IMPORTANT: Click here for the latest Covid-19 Updates, Rules, and Restrictions for Funeral wakes.
Covid 19: Updates for funeral services in Singapore (dated 22nd November 2021)
Soon, it will be Christmas again.
We have been fighting Covid-19 for almost 2 years now. We hope and pray that everyone is coping well.
Since the start of the pandemic, rules and regulations had been changing and fine tuning to help the community fight the virus together as a country, as a community.
As of 22nd November 2021, the rules and regulations with regards to having a wake are as follows:
a. Attendees at wakes and funerals including foot processions, shall be kept to 30 persons or fewer at any one time, depending on the safe capacity of the venue, whichever is lower. Pre-event testing is not required.
b. Burials and cremations shall be attended by not more than 30 persons in total. NEA will issue 30 entry passes for each cremation or burial application at the government-managed facilities.
c. Religious workers, funeral staff and persons involved in the conduct of live instrumental (non-wind) music should be kept to a minimum.
d. All attendees at funeral wakes, foot processions, burials and cremations must wear a mask. The prevailing group size of no more than 5 persons applies and there should not be mixing between groups. Please ensure that a safe distance of at least one metre is maintained between individuals and/or groups.
e. Where seating at a table is provided, every chair for each table must be placed at least one metre away from any other chair for another table at all times. Tables and chairs must be arranged such that each table can accommodate not more than 5 individuals seated at the table or not more than 5 individuals in each group separated by a space of at least one metre. There should be no mixing between groups.
f. Attendees of funeral events should minimize their interaction with fellow attendees and leave the premises immediately after the event. No buffet set-up or reception with food and drinks is allowed. From 19 July 2021, provision of individually packed drinks (i.e. bottled/packet drink) or individually packed titbits (e.g. peanuts, melon seeds) is disallowed at funeral wakes.
g. Individually packed food/drink (e.g. bento boxes) may be supplied to family members of the deceased who keep vigil for the duration of the funeral wake, and need to consume food at the premises. However, they should not interact with the other attendees when consuming their meals, and should consume their meals away from guests present at the funeral/wake event.
h. Live instrumental music (non-wind) will be allowed at funeral events. The persons involved in the conduct of live instrumental music must wear a mask at all times and should minimise movement to ensure that the one metre safe distance can be adhered to at all times. They are not to participate in the foot procession. No other performances (e.g. singing, dance, variety act) are allowed and there should be no sharing of equipment (e.g. musical instruments, microphones, props). Live singing and playing of wind instruments (instruments which require intentional expulsion of air, e.g. trumpets, conch shell) are not allowed.
i. Hearse escort party, i.e. musical band and/or display contingent on foot and including vehicles ferrying banners/blanket/flowers, is not allowed during the funeral event.
j. Religious workers involved in the conduct of the religious rites (e.g. preachers, prayer leader, scripture reader), will be required to wear face mask when performing their speaking duties (i.e. preach, chanting of prayers) at funeral wakes and funeral services (i.e. cremation or burial services). They should largely remain at the spot from which they are speaking and must be at least one metre away from any other individual. Use of face shields in place of face mask is no longer allowed.
k. From 19 August 2021, temperature screening is no longer required. Any person who is unwell must be turned away.
l. SafeEntry check-in is required for funeral events and funeral parlours with wake halls. From 17 May 2021, TraceTogether-only SafeEntry (TT-only SE) check-in will be required for funeral parlours with wake halls and also funeral events. Visitors must perform TT-only SE check-in, via TraceTogether app or TraceTogether token to enable or facilitate contact tracing.
m. From 19 April 2021, funeral parlours with wake halls are required to deploy SafeEntry Gateway as an additional SafeEntry check-in method. The SafeEntry Gateway enables contactless detection of both the TraceTogether App and Token, and serves as an additional means of SE check-in that is quicker and more seamless.
n. Discourage vulnerable persons, such as the elderly, from attending these events to protect their health and consider alternative solutions for them, such as live video screening instead.
o. Funeral staff is strongly advised to administer self-testing regime using the Antigen Rapid Test (ART) kits available for purchase over retail counters. Family members may also consider to perform self-testing if they are worried that they may have COVID-19 and want to put their mind at ease. For more information on ART self-test kits, please visit https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/selftestart.
Let us continue to stay safe and healthy, and look out for each other as a community, and stay united in this fight on this invisible enemy.
