Singapore returns to Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) from 14 June - Considerations for employers

Following a reduction in COVID-19 case numbers in recent weeks, the Singapore Government has announced that Singapore will move back to Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) with effect from 14 June. The social distancing measures that have been in place during Phase 2 will be relaxed gradually, with the re-opening set to take place in two phases.

Phased Re-Opening

A summary of the key changes and applicable timelines are summarised in the table below. The full press release issued by the Ministry of Health can be accessed here (together with a detailed Annex here).

Employers should note, however, that despite moving back to Phase 3, work-from-home will continue to remain the default arrangement. Employers must therefore continue to ensure that employees who are able to work remotely do so. For employees who need to return to the workplace, start times should be staggered and employers should implement flexible working hours. There should be no cross-deployment of workers to multiple worksites.

Support Measures

In view of the continued closure of various activities until 20 June, the Government will extend the current enhancements to the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) for affected sectors until 20 June. From 21 to 30 June, the affected sectors will receive 10% JSS support.

The Government will also extend the COVID-19 Driver Relief Fund for three more months at USD300 per month per vehicle for two months, and USD150 per month per vehicle for the next one month.

Testing

The Government will be requiring all staff who work at settings with unmasked clients or patrons to be placed on a Fast and Easy Testing (FET) regime, using tests such as antigen rapid test (ART), regardless of their vaccination status. These include staff of:

• dine-in F&B establishments;
• personal care and appearance services that require removal of masks (e.g. facial services, saunas, make-up services); and
• gyms and fitness studios where clients are unmasked.

Further to its announcement last Monday, the Government has confirmed that it will be aggressively ramping up FET capacity in the coming months. Mandatory FET testing will be progressively rolled out to larger establishments first and extended to smaller businesses thereafter. For dine-in F&B establishments, the Government will roll out mandatory FET testing progressively, starting from next month. Details of the roll-out will be announced later.

The Health Sciences Authority has also granted interim authorisation for four ART self-test kits for sale to the general public (‘Abbott PanBioTM COVID-19 Antigen Self-test’, ‘QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test’, ‘SD Biosensor SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self-Test Nasal’, and ‘SD Biosensor Standard Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test’). These tests produce results in less than 20 minutes, are simple to use and can be self-administered. These kits will be sold by pharmacists in the Guardian, Unity, and Watsons retail pharmacies from 16 June, and will be made available at more retail locations progressively. More information on ART will be made available through various media channels and the Ministry of Health website from 16 June onwards. To ensure that there are adequate supplies for all, sales will be initially limited to 10 ART kits per person.

If you have any questions about how the Phase 3 measures will impact your business operations in Singapore, please contact David Smail.

DLA Piper is restricted for regulatory reasons from practicing local law in Singapore, as are most international law firms. Where advice on Singapore law is required, we will work with a local firm to provide such advice while leveraging our own knowledge and experience as international counsel in international advisory and transactional work.