SINGAPORE: Singapore announced on Saturday (Oct 23) that from 11.59 pm on Oct 26 it will reopen its borders to some travellers from six countries, including Bangladesh and India, as well as loosen testing and stay-home notice restrictions for several other countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia.
Travellers (excluding short-term visitors)Â with a 14-day travel history to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, prior to departure to Singapore will be allowed to enter or transit through the country again.Â
These travellers will be subject to Category IV border restrictions, which include a 10-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities.
On top of that, Malaysia, Cambodia, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Mongolia, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Seychelles, South Africa, Tonga, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Vietnam, will be placed under Category III measures.
From 11.59 pm on Oct 26, all travellers from Category III regions will be able to serve their 10-day stay-home notice at their declared place of residence or accommodation – regardless of the vaccination status and travel history of the traveller and their household members.
Category III travellers currently have to apply to opt-out of serving their stay-home notice at dedicated facilities, subject to certain restrictions.
“By default, they will not be allocated accommodation in any dedicated SHN facilities,” said MOH on Saturday.
Returning residents should ensure they can secure alternative accommodation prior to their return if their homes are unsuitable for their stay-home notice, it added.
But the authority added that these travellers must remain in their declared place of residence or accommodation throughout their stay-home notice period, and wear an electronic monitoring device.
“Action will be taken against those who breach their SHN requirements or make a false declaration,” said MOH.
In addition, most travellers will undergo fewer tests from 11.59 pm on Oct 26.
All travellers from Category II (non-Vaccinated Travel Lane destinations), III and IV countries will no longer need to undergo an on-arrival Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.
Instead, they will only undergo an exit PCR test at the end of their stay-home notice.
Category III and IV travellers will also no longer have to undergo additional Antigen Rapid Test (ARTs) on the third and seventh days of their arrival, during their stay-home notice period.
Authorities had also previously announced that the country will allow necessary workers and students to enter Singapore in a “safe and calibrated manner” from Nov 1, as long as they are fully vaccinated before arrival.
“As part of this move, we will facilitate the entry of more domestic workers, to meet urgent domestic and caregiving needs of local households, while regulating the numbers carefully as the global situation evolves,” said the release.
