Singapore reopening from October 2021

[Sundance2020]

Singapore allows vaccinated travellers to enter starting October 20. 2021

Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme has approved travellers from different countries to enter Singapore without quarantine as long as they are vaccinated. So far, around 2,400 people have been approved to enter under the new guidelines. The countries are:

• Australia
• Brunei
• Canada
• UK
• USA
• France
• Germany
• Finland
• Sweden
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Malaysia
• Korea

The new Vaccinated Travel Lanes plan is extremely popular for travellers from the UK. Since the application opened, nearly 1,000 approvals have been issued to British visitors. The pass is also popular amongst French and Americans, as well. But of those entering the country under the pass, only 30% are tourists visiting the country for a short period of time. The rest are either student or employees on such long-term visas.

Vaccinated Singaporeans and permanent residents can enter the country automatically under the Vaccinated Travel Lane. Lavinia Rajaram, APAC Head of Communications at Expedia, described how Singaporean interest in travelling abroad has skyrocketed since announcing the Vaccinated Travel Lane plan last week. The top destinations considered for international travel are the US, UK and South Korea.

“We’re also seeing longer length of stays being considered for these outbound trends. Group sizes have increased, which could be an indication that families are starting to travel together.”

[Sundance2020]

Singapore lifts entry curbs for more countries under vaccinated travel lane scheme

Beginning November 29, Singapore will allow vaccinated travellers from 5 more countries to enter the country without undergoing a quarantine or isolation period. The effort is part of the country’s vaccinated travel lane scheme and will be expanded to cover travelers from:

• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia,
• United Arab Emirates
• India
• Indonesia

Under the Singapore’s vaccinated travel lane programme, the stay-at-home order is waived for those travelling from approved countries, including the US and UK. Travellers are required to take a Covid-19 test before departure and on arrival.

Thailand is classified by the Singaporean government as a Category III country. Those travelling from Thailand, or who have been to Thailand 14 days before arriving in Singapore, are required to take a PCR test or professionally administered antigen rapid test within 48 hours of departure, and then spend 10 days in isolation at a declared place of accommodation.

[Sundance2020]

6 other countries added to Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lane list

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore today announced that travelers from

• Thailand,
• Cambodia
• Fiji
• Maldives
• Sri Lanka
• Turkey

will be able to enter Singapore quarantine-free starting in mid-December Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme.


Visitors from VTL countries who are fully vaccinated are able to enter Singapore without having to go through quarantine and simply have to take a Covid-19 test.

Travellers from Thailand can enter Singapore under the VTL starting from December 14, while those from Cambodia, Fiji, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Turkey will be able to do so from December 16, including unvaccinated children aged 12 and younger accompanied by vaccinated parents.

CAAS said Thailand, Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Turkey are all in Category Two of the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 risk classification for border measures, with Covid-19 incidence rates similar to or lower than Singapore and the other VTL nations. Some of them have already opened their borders to vaccinated travelers for quarantine-free travel, including Singaporeans.
For now, Singapore has a total of 27 VTLs by air travel.

Due to reports of a potentially more contagious variant of the Covid-19 virus circulating in Africa, all travellers with recent travel histories to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe will be unable to enter or transit through Singapore beginning tomorrow, according to Singapore’s health ministry.

[Logan]

Singapore lifts travel ban for 10 African countries

Singapore eased restrictions for 10 African countries which were initially considered to be high risk for the Omicron variant and travellers from those nations, or who have been to those countries 14 days before travelling can now enter or transit through the Republic.

Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are now classified by the Singapore government as Category IV, according to the Ministry of Health.

Earlier in December, ministry declared that long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel histories to these countries would not be allowed admission or transit through Singapore for four weeks.

The MOH stated that “we will continue to adapt our border procedures in concert with our road strategy to be a Covid-19-resilient nation as the global scenario changes.”

The ministry has also urged visitors to check out the SafeTravel website first for the most up-to-date border measures for their country or region, which will apply when they enter Singapore.

[Sundance2020]

Singapore to end pandemic-era restrictions, embrace ‘living with covid’ strategy



Singapore is set to end most of its Covid-19 restrictions starting next Tuesday, March 29, as the country shifts from a pandemic to an endemic state of mind — learning to live with Covid, instead of trying to eliminate it. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the significant policy changes in a national address on Thursday…

“Our fight against COVID-19 has reached a major turning point. We will be making a decisive move towards living with COVID-19.”

Specifically, Lee said the city state will remove its outdoor mask mandates, the social gathering limit will be doubled from 5 to 10 people, large event capacity limits will also be increased, and more employees can return to offices. Mask wearing will still be required indoors and 1-meter social distancing will be required among maskless groups.

Most travel restrictions will likewise be lifted, the PM announced in his televised address to the nation. Later, the transport Minister S. Iswaran elaborated on the new rules at a press briefing: starting April 1, vaccinated travellers will be able to enter without quarantine and test on-arrival will also be dropped.

Current regulations required fully vaccinated travelers have to enter Singapore on specific flights to avoid quarantines. They must also take an ATK antigen rapid test on-arrival. Pre-departure tests will be removed for people entering at land borders, but will still be required for those entering by air and sea routes.

Previously, returning Singapore residents were required to pay for Covid-related medical bills if they tested positive within 14 days of their arrival, but now they’ll no longer need to — effective immediately. In his address, which was also streamed on Facebook, Lee encouraged people to go back to living ‘normal lives’ — with a caveat…

“Resume more normal lives, enjoy larger gatherings of family and friends, go outdoors without masks, or reunite with loved ones abroad — but do not throw all caution to the wind.”

Following the PM’s historic speech, the country’s travel-related stocks shot up. Sats, an in-flight catering services and ground-handling firm, gained 5.04%, while Singapore Airlines rose 4.25%, Reuters reported. As of Tuesday, 92% of the Singaporean population had completed the initial series of Covid-19 vaccinations and 71% had received their booster shots.

On Wednesday, the Singapore and Malaysia health ministers said their nations were working together to fully resume air and land travel for vaccinated travellers. In the pre-pandemic era, the two countries shared one of the busiest land crossings in the world.

[Sundance2020]

Singapore won’t restore pandemic-era restrictions if Covid cases rise



If Covid-19 infections rise in Singapore, the city-state will not increase or strengthen current pandemic combatting measures, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told The Straits Times. After two years of battling the spread of the virus, Singapore is on the alert for a possible rebound in infections, having lifted most of its most pandemic-era restrictions beginning April 1.2022

Axed policies include the national mask mandate, which required people to wear a mask in public areas, as well as dining and travel restrictions. Singapore is the first nation in Southeast Asia to adopt a living-with-covid strategy, with neighbouring nations expected to follow suit later this year.

According to minister of health, current policies on the movement of unvaccinated Singaporeans, as well as entry restrictions, will not be reconsidered until the nation’s healthcare condition is considered “completely stable.”

With the relaxation of travel regulations for international travellers, more people will be able to enter Singapore — provided they are fully vaccinated for Covid-19. Meanwhile, labor rates in the construction sector are projected to reach “previous levels” by the middle of the year. An increased workforce is projected help reduce inflation prices caused by the pandemic.