boarding premises that provides accommodation to 7 or more foreign employees;

"specified school" means—

(a) a school in receipt of grant-in-aid under the Education (Grant-in-Aid) Regulations (Cap. 87, Rg 3);

(b) a school specified in paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Compulsory Education (Exemption) Order (Cap. 51, O 1);

(c) a school specified in Part II of the Schedule to the Education Endowment and Savings Schemes (Edusave Pupils Fund) Regulations (Cap. 87A, Rg 1); or

(d) any of the following universities:

(i) National University of Singapore;

(ii) Nanyang Technological University;

(iii) Singapore Institute of Technology;

(iv) Singapore Management University;

(v) Singapore University of Social Sciences;

(vi) Singapore University of Technology and Design;

"specified symptom" means any of the following symptoms:

(a) coughing;

(b) sneezing;

(c) breathlessness;

(d) a runny nose;

"subdivided building" has the meaning given by section 3(1) of the Land Titles (Strata) Act;

"worker"—

(a) in relation to an employer—means an employee of an employer; or

(b) in relation to a principal—includes an employee of a contractor or subcontractor of the principal, where the contractor, subcontractor or employee (as the case may be) works under the direction of the principal as to the manner in which the work is carried out.

(2) Where an individual is not ordinarily resident in Singapore, the individual’s ordinary place of residence in Singapore is, for the purposes of these Regulations, the place of accommodation at which the individual was staying immediately before 7 April 2020.

Application

3. These Regulations do not apply in relation to—

(a) the Government or any public body;

(b) a specified school; or

(c) any early childhood development centre licensed under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017.

PART 2
RESTRICTIONS ON MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE

Restrictions on leaving or entering place of residence

4.—(1) This regulation does not apply to an individual who is subject to a movement control measure.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), every individual must stay at or in, and not leave, his or her ordinary place of residence in Singapore.

(3) An individual may leave the individual’s ordinary place of residence only to the extent necessary for any of the following purposes:

(a) to work for or with an essential service provider, a specified school or an early childhood development centre;

(b) to procure any goods or services from an essential service provider or a specified school;

(c) 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) medical treatment that is of a pressing nature;

(d) to engage in any recreational activity in an open-air stadium, public path or public park alone or with any other individual who lives with the firstmentioned individual;

(e) where an individual works for or with an essential service provider, to bring the individual’s child or children to a place where the child or children are to be cared for;

(f) to assist any individual who has a physical or mental disability, or is below 12 years of age or above 60 years of age, with his or her daily needs;

(g) to report for enlistment or service under the Enlistment Act (Cap. 93);

(h) to report to any law enforcement officer or to attend at any court in accordance with any warrant, summons or order made under any written law or order of a court;

(i) to be present at any place in accordance with a requirement under any written law;

(j) to seek or render help in an emergency;

(k) to move to another place of accommodation;

(l) to leave Singapore;

(m) to do anything reasonably connected with and for the purposes of the matters in sub-paragraphs (a) to (l).

(4) An individual must not permit any other individual to enter his or her ordinary place of residence for any reason other than—

(a) for the purposes of enabling the provision or supply of any essential service at the place of residence;

(b) for the purposes of providing the care of any child mentioned in paragraph (3)(e);

(c) to receive any assistance mentioned in paragraph (3)(f); or

(d) to receive help in an emergency mentioned in paragraph (3)(j).

Alternative place of residence

5. If an individual is unable to stay at his or her ordinary place of residence because to do so poses a serious risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the individual or to other individuals staying there, an enforcement officer may direct the individual to stay at another designated place for a specified period or until the risk of transmission has abated, and that designated place is treated as the individual’s place of residence for that period for the purposes of regulations 4, 6 and 7.

Prohibition on social gatherings

6. Unless otherwise permitted under these Regulations, a person must not meet another individual not living in the same place of residence for any social purpose.

Individuals to keep safe distance

7.—(1) Where an individual leaves his or her place of residence for one of the permitted purposes in regulation 4(3), the individual must keep a distance of at least one metre from any other individual in any public place or common property of any subdivided building, except in—

(a) any lift;

(b) any motor vehicle or other mode of conveyance; or

(c) any premises used in connection with the provision of public transport.

(2) An individual must not, without reasonable excuse—

(a) sit on a seat that is not fixed to the floor and that is less than one metre away from another seated individual in a public place;

(b) sit on a fixed seat in a public place that is demarcated as not to be occupied; or

(c) stand in a queue less than one metre away from another individual in the queue in a public place.

Restriction on use of sports or recreation facilities

8. An individual must not use any sports or recreation facilities—

(a) in the common property of a subdivided building which is the individual's ordinary place of residence; or

(b) in any public place, except for an open-air stadium or a public park.

PART 3
RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION TO PREMISES AND BUSINESSES

Closure of premises

9.—(1) Except as otherwise provided in these Regulations, an owner or occupier of any premises other than residential premises must ensure that the premises are closed to entry by any individual.

(2) The management corporation of any residential premises which is a subdivided building must close any swimming pool, gym, sauna, function room, barbecue pit or any other sports or recreation facility, whether or not it is in an enclosed area, that is in or on the common property of that building.

Essential service providers permitted to operate

10.—(1) An essential service provider may continue to carry out the business, undertaking or work of the essential service provider—

(a) at the permitted premises of the essential service provider;

(b) with the prior permission of the Minister charged with the responsibility for trade and industry; and

(c) in accordance with the restrictions for that type of business, undertaking or work specified on the prescribed website or any conditions imposed in the permission mentioned in sub-paragraph (b).

(2) The owner or occupier of the permitted premises may allow any employee, contractor, customer or other individual to enter the premises only for the purposes of working for or dealing with the essential service provider (including procuring the provision of the essential service).

Non-essential service provider may only work from home

11. A person who is not an essential service provider or a worker of an essential service provider must not carry on any business, undertaking or work from any premises other than at the person's ordinary place of residence, and only through means that do not require meeting any other individual in person.

Safe distancing for seating and queues

12. An owner or occupier of any premises other than private residential premises must take all reasonable steps—

(a) where seating is provided—

(i) if the seating is not fixed to the floor of the premises—to ensure that each seat is at least one metre away from any other seat at all times; or

(ii) if the seating is fixed to the floor of the premises— to ensure that alternate seats are demarcated as seats not to be occupied; and

(b) where individuals may form a queue or wait in an area in the premises for any reason—to apply practices that ensure that every individual in the queue or area is at least one metre away from any other individual in the queue or area.

Requirements for specified dormitories

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

(a) each individual stays in and does not leave the specified dormitory, except—

(i) to the extent necessary to obtain medical treatment or any other essential service;

(ii) to work for or with an essential service provider; or

(iii) with the permission or at the direction of the operator or manager of the specified dormitory;

(b) records are kept of each individual who leaves the specified dormitory each day and the purpose for which the individual is leaving the specified dormitory;

(c) for every individual entering or leaving the specified dormitory, to take the body temperature of the individual in order to determine whether the individual is febrile and to visually ascertain whether the individual displays any specified symptom;

(d) each individual keeps a distance of at least one metre away from any other individual in any area within the specified dormitory that is outside of the individual's room;

(e) 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; and

(ii) is moved to a room where the individual is isolated from other individuals who are not febrile or exhibiting any specified symptom;

(f) 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;

(g) no gatherings or events of any nature are held in the specified dormitory;

(h) all shared facilities other than a bathroom, toilet, or cooking or eating facilities are closed;

(i) to keep the specified dormitory in a safe and sanitary condition.

Made on 7 April 2020.

NG HOW YUE
Permanent Secretary
(Health Development),
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.