The following lists events that happened during 2020 in the Republic of Singapore.
Incumbents President: Halimah Yacob Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong
Events Below, events for the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore have the "CP" prefix.
January 1 January The smoking age increases to 20. The Goods and Services Tax extends to digital services. The Criminal Law Reform Act comes into force, amending laws in the Penal Code with a new fire offence to prevent improper disposal of lighted materials. Amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act also come into force. Keppel Bay Tower becomes Singapore's first commercial building to be fully solar-powered. 2 January – CP: The Ministry of Health (MOH) issues a health advisory and implements temperature checks for passengers arriving at Changi Airport from Wuhan the following day. 3 January Paul Leslie Quirk, a schizophrenic Australian, is arrested at his condominium at Compassvale, accused of killing his Singaporean wife Christina Khoo Gek Hwa using a mop stick and fatally throwing his dog from the balcony. He is later found guilty of a charge, reduced from murder, of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as he had suffered a relapse of his schizophrenia during the crime, which made him believe that Khoo was a demon. On 24 May 2021, he is sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment. An appeal by website States Times Review to cancel a POFMA order is rejected. Prior to the order, one of the claims made by the website was that one person was arrested and another put under police investigation for revealing the religious affiliation of Rachel Ong, a member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP). The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) appeals to cancel POFMA orders issued the previous month, a day after it defended the Facebook posts and online article that led to said orders. The request is rejected three days later. 4 January The Sembawang Hot Spring Park, the only natural hot spring in Singapore, reopens with refreshed facilities. CP: The first suspected case of COVID-19 is reported. It is later proven negative and to instead be a case of respiratory syncytial virus. 6 January Eunoia Junior College moves to its new campus in Bishan, making it Singapore's first high-rise junior college. It is also integrated with the future Bishan North Community Club. The Healthcare Services Act is passed to better licence new and evolving healthcare models instead of only using premises, not allowing co-location of licensed and unlicensed services unless with approval and if services complement licensed ones, and allowing MOH to temporarily take over operators in financial trouble. The law will be implemented in three phases from early 2021 to end 2022, being clinic laboratories to private ambulances and clinics, with the last phase hospitals and new health treatments. Meanwhile, mandatory contributions to the National Electronic Health Record are still deferred until enhancements are completed. 8 January – The SDP appeals its December 2019 POFMA orders in court in its first such challenge and requests that, in the public interest, the case be held in open court. The request for an open hearing is rejected in view of rules. After the hearing, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) states that the SDP made misleading statements; the party promises to subsequently correct the statements. 9–22 January – Three athletes from Singapore compete at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland, the first time Singapore participates in the competition. 10 January The United States government allows the sale of up to 12 F-35B jets to Singapore. CP: The second suspected case is reported and tests negative. 14 January – The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announces stiffer penalties against companies which discriminate against Singaporeans in their hiring processes. Such companies face bans on applying new work passes lasting between 12 and 24 months, bans on renewing work passes, as well as prosecution for false declarations of fair practices. Five companies have been taken to task with a logistics company the first to be charged. Measures against employment agencies with discriminatory practices are planned as well. 15 January – The National Environment Agency warns of a dengue outbreak caused by the DENV-3 strain, not seen in Singapore the last three decades. 16 January – It is announced that Changi Airport Terminal 2 will undergo upgrading works to create a nature-inspired space and increase capacity, with completion scheduled by 2024. Two flip boards displaying flight information will be retired and more dining options will be created. CP: The third suspected case is reported and tests negative. 17 January Construction starts on the Punggol Digital District, with a new Open Digital Platform powering the area upon completion. CP: Two suspected cases are reported, bringing the total number to five; both test negative. 18 January – CP: The sixth suspected case is reported and tests negative. 20 January – CP: MOH extends temperature screening for all travellers coming from China and isolates individuals with symptoms in hospital. The seventh suspected case is also reported, later negative. 21 January – CP: MOH extends isolation measures to all travellers coming from China with symptoms from the next day. 22 January Human rights organisation Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) and three parties who shared its posts receive POFMA notices for LFL's allegations on the death penalty. All parties comply except for LFL, which is thus blocked by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) the following day. On 24 January, LFL sues Singaporean minister K. Shanmugam in Malaysia. An appeal by The Online Citizen (TOC) against its POFMA order is rejected on the same day. CP: Three suspected cases are detected, causing MOH to form a multi-ministry taskforce on the virus. An advisory against non-essential travel to Wuhan is issued. 