Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19)

MTI's Guidance on Suspension of Activities at Workplace Premises to Reduce COVID-19 Transmission

• Essential Services and their related supply chains and service providers are exempted from the suspension
• All other business, social, or other activities that cannot be conducted through telecommuting or other means from home shall be suspended from 7 April 2020 to 4 May 2020

• The list of activities that will be allowed to continue to operate will be updated at https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/essentialservices

• Annex - Commencement Notification
• Annex - Control Order
• Annex - COVID-19 Act

• FAQs for Construction Industry (Updated, 5 April)

• FAQs for Companies Providing Facilities Management Services (Updated, 8 April) 

• FAQs for Lift and Escalator Maintenance as Essential Services (Updated, 5 April)

Advisory for Aggregate Terminal Operators (3 April)

BCA Circular on Changes to BCA Services inview of Covid-19 Situation

• BCA’s front-line offices, including the service centre at BCA Braddell Campus, will be closed from 7 April 2020, in line with enhanced safe distancing measures in view of the current COVID-19 situation
• Our digital services will continue to be accessible during this period. Customers can continue to transact with BCA via our e- services through www1.bca.gov.sg/e-services
• There will be no walk-in consultations at Jem from 7 April 2020. Qualified Persons who wish to consult with BCA on their plans should submit their requests online and our officers will contact them (Refer to circular above for more details)

• Expansion of enhanced stay-home notice requirements to more countries
  
  • All Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Long Term Pass holders returning from ASEAN countries, France, India and Switzerland from 5 April 2020, 2359 hours will be required to serve a 14-day self-isolation at dedicated Stay-Home Notice facilities. The same continues to apply to returnees from the UK and US

• Additional Safe Distancing Measures for the Workplace
  
  • From 7 April 2020 – 4 May 2020, additional safe distancing measures will be implemented
  • Essential Services and their related supply chains are exempted from the suspension
  • Entities that are able to continue to operate their businesses with their employees working from home should continue to do so
• Circuit breaker to minimise further spread of COVID-19
  • Essential services will continue to operate
  • Closure of workplace premises
  • Government will announce added support for household and businesses on 6 April

• MOH’s Frequently asked questions (FAQs) including
  • FAQs on the COVID-19 situation
  • FAQs for Persons issued Stay-Home Notice (SHN)
  • FAQs for Persons placed on Leave of Absence (LOA)
• MOM’s Frequently asked questions (FAQs) including
  • Guidelines for employees who are travelling
  • Precautionary measures
  • Eligible claims and medical benefits
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Quarantine matters
  • Leave of Absence and Stay-Home Notice matters
  • Temporary scheme to help businesses manage manpower disruption

• Expansion of Temporary Scheme to Help Businesses Manage Manpower Needs
  
  • Allow inter-sectoral transfer of foreign workers for all sectors
  • Allow transfers of foreign workers whose work permits are nearing expiry for all sectors

• Safe distancing measures at BCA

• Employers advised to plan for more sustainable housing options for their workers usually housed in Malaysia
  
  • Temporary housing support will not be extended beyond 31 March

• Measures to prevent congregations of foreign workers and foreign domestic workers
  
  • Workers are advised to remain in residence on rest days
  • Employers and dormitory operators urged to educate workers

• MOM entry approvals and Stay-Home Notice requirements for work pass holders from Malaysia
  • All new and existing work pass holders (including dependants) planning to enter Singapore from Malaysia are required to obtain MOM’s approval before they commence their journey, regardless of the mode of travel into Singapore
  • All affected work pass holders will be placed on a 14-day Stay-Home Notice upon arrival in Singapore
  • Employer are required to declare that they have made housing and food arrangement for their employees

• Further measures to help companies cope with COVID-19 situation
  • MOM will provide three-month extension of levy payment timeline for SMEs with immediate effect
  • Levy waiver for up to 90 days with immediate effect for foreign workers on overseas leave
  • Man-Year Entitlement refund for construction firms, whose work are disrupted due to COVID-19, for a period of six months staring from 1 April 2020
  • Allow foreign workers to change employer if they are not needed
• Tighter measures to minimise further spread of COVID-19
  • Existing measures for workplaces continue to apply. Employers should put in place measures to reduce close physical interactions amongst employees. Tele-conferencing should be used in place of physical meeting wherever possible. Where employees can perform their work by telecommuting from home, employers must ensure that they do so.

