Singapore Tightens Rules on Travelers From Virus Hotspots
Travelers coming from virus hotspots regions will no longer be able to serve their quarantine at their residence.
(Bloomberg) -- Singapore will tighten rules on travelers who had been in coronavirus hotspots including Japan, Hong Kong and Australia’s Victoria state, mandating quarantine in dedicated facilities for them from July 20 after coronavirus cases spiked in those territories.
Travelers who have been in those regions in the 14 days prior to them entering Singapore won’t be able to serve their quarantine at their residence, the island’s authorities said on Friday.
“We have updated our assessments based on the latest situation, and given the resurgence of cases in certain countries, we have decided to update our controls for travelers,” Singapore’s Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong told reporters.
The affected travelers were previously allowed to complete their so-called “Stay Home Notice” period at home. They will also need to undergo a Covid-19 test before they end their isolation, and most are required to pay for their stay at dedicated facilities.
Wong set out Singapore’s primary challenges: clearing virus cases among foreign workers living in tightly packed dormitories, limiting cases imported from abroad, and guarding against a resurgence in infections triggered by failure to comply with social distancing rules.
Wong also said it’s unlikely that Singapore residents would be able travel overseas for leisure in the near term.
While local authorities are in negotiations with countries on reciprocal green-lane agreements for business travel, Wong said such arrangements “are not just free for all travel.”
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