23 January – CP: The first case is confirmed, while preliminary tests are positive for another. Border control measures are tightened, with measures extended to land and sea checkpoints the following day. The MOH expands its prior advisory against travel to Wuhan to cover all of Hubei province. Scoot cancels flights to Wuhan between 23 and 26 January over the virus outbreak. Schools ask parents to declare their travel plans and monitor their children's health, with other measures to ensure student safety. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) issues two medical advisories to service personnel. 24 January – CP: The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore implement temperature-taking from noon. Two cases are later confirmed, bringing the total to 3. Several holiday chalets and student hostels will be prepared as government quarantine centres. In addition, several companies have since taken more precautions against the virus. A Scoot flight was delayed for six hours after one passenger was sent for further tests, with the flight returning to Singapore three days later. 25 January – CP: No cases are confirmed. In addition, MOH only allows two visitors per hospital patient. 26 January – CP: Another case is confirmed, bringing the total to 4. 27 January CP: HardwareZone is issued a correction notice over an online post falsely claiming a death in Singapore from the coronavirus. The post was deleted a day before the issuance of the notice. CP: A 14-day leave of absence (LOA) is imposed for students and teachers, as well as those working with vulnerable sectors like pre-schools, healthcare and eldercare returning from mainland China with students doing home-based learning instead. Temperature screening for all flights will start from 29 January with additional checks on flights from China and passengers from Hubei. In addition, people who went to China the last 14 days will need to fill health and travel declarations and monitor their health with temperature checks for two weeks. MOH will now advise against travel to mainland China. Hostels in National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Singapore Management University will also be designated as quarantine facilities. CP: Another case is confirmed, bringing the total to 5. CP: Taxi companies will waive cab rental fees should drivers get quarantined. 28 January The Payment Services Act comes into force. CP: Two cases are confirmed, bringing the total to 7. Several new measures are announced, with quarantine for those returning from Hubei and those of higher risk, and no entry for those from Hubei and visitors who have been there for the last 14 days, starting from noon the next day. All forms of visas for Hubei travellers are suspended immediately. Those self-employed under quarantine will receive a $100 allowance per day, and home quarantine options are available. Hospital bills will be paid by MOH for all suspected and confirmed cases. CP: The Ministry of Manpower rejects new applications for workers from Hubei immediately, with existing applications unaffected. CP: Facebook is issued a correction notice over a post falsely claiming the closure of Woodlands station due to the virus. CP: NSmen who went to China will be given 14 days leave with all appointments rescheduled. 29 January CP: Three cases are confirmed, bringing the total to 10. CP: Singapore Airlines will suspend layovers from the next day for cabin crew and pilots to Beijing and Shanghai. Jetstar Asia will suspend flights to three cities in China until 31 March. CP: Enterprise Singapore advised companies to defer trips to China and avoid Hubei province, along with travel, health checks and continuity plans. It will also work with Singapore Business Federation on a continuity plan guide for companies. CP: Outward Bound Singapore camps in Pulau Ubin will be designated quarantine facilities. 30 January Mediacorp renames its digital media platforms Toggle, MeRadio and MeClub to , and respectively. The Ministry of Communications and Information will no longer exempt social media platforms, search engines and Internet intermediaries from following the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) from the next day, given the coronavirus situation. CP: 92 Singaporeans reached Singapore after being evacuated from Wuhan, with some staying behind due to symptoms. CP: All households will get four surgical masks each from 1 February, meant for use when unwell. CP: The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) asked Deen Express to explain their mask prices, with Lazada, Carousell and Qoo10 ordered to reveal mask profiteers. CP: Three cases are confirmed, bringing the total to 13. 31 January The first stage of the Thomson–East Coast MRT line (spanning from Woodlands North to Woodlands South) opens. In addition, a new MRT map is rolled out at all stations with the Circle MRT line as a focus. Cold Stone Creamery closes after being in Singapore for 10 years. CP: Singapore Airlines and SilkAir will reduce China flights for February, with Scoot reducing flights to eight China cities and suspending 11 others. Scoot later announced a suspension of all China flights from 8 February due to the worsening situation. CP: Two correction notices are issued over five infected Singaporeans and Singapore running out of masks respectively, since proven false. CP: Those from mainland China and visitors who have been there for the last 14 days are not allowed entry from 1 February at 11.59pm. Holders of China passports may be allowed provided they did not visit China recently. All forms of visas for China travellers are suspended immediately. Those returning from China will be put on a 14-day leave of absence. CP: The Ministry of Manpower rejects new applications for workers from China immediately, with existing applications unaffected. Work pass holders who return from China will be placed under a 14-day leave of absence.