More than 3,300 fines were issued to people for breaching Covid-19 rules in 2021, amounting to more than S$990,000.
The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) said on Thursday (Feb 24) that about 1,000 of the fines were for mask-wearing offences, while gatherings in groups larger than the permitted size made up most of the remaining penalties.
Individuals who flout Covid-19 measures can be fined S$300 for the first offence, while repeat offenders face a fine of S$1,000 or court prosecution for egregious cases.
“We seek the public’s support to work with safe-distancing ambassadors and the enforcement officers who are tasked with ensuring that safe management measures are complied with for everyone’s safety,” the National Environment Agency said in October last year as enforcement operations continued amid the pandemic.
More than 8,600 fines, amounting to over S$2.5 million, were issued in 2020 from April to December, the Straits Times reported on Sunday (Feb 27).
Those who did not follow mask-wearing rules made up more than 1,700 of the fines imposed.
Meanwhile, most of the fines issued last year comprised food and beverage establishments allowing customers to consume alcohol after 10:30 pm and failing to minimise interaction between staff and diners.
F&B businesses also failed to maintain a safe distance of one metre between groups of customers and to ensure that diners did not exceed the permitted group size.
“Observing safe management measures remains a key strategy in the fight against Covid-19. We urge everyone to continue doing their part amid the rising number of Omicron variant infections,” said an MSE representative, noting government agencies would continue taking a firm stance on enforcement.
The Ministry of Health reported 16,857 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday night (Feb 26), a decrease from the 18,597 new cases reported on Friday.
Daily cases exceeded the 20,000 mark on Tuesday and Wednesday before falling back down for the third consecutive day on Saturday.
Although the number of patients in the hospital decreased slightly from 1,584 on Friday to 1,553 on Saturday, the number of patients in the intensive care unit increased slightly to 50 from 46 on Friday.
There were also 13 deaths due to Covid-19-related complications on Saturday, bringing the total death toll to 999. /TISG
7 F&B outlets shut down for breaching COVID-19 safe management measures, 2 others fined