Coffee shops to have fixed point, like drinks stall, for dine-in vaccination checks

SINGAPORE – When rules preventing unvaccinated people from dining-in at more places kick in on Wednesday (13 October), coffee shop operators will not be required to fence up their premises but will have to check the vaccination status of patrons at fixed points such as the drinks stall.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said on Tuesday that it would be challenging to implement a single access point or have a mandatory check-in access point, given that premises have different layouts and operational requirements.

Hence, she added, the ministry will be taking a "pragmatic" approach in implementing the new vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS).

Operators of coffee shops and hawker centres will need to remind patrons as they walk into the premises that if they are unvaccinated, they should not be dining-in, Fu said.

In addition, there will be posters, and messages via the public announcement systems, where applicable, reminding unvaccinated patrons that they should not be dining-in.

It was announced during a Multi-ministry Taskforce press conference on Saturday that only fully vaccinated persons would be allowed to enter shopping malls, visit attractions and dine in at hawker centres as well as coffee shops from Wednesday. Operators of malls have been given a one-week grace period – from Wednesday till 19 October – before the entry ban for unvaccinated persons kicks in.

Checks on selected diners

Enforcement teams will also be asking selected diners at coffee shops and hawker centres for their vaccination status. Patrons will be advised not to dine-in should they be unvaccinated and their names will be taken down. Enforcement action will be taken, Fu said, against those who continue to dine, or who repeatedly dine-in while unvaccinated, and they will be fined.

Fu added that more inspections may be done at coffee shops or hawker centres where "intelligence" gathered show that there are large numbers of unvaccinated seniors.

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