Covid-19: Law passed to prohibit parties or gatherings of any size, at home or in public spaces

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SINGAPORE — A set of laws passed in Parliament on Tuesday (April 7) prohibit social gatherings of any size in both private and public spaces while Singapore battles the Covid-19 pandemic.

During a debate on the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Bill, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that the laws would include any private parties or gatherings among family members or friends who are not living together, at home or in public spaces such as in parks and the void decks of public housing estates.

The Bill provides the legal basis for the Government to enforce the enhanced safe-distancing measures that it has introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

In response to media queries, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said that the authorities will “disallow social gatherings, such as private parties and social get-togethers with friends and relatives”.

The spokesperson added: “Individuals can still visit family members for assistance with their daily needs, such as caring for elderly parents or for informal childcare arrangements.”

These new laws empower the Health Minister or any public officer authorised by him to appoint enforcement officers to take action against individuals, business owners or entities flouting the orders and requirements, Mr Gan said.

Enforcement officers will include police officers, public officers and health officers appointed under the Infectious Diseases Act.

The Bill allows the Health Minister to prohibit events and gatherings or impose conditions on how they are conducted and on the participation in such activities, Mr Gan said.

“This enables us to better regulate events and gatherings, including those that take place on private properties. For example, we had earlier required certain events and mass gatherings to be deferred or cancelled. We will now also disallow social gatherings of any size in both private and public spaces.”

Mr Gan noted that the Bill also restricts the movement of people in specified places and limits the usage of specific premises and facilities. This includes the use of common areas such as void decks and shared facilities in Housing and Development Board estates and private condominiums.

He added that some people might refuse to adhere to safe-distancing measures put in place by food-and-beverage venues such as coffee shops or supermarkets or they may loiter and inter-mingle in groups in public areas instead of staying at home.

“In doing so, they place themselves and others around them at risk of infection. We will not hesitate to take action against such persons and send a strong signal to prevent such behaviour from negating our collective efforts during this crucial circuit breaker to slow down the infection,” he said.

“For our enhanced safe-distancing measures to work, we need members of the public to take the measures seriously. Therefore, failure to adhere to the measures without a reasonable justification will constitute an offence,” he added.

“Let me reassure members (in Parliament) that the enforcement officers will look at the facts of the cases carefully, including whether there are reasonable explanations for any non-compliance, before taking action.”

The penalties are aligned with those under the Infectious Diseases Act. For first-time offenders, the penalty is a fine of up to S$10,000, imprisonment of up to six months, or both. For second or subsequent offences, the penalty is a fine of up to S$20,000, imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.

Mr Gan also said that the "circuit breaker", which will be in place till May 4, will be reviewed once the period has ended and the Government will decide whether there is a need to extend the “circuit breaker” period, and if so, whether some of the measures need to be adjusted.