STREAMLINING OF SAFE MANAGEMENT MEASURES TO BE CONSOLIDATED AND IMPLEMENTED AT A LATER DATE

        The Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) had announced on 16 February that we were streamlining our existing Safe Management Measures (SMMs) to a set of 5 core parameters (SMM1-5) to make it easier for everyone to understand and comply with. The streamlining would have entailed, amongst other things, allowing groups of 5 to visit homes at any one time, social gatherings of up to 5 persons at workplaces, adjustments to vaccination-differentiated SMMs (VDS) for unvaccinated children aged 12 years and below, and the resumption of team sports.

2.     As this streamlining exercise involves extensive amendments to existing regulations that have accumulated over the past 2 years, we announced then that the changes will be implemented in phases, on 25 February and 4 March 2022. Given the current surge in daily cases, and the extensive work involved in going through the detailed rules across different settings, the MTF has reviewed the matter and has decided to consolidate and streamline the SMMs in one go instead.

3.     We will announce the revised effective date shortly. In the meantime, we will keep to the current rules.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH 
24 FEBRUARY 2022