SINGAPORE: Travellers who will not be Singaporeans or everlasting residents coming into Singapore from high-risk international locations might want to take a COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Response (PCR) take a look at inside 72 hours earlier than their departure.
That is a part of the nation’s plans to scale back the chance of imported instances from high-risk international locations and areas, the Ministry of Wellbeing (MOH) mentioned in a press release on Tuesday (Nov 10).
The pre-departure requirement will start on Nov 18.
These travelers will nonetheless be required to serve their stay-home discovery upon arrival in Singapore and shall be examined on the finish of their stay-home discovery, MOH mentioned.
Beforehand, the pre-departure PCR testing solely utilized to folks with the latest journey historical past to India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They’re required to current a legitimate unfavorable PCR take a look at to enter or transit by way of Singapore.
Nonetheless, travelers from low-risk territories are exempted from this requirement. These embody people from Brunei, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia, Mainland China, Macao, Malaysia (besides Sabah), Taiwan, and people from Hong Kong who will not be underneath the Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble.
MOH mentioned Singapore’s border measures are evolving alongside the most recent world state of affairs.
If the circumstances in a rustic or area are getting worse, extra stringent measures shall be put in place to restrict the chance of importation and stop neighborhood transmission.
And if circumstances within the nation or area enhance, border controls shall be relaxed, the ministry mentioned.
At Tuesday’s COVID-19 multi-ministry process drive press convention, Minister for Schooling Lawrence Wong was requested why there have been no journey preparations with Taiwan regardless of its low COVID-19 incidence charges.
Mr. Wong mentioned there was “little question” that Taiwan was thought of a decrease in danger jurisdiction based mostly on Singapore’s classification.
Addressing the necessity for a seven-day stay-home discover for travelers coming into Singapore from Taiwan, Mr. Wong mentioned Singapore will proceed to observe the state of affairs.
“And in some unspecified time in the future, if certainly, Taiwan continues to stay a low-risk, protected jurisdiction then we might very effectively put it on the identical footing as a few of the different locations like New Zealand, Vietnam … so long as you have a take a look at on arrival, then there isn’t any want for SHN,” he mentioned.
“That will occur alongside the best way, as I mentioned, it is a dynamic course of, and we proceed to replace.”
A journey bubble is a “totally different” matter as a result of its bilateral association, mentioned by Mr. Wong.
“A journey bubble means we have now to debate and the opposite aspect has to agree. We wouldn’t have journey bubbles with many; not all of the locations that are lower-risk, as a result of that requires bilateral negotiations and settlement on either side mutually,” he mentioned.
“We proceed to debate these prospects with all these international locations. And to the extent that mutual understanding and settlement will be reached, then we are able to announce a journey bubble when that occurs.”
