Covid-19: Table-top shields to be installed at Kopitiam and Food Junction food courts, transport workers’ canteens

SINGAPORE — Table-top shields will be installed at some Kopitiam and Food Junction food courts and at staff canteens for front-line transport workers. 

This is a tie-up among Temasek Foundation — the philanthropic arm of state investor Temasek Holdings — CapitaLand and the National Transport Workers’ Union, Temasek Foundation announced in a statement on Thursday (June 18). 

This follows an earlier move by food court operator Koufu, which began a month-long trial of table shields at its food court in Thomson Plaza to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 between diners.

From Friday, Singaporeans can dine in at food-and-beverage (F&B) establishments in groups of up to five people, as the country moves into Phase Two of its three-stage reopening plan. 

As part of the latest move by Temasek Foundation, installation of the table-top shields began on Thursday at four canteens serving transport workers in Woodlands, Loyang, Seletar and Bulim in Jurong West.

Over the next week, the shields will be rolled out at Kopitiam and Food Junction food courts at IMM mall in Jurong East, Junction 8 in Bishan, Lot One Shoppers’ Mall in Chua Chu Kang, Plaza Singapura in Dhoby Ghaut and Tampines Mall.  

Temasek Foundation said it would fund shields for more than 500 dining tables. 

These separators will be treated with a self-disinfecting antimicrobial coating that can last three months, and will reduce the “exchange of speech droplets during meals”.

The foundation said that different designs would be rolled out so that the F&B operators may assess the configurations that work best for them.

It added that it is working with Singapore coffee chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast to explore how the table shields can work in small cafes. 

Mr Ng Boon Heong, chief executive officer of Temasek Foundation, said that measures to protect diners would provide everyone with more assurance, as Singapore resumes dine-in and other operations across the economy. 

Mr Chris Chong, managing director for retail at CapitaLand Singapore, said: “Partnering with Temasek Foundation and our food court operators to install table-top separators is yet another example of our continual efforts to enhance safety and customer experience in our malls.” 

The table-top separators are part of Temasek Foundation’s Covid-19 response under its Stay Prepared programme that supports Singapore in times of emergency, including pandemics.