Entry approval application requirements for long-term pass holders and short-term visitors aged 13 and above who are not fully vaccinated will also be lifted. - ST
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Travellers who are not fully vaccinated will no longer be required to serve the seven-day stay-home notice (SHN) quarantine upon arrival in Singapore from 11.59pm on Sunday (Aug 28).
Entry approval application requirements for long-term pass holders and short-term visitors aged 13 and above who are not fully vaccinated will also be lifted at the same time.
The easing of these travel measures, announced by the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 on Wednesday (Aug 24), are in light of the improving local and global pandemic situation.
The removal of the SHN requirement for non-fully vaccinated travellers means that they will also no longer be subject to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon exiting SHN.
However, travellers who are not fully vaccinated must continue to test negative on a pre-departure test within two days before leaving for Singapore.
This pre-departure test can be either a PCR test, professionally administered antigen rapid test (ART), or a self-administered ART supervised remotely by a licensed Singapore provider.
Non-fully vaccinated short-term visitors will also continue to be required to purchase Covid-19 travel insurance to cover the duration of their stay in Singapore.
Travellers are considered fully vaccinated if they have received a full regimen of approved vaccines.
Fully-vaccinated travellers have been able to enter Singapore without having to apply for entry approval, take Covid-19 tests or undergo SHN since travel restrictions here were eased in April. They must show proof of vaccination in English, or translated to English, that contains personal identification details that can be matched against their passports.
Long-term pass holders and short-term visitors aged 13 and above who are not fully vaccinated have been required to seek approval to enter Singapore. Such visitors have generally not been allowed to enter the country except for compelling reasons. This requirement for entry approval will be lifted from 11.59pm on Sunday.
Long-term pass holders will continue to be required to meet all vaccinated-differentiated safe management measures requirements after their arrival here.
Wednesday's announcement brings an end - at least for now - to the SHN regime for those entering Singapore, which was introduced at the start of the pandemic in 2020. At its peak, dozens of hotels, including those in Sentosa and Marina Bay, served as isolation facilities.
Meanwhile, recommendations for travellers who test positive while overseas remained unchanged. The Ministry of Health said in its release on Wednesday that these travellers are advised to follow the recovery protocols of the host country.
For travel to Singapore, those who have tested positive for Covid-19 should defer their travel plans and not board commercial flights or ferries, as they may infect fellow passengers and crew while infectious.
They should resume their travel only when they test negative and at least 72 hours from the time they first test positive.
All travellers coming to Singapore by air or sea must submit their electronic health declaration using the SG Arrival Card before they enter the country.
Travellers are strongly encouraged to do so before departing for Singapore to facilitate a smooth arrival process, and submissions can be made up to three days before arriving here.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, task force co-chair and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said: "The Government will continue to monitor closely the situation, and we must be prepared to adjust our (safe management measures) from time to time if necessary. Let us all remain vigilant, adaptable and united, and become a Covid-19-resilient nation."
