Vaccinated people who wished to eat at air-conditioned foodcourts in malls such as Junction 8, Nex and Plaza Singapura were checked at the entrance and given a sticker to identify them on Tuesday (Aug 10), the first day the ban on dining in was lifted.
Those unvaccinated and without a sticker could get only takeaway food.
There was some confusion among patrons about the new regulations earlier in the day and some groups of people were turned away as not all were fully vaccinated, staff and patrons told The Straits Times.
A staff member stationed at the entrance of a foodcourt in Nex said some customers thought two people could eat there together, regardless of vaccination status, and she had to explain the rules, which allowed this only at hawker centres and coffee shops.
However, as the day progressed and more people became aware of the rules, she had to explain less and turn down fewer people.
Stallholders had to individually check on the vaccination status of each customer and issue stickers to them before they could place their order.
Mr Stanley Guan, 68, who is semi-retired, said he saw a stallholder turn away a customer who wanted to dine-in, providing only takeaway food as the person was not vaccinated.
"The rules are good for those who are vaccinated but inconvenient for those who are not. The rules must be made clearer because some people are still confused," he said.