• MOM mounts enforcement operation to ensure workplaces comply with safe distancing measures
  • All employers should place their employees on work from home arrangements wherever possible especially for vulnerable employees
  • Employers should clearly communicate and explain safe distancing measures put in place to employees

• Additional Border Control Measures To Reduce Further Importation of COVID-19 Cases
  • No entry or transit through Singapore for all short-term visitors, with limited entry for work pass holders
• MOM-BCA Advisory for Built Environment sector to retain existing workers in view of travel restrictions imposed due to COVID-19

• Additional measures for travellers to reduce further importation of COVID-19 cases
  • Singapore residents are advised to defer all travel abroad
  • From 20 March 2359 hrs, all Singaporeans, PRs, Long-term pass holders Short-term visitors entering Singapore will be issued 14-day Stay Home Notice
  • Short-term visitors who have visited Mainland China, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, Spain in the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter or transit

• Advisory for employers and employees travelling to and from affected areas in response to increase in cases of COVID-19
  • Employers should obtain a health and travel declaration from their employees
  • Summary of measures introduced by MOM thus far
  • Actions to be taken by employers who wish to bring their foreign employees who have transited at or travelled to the affected areas into Singapore

• Advisory for employers on employees’ non-essential travel in response to updated travel advisory (COVID-19)
  • HR policies
    • Employers must set clear HR policies with regard to treatment of employees who travel outside Singapore during this period whether it is for work or otherwise
    • Employers must communicate and explain the HR policies to their employees before implementing them
  • Work-related travel plans
    • Employers should review work-related travel and defer all non-essential travel.
    • If work-related travel cannot be avoided, employers must ensure that their employees’ health is adequately protected in accordance with MOH guidelines
    • Employers should accede to employees’ request to not go on any work-related travel and should not penalise them for making such a request
  • Non-work-related travel plans by employees
    • Employers should remind employees of MOH’s travel advisory to defer all non-essential travel plans to all countries
    • For non-work related and non-essential travel outside Singapore, the employer may require the employee to use his own annual leave entitlements to cover the duration of any mandatory Stay Home Notice or company-imposed Leave of Absence. 

• General advisory for workplace measures in response to DORSCON Orange situation in Singapore
  • Business continuity plans and managing operations
    • Employers may wish to consider split team arrangement for frontline staff to ensure continuity of services
    • Employers are encouraged to allow backend staff to work from home where feasible or consider split teams to minimise interaction.
    • Employers may consider measures to control and log access of visitors/customers to their workplaces, with temperature screening where necessary
  • Taking care of employees
    • Employers to take measures to safeguard the well-being of employees especially the vulnerable ones
    • Employers are urged to be supportive of employees’ needs during this period if an employee needs to stay at home for non-work related reasons relating to the COVID-19 situation
  • Employers must ensure that employees stay away from the workplace if they are on Stay-Home Notice

• Additional precautionary measures to prevent further importation of COVID-19 cases
  • Defer all non-essential travel overseas
  • Incoming residents, long-term pass holders
    • Incoming residents, long term pass holders with travel history to Mainland China (excluding Hubei), Republic of Korea, Iran, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, ASEAN countries, Japan, Switzerland or UK in last 14 days will be issued a Stay-Home Notice(does not apply to S’poreans and M’sians at land and sea crossings with Malaysia)
  • Incoming short-term visitors
    • Nationals of ASEAN country will have to submit requisite information on their health to the Singapore Overseas Mission in the country before their intended date of travel
    • 14-day Stay-Home Notice for those from ASEAN countries, Japan, Switzerland, UK
    • No entry or transit for incoming short-term visitors from Mainland China, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, Spain

• Advisory on social distancing measures at the workplace
  • Employers to adopt social distancing measures at the workplace, where practicable
    • Adopt telecommuting or videoconferencing to allow employees to work from home
    • Reduce duration and proximity of physical interactions
    • Stagger working hours
    • Defer or scale down non-critical events
    • Implement or enhance shift arrangements

