The Singapore government has declared for reopening of the circuit breaker after June 1. However, this won’t be implemented all at once; there will be three phases.
In Phase 1, most manufacturing and production facilities and offices where employees don’t need to interact with a lot of people will open. Furthermore, the Resilience Budget, Unity Budget and Solidarity budget agreement will continue supporting the businesses (here is the Singapore Budget 2020 Summary).
There isn’t a specific date for Phase 2 to start. Other companies will gradually open if Singapore succeeds to contain the virus substantially.
Safety Measures for Companies in Singapore
For companies starting in Phase 1 (also in Phase 2), they will need to adhere to Safe Management Measures set by the MOM and MOH. Here are some of them:
- Every company needs to appoint a Safe Management Officer (SMO) who will oversee the following of the Safety Management Measures. They will need to conduct safety checks and make sure that the company follows good hygiene.
- Employees who can work from home should be able to continue doing so.
- Virtual meetings should be done whenever possible.
- The company should put extra attention on more vulnerable employees.
- The company should try to manage work hours in such a way that workers who need to travel in public transportation don’t need to come in or go out during peak hours.
- Everyone should wear masks in the workplace.
- Soaps, hand sanitizers, and toilet paper should be available at restrooms and hand-wash station.
- Employees should be able to maintain a physical distance of at least a metre.
- The workplace should be clean.
Remember, there are other safety measures for the Workplace Guide in Singapore. Companies should follow them. Otherwise, the MOM or MOH will take disciplinary actions. In extreme cases, it could mean the termination of company operations.
The SafeEntry System
Every office in Singapore will have to install a SafeEntry System. It is check-in and check-out system that keeps a record of everyone entering a venue, and also does their contact tracing. The personal data entered in the system will only be accessed by authorized personnel.
