When the clock strikes 12: Shutters fall on bars and pubs as new measures take effect

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SINGAPORE —  About an hour before stricter safe distancing measures kicked in islandwide at around midnight, which required all bars and entertainment venues to cease operations, the usually vibrant stretch of pubs along Boat Quay had already fallen quiet on Thursday night (March 26) with most lights dimmed and shutters rolled down.

A full-time waiter of The Penny Black, who wanted to be known only as James, 18, said that the English pub had served its last order at 11pm and the crew was cleaning up the premises before closing the place for about a month. 

It was a similar story over at Clarke Quay. Most establishments were closed by midnight, with few people in sight when TODAY visited. 

The scenes were in contrast to the previous evening when revellers thronged the nightspots before the closures, looking for “one last night of fun”.  

To further reduce the risk of local spread of Covid-19, the Government announced on Tuesday a slew of additional safe distancing measures including the closure of all bars and entertainment venues such as cinemas, pubs, night clubs, theatres and karaoke outlets.

The measures will take effect from 11.59pm on Thursday and are expected to be in place until April 30. But they may be extended if the situation does not improve, the Ministry of Health had said. 

However, it was not all quiet in the wee hours of Friday after the measures took effect. Dozens of patrons were spotted enjoying drinks at Warehouse Singapore near Clarke Quay after midnight. 

Business was as usual for the food-and-beverage joint, which operates as a restaurant, even though it has a full bar counter serving alcoholic drinks. 

Mr Fai Ghaz, 38, who is the manager of the restaurant, said the new restrictions did not affect operations much, except that all live music performances will stop from Friday onwards. 

WHAT ABOUT RESTAURANTS WITH BARS?

Among the midnight crowd who were drinking at Warehouse was Mr Kenneth Ballbnegger, 28, a venture capitalist, who said that he saw little difference between a bar and a restaurant that serves alcoholic drinks.

“Going to a restaurant with a bar means that the place essentially becomes a bar after dinner,” said Mr Ballbnegger.

Similarly, along Tanjong Pagar Road, Ann Siang Road and Club Street, several restaurants which serve alcohol intend to stay open, albeit with the necessary safety precautions such as temperature screening, limiting the number of guests entering to less than 250 and having tables 1m apart. 

Mr Patrick Lopez, 36, general manager of Mazzo, an Italian restaurant and bar, said that it had contacted the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and confirmed that it can continue its operations as normal. “We have checked that we can continue to open as a restaurant,” he added.  

But Mr Lopez said that the bar segment of the restaurant, which contributes to 50 per cent of its total revenue, will be closed in order to meet the new requirements. 

“Business has already been very slow, it has dropped by 30 per cent in March,” he said. “But I hope it won’t drop further although we always have to expect the worst and are having our fingers crossed.”

In fact, some of the restaurants serving alcohol were hoping that business would pick up, after the forced closures of the bars and pubs. 

“Because the bars are all closed, they could come to our restaurant and drink. But the virus is still scary for a lot of people so I don’t think it will be as good as what it used to be previously,” said Mr Martin Raynan, 26, restaurant manager of Oxwell and Co, a British restaurant and bar.

He added that business has been slow, dropping by 40 to 50 per cent this month compared to February. 

Some operators, however, said they were seeking more clarity over the new measures. 

Mr Andy Tan, 57, general manager of Drinks & Co Grill, said he was unsure if his outlet as well as the one next door under the same company, Elbow Room by Drinks & Co, could remain open under the new rules. 

Drinks & Co Grill is a restaurant that serves food and alcohol while Elbow Room by Drinks & Co serves only alcohol. 

“We still are questioning whether we will be closing one side or operating both sides,” he said. 

“I am still waiting for the answer from my boss on whether we are opening (on Friday), but for tonight we are closing at 12am and asking everyone to leave.”

Meanwhile, some bars appear to be flouting the new measures by staying open after 11.59pm on Thursday. TODAY spotted at least one pub at Clarke Quay which was still serving customers past 1am on Friday. 

TODAY has sent queries to the relevant authorities, including the SFA and police, on the enforcement actions as well as whether the new restrictions would affect premises which run both a bar and a restaurant.