Singapore has unilaterally decided to lift its border restrictions and allow visitors travelling from both Vietnam and Australia, with the exception off the state of Victoria, to visit the island nation as of October 8, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
Passengers conduct check-in procedures at Changi International Airport in Singapore (Photo: AFP / VNA)
The move to welcome back travelers comes following an assessment of both countries carried out by the CAAS, who have concluded that the two nations have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and have been successful in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.
Furthermore, the CAAS judges the risk of imported cases from either of these two countries to be low, noting that over the course of the previous 28 days, Vietnam has recorded no fresh COVID-19 cases among the community. In addition, Australia, with the exception of the state of Victoria, has a low rate of infection at only 0.02 infected cases per 100,000 people.
The scheme to allow visitors to travel by air to Singapore will be applied to all forms of short-term travel, including those arriving for the purpose of enjoying a vacation in the island nation.
Travelers are expected to undergo rapid testing to check for the SARS-CoV-2 virus upon their arrival in Singapore, with all individuals being unable to proceed until they have recorded a negative test result.
Moreover, travelers will be also required to use the local contact tracing apps TraceTogether throughout their stay in Singapore, along with abiding by other regulations.
The CAAS added that all Singaporean citizens or holders of permanent employment cards that are in the process of returning from Vietnam and Australia, except Victoria state, will have to undergo a COVID-19 test upon their entry to Singapore.
With these regulations coming into force, they will replace existing rules about implementing a seven-day quarantine period, with COVID-19 tests being conducted before and after the end of their isolation period.
Reopening Singapore’s borders for visitors from Vietnam and Australia is considered to be a positive step in resuming activities at Changi International Airport, which has played a crucial role in the Singaporean economy, with the airport even contributing more than 5% to national gross domestic product (GDP), in addition to employing 192,000 local staff.