People gather outside the Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on January 17, 2023. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN/AFP) (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Roslan Rahman | afp | beautiful pictures
SINGAPORE – Singapore is set to allow unvaccinated travelers to enter the country without testing negative before departing from next week, health authorities announced on Thursday.
The country will eliminate the wearing of masks on public transport from Monday, the health ministry said, as the country seeks to exit the “acute phase” of the pandemic.
The country’s Covid task force, established in January 2020, will be decommissioned.
Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also co-chair of the Covid task force, said: “Our Covid situation has remained stable in recent months, despite an increase in tourism during the year and holidays and China’s transition from zero Covid”.
“Our population has developed a high degree of hybrid immunity. The risk of infection leading to serious illness or death is very low — comparable to other endemic respiratory diseases such as influenza.”
The further relaxation of pre-departure travel and mask-wearing requirements are “important steps” that mark Covid-19 as a “new standard” and endemic to Singapore.
Changes in tourism
The ministry said all travelers entering Singapore by air or sea are still required to submit a medical declaration form before or on arrival.
In addition to removing the requirement to present proof of a negative test result prior to departure, short-term travelers will also not be required to purchase Covid travel insurance.
Previously, unvaccinated travelers had to test negative for Covid within 2 days prior to departure for Singapore.
While unvaccinated travelers can now enter Singapore without pre-departure testing, the vaccinated travel lanes will remain “for reactivation”, should there be any developments. international concerns, such as new variants, the authorities said.
Singapore opened vaccinated travel routes in April 2022 to facilitate the safe resumption of international travel.
After locking down much of the city-state and ramping up travel and dining restrictions at the start of the 2020 pandemic, Singapore begins lift most Covid restrictions in April.
Other Covid measures were eased in late August, when authorities removed the requirement to wear face masks indoors and allowed unvaccinated travelers to skip quarantine on arrival. place.
Easy masking rules
Wearing masks on public transport and indoor medical facilities will no longer be mandatory, but Wong encouraged the public to continue wearing masks if they have any symptoms.
However, the wearing of masks is still required in places such as hospital wards, clinics and nursing homes, where there are “patient interactions” and “indoor patient contact areas”, the Ministry of Health said. economic said.
“This is to better protect patients and healthcare workers from infectious diseases in general,” it added.
The Department of Health said that private businesses may also choose to maintain the requirement to wear masks because of company policy for health and safety at work, or “business continuity reasons”.
Back to pre-pandemic levels
Singapore will further lower its ability to respond to the epidemic, bringing it back to pre-pandemic levels.
As a result, Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Task Force – established in January 2020 in response to Covid-19 – will also be decommissioned.
The framework, known locally as Outbreak Response System Status (DORSCON), will be adjusted from yellow to green. That indicates mild illness and minimal disruption to daily life.
The color coding system starts from green at the lowest level, to yellow, orange and red — the highest risk. At the height of the pandemic, Singapore upgraded the level to orange.
Singapore reported 377 cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, with the number of infections continuing to fall from a record 26,032 cases nearly a year ago on February 22.
Most people infected in Singapore have mild or no symptoms.
According to the Ministry of Health, as of January, about 92% of the population had completed basic vaccinations, while 83% had “minimal protection” — refers to the main series and first enhanced footage.
As of February 7, only 48% had received the updated vaccine, that is, a second booster dose between five months and one year after the first shot.