13 March 2020

• Additional precautionary measures to prevent further importation and spread of COVID-19 cases
  • Travel advisory and border restrictions
    • Defer all non-essential travel to Italy, France, Spain and Germany
    • Residents and long-term pass holders with recent travel history to Italy, France, Spain and Germany within the last 14 days will be issued with a Stay-Home Notice
  • Social distancing
    • Put in place precautionary measures for mass gatherings, including reducing the scale of event to below 250 participants where possible
    • Put in place measures to reduce close contact of employees where feasible

• MOM Entry Approval and Stay-Home Notices extended to more countries
  • All work pass holders with travel history to South Korea, northern Italy or Iran within the last 14 days and planning to enter/return to Singapore, to obtain MOM’s approval before commencing their journey
  • All affected work pass holders will be placed on a mandatory 14-day Stay-Home Notice upon arrival to Singapore

• Temporary scheme to help manufacturing and services sectors manage manpower needs
  • For a period of six months, starting from 2 March 2020, companies in manufacturing and services sectors will be allowed to hire existing PRC Work Permit holders

• Entry approval requirements for employers with work pass holders with travel history to Daegu City and Cheongo County
  • All work pass holders with travel history to Daegu City and Cheongdo county within the last 14 days and planning to enter/return to Singapore to obtain MOM’s approval before they commence their journey
  • Employers and work pass holders to ensure that the Stay-Home Notice is complied with

• Additional precautionary measures in response to escalating situation in Daegu and Cheongdo
  • Residents (Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents) and Long-term pass holders with recent travel history to Daegu and Cheongdo within the last 14 days to be issued with a Stay-Home Notice

• Public health travel advisory in response to cases of COVID-19 in Republic of Korea
  • Avoid non-essential travel to Daegu and Cheongdo
  • Travellers should monitor their health closely for two weeks upon return from Daegu and Cheongdo and seek medical attention promptly if unwell

• General advisory for employers if confirmed or suspect case of COVID-19 detected at workplace

• Implementation of new Stay-Home Notice – Ministry of Health (MOH)
  • Anyone who returns to Singapore with recent travel history to China (outside Hubei) within the last 14 days will have to remain in their place of residence at all times for 14 days.
• Mandatory Stay-Home Notice for Work Pass Holders with Travel History to Mainland China - Ministry of Manpower
• Leave of Absence Support Programme Extended to Those Serving Stay-Home Notice - Ministry of Manpower

• Import of hand sanitisers, masks, thermometers and protective gear – Health Science Authority
  • Requirement to notify HSA of your import for workplace use

• Advisory for Businesses on large scale events amidst COVID-19 situation – Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)

• Leave of Absence Support Programme – Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
  • Eligible employers can apply for $100 daily per affected worker for the required duration of paid LOA granted to the employee.

• Interim Guidelines for Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection of Premises With Transient Exposure to Confirmed Cases(s) of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) - National Environment Agency (NEA)

• Enhanced precautionary measures for dormitories

• Suspend all mass activities
• Stagger the usage of common dormitory facilities
• Arrangement for residents on LOA

- Measures for employers and workplaces under DORSCON ORANGE

• Business continuity plans and managing operations
• Taking care of employees

7 Feb 2020
- Advisory for employers and employees travelling to and from mainland China

• Summary of measures introduced for workers arriving from mainland China
• Actions to be taken by employers of foreign employees and mandatory declarations to MOM
  • Inform and seek written acknowledgement from affected foreign employee of the LOA requirement
  • Request for MOM’s approval 3 days before employee’s planned arrival date to Singapore
• Definition of quarantine and Leave of Absence (LOA)

• New work pass applications for foreign workers from mainland China
• Returning work pass holders with recent mainland China travel history

• New work pass applications from Hubei
• Returning work pass holders from Hubei

• Travel and health declaration
• Temperature checks and monitoring of health conditions of employees returning from China
• Flexible work, leave and salary arrangements
• Medical benefits