Phase 2 Restrictions Back Again: What Does This Mean?
As we all know, additional community measures will take effect from Saturday (May 8) to May 30, due to the spike in community cases. Thus, new measures have been rolled out to control the amount of exposure for this period until the end of May.
In case you have not seen the restrictions yet, here's a reminder:
1. Social group sizes to be cut from eight to five people
This includes gatherings that eat out, and restaurants have to restrict any bookings to up to 5 people. Individuals are advised to keep to two or fewer social gatherings per day and the number of unique visitors per household every day will also be reduced from eight to five.
2. Closure of high-risk settings, such as indoor gyms and indoor fitness studios
Indoor gyms and indoor fitness and health studios will be closed. Outdoor organised exercise programmes and classes may still continue, limited to a class size of 30 attendees in total, with safe distancing measures. This includes group sizes of up to five people and a 3m distance between each group. The task force will continue to monitor other higher-risk settings and activities, such as indoor sports halls, and personalised services, such as massages, spas and facials. If the community situation fails to improve, the task force will consider tightening restrictions further.
3. Workplace measures
Employers must ensure that no more than 50 per cent of employees who can work from home return to the workplace at any time, down from the current 75 per cent. Employers should continue to stagger start times of employees who need to return to the workplace, and implement flexible working hours. Social gatherings at the workplace should also be avoided. If social gatherings take place, they are subjected to a limit of five individuals.
4. Reduction of event sizes
a. Congregational and other worship services:
Pre-event testing will be required if there are more than 100 attendees at any one time, and such congregations must be capped at 250 attendees. Congregational singing will be suspended in religious services.
b. Weddings:
Marriage solemnisations may proceed with up to 250 attendees in total, in zones of up to 50 attendees. Pre-event testing will be required for the wedding couple for solemnisations involving more than 50 attendees.
Similarly, wedding receptions may proceed with up to 250 attendees in total, in zones or time slots of up to 50 attendees each.
Pre-event testing for all attendees, including the wedding couple, will be required for wedding receptions involving more than 50 attendees.
c. Funerals:
Attendees on the day of the burial or cremation will be limited to no more than 30 people, down from the current 50 people. The cap for other days of the wake remains at 30 attendees at any one time.
As pre-event testing is not required, attendees are reminded to maintain safe distancing and keep masks on at all times to reduce the risk of spread.
d. Sports events:
All mass-participation sports events will be suspended and no spectators will be allowed.
e. Live performances, pilot business-to-business events and cinemas:
The maximum number of attendees will be reduced from 750 to 250.
Pre-event testing will be required for all attendees of these events if there are more than 100 of them.
Cinema attendances will be reduced to 100 attendees, with the potential to increase to 250 attendees with the additional requirement of pre-event testing.
f. Museums and public libraries:
Operating capacity will be reduced from 65 per cent to 50 per cent.
g. Tours
The maximum tour group size will be reduced from 50 to 20 attendees.
Please, do take these restrictions seriously, and stay safe during these times.
