Singapore: Officials mandating entrants from South Korea to quarantine at dedicated facilities, effective 2359 Dec. 26 /update 30

Event

Singaporean authorities will require all travelers, regardless of nationality, from South Korea entering after 2359 Dec. 26 to undergo stay-at-home notices (SHN) for 14 days at dedicated facilities instead of their residences. The rule also applies to those with travel or transit history to South Korea in the past 14 days.

Officials are marginally tightening international travel restrictions in response to increased coronavirus disease (COVID-19) activity in the UK and New South Wales, Australia. From 2359 Dec. 23, long-term pass holders and short-term travelers who have been in the UK within the previous 14 days will be banned from entering Singapore. Stricter controls for arrivals with recent travel history in New South Wales, Australia, will also be imposed from 2359 Dec. 23. Short-term travelers who have been in New South Wales within the previous 14 days will be banned from entering Singapore. Singaporean citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders with recent travel history in New South Wales will be required to undergo a stay-at-home notice for seven days.

Some domestic controls remain in place. Employees can work on-site for up to half of their working hours daily; a maximum of 50 percent of staff may be present at the workplace at a given time. Other rules, such as spacing work stations one meter apart from each other, remain in place. Authorities encourage companies to stagger working hours. Essential services, including medical and food retailers, can continue operating on-site with full staff capacity.

Authorities plan to ease some gathering restrictions from Dec. 28. Officials will increase the limit for social gatherings to eight people. Spacing requirements in malls and stores will be relaxed to eight square meters (86 square feet) per person, while tourist sites can apply for an increased operating capacity at 65 percent. Additionally, places of worship will be able to host events with a maximum of 250 people, with safeguards such as dividing the attendees into multiple zones of 50 people each.

The government maintains its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) at Orange, the second-highest level, indicating some human-to-human transmission in the country. Authorities continue to require people to practice health protocols, including wearing facemasks in public. Foreign workers staying in dormitories must download the TraceTogether application and FWMOMCare health monitoring application.

The Johor Causeway, which links Singapore to Malaysia, is open 0700-1900 daily. State carrier Singapore Airlines (SQ) and its subsidiaries, Scoot (TR) and SilkAir (MI), continue to suspend most flights but plan to resume operations to several locations gradually. Singapore-based airline JetStar Asia Airways (3K) has resumed some routes. Foreigners flying with SQ, TR, and MI from select cities can transit via Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).

Travel Restrictions
Officials continue to ban the entry of short-term visa holders, including work pass holders who do not provide essential services, with exceptions. Long-term visit pass and student pass holders must apply for official approval before traveling to Singapore. Incoming passengers must submit online health declarations up to three days before arrival. Foreign nationals traveling from most locations must test negative for COVID-19 not more than 72 hours before the trip. While foreigners traveling from locations that officials consider to be lower-risk do not need to take tests in advance, officials require these passengers to undergo tests upon arrival in Singapore.

Arrivals from most locations must serve their SHN for 14 days at government-designated premises. Travelers who spent the previous two weeks in mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan can serve a seven-day SHN in their residences. Arrivals from Fiji, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Thailand can serve SHN at their residence for two weeks if they fulfill specific requirements. The travelers must have spent the previous 14 days in the aforementioned locations and must serve their SHN at the accommodation alone or with other travelers with the same travel history.

Authorities are allowing entry for all travelers from Taiwan, Brunei, mainland China, New Zealand, Vietnam, and areas in Australia outside of New South Wales. The passengers must have remained in the mentioned locations for the last 14 days before entry, register online on the Safe Travel portal at least one week before entry, and self-isolate until results of an on-arrival test are ready. Travelers who test negative are exempt from the typical compulsory SHN requirement for arrivals, though they must still use the TraceTogether application for contact tracing purposes.

Arrangements for cross-border business and official travels are in place with Brunei, Germany, Indonesia, and South Korea, as well as Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces and Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin municipalities in mainland China. Travelers entering Singapore under the programs must have a sponsoring Singaporean government agency or company, seek prior approval from Singaporean authorities, and test negative for COVID-19 within 48-72 hours before departure. Travelers must test for COVID-19 again upon arrival, remain at their accommodation until the test returns negative, and adhere to controlled itineraries for the first 14 days of their visit.

Authorities plan to start accepting applications from business travelers from all locations for meetings in Singapore for up to two weeks from mid-January 2021. The travelers must test negative for COVID-19 both before the trips and upon arriving in Singapore; remain in designated facilities during their entire trips in Singapore; and undergo further COVID-19 tests on days three, five, seven, and 11 of their stay in Singapore. The travelers can participate in meetings in rooms with floor-to-ceiling glass dividers separating them from other attendees.

Context

COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (previously known as 2019-nCoV). Symptoms occur 1-14 days following exposure (average of 3-7 days). These symptoms include fever, fatigue, cough, difficulty breathing, sometimes worsening to pneumonia and kidney failure - especially in those with underlying medical conditions. On March 11, the WHO declared the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

Advice

Consider postponing travel if affected by travel restrictions. Confirm flight status before checking out of accommodation and departing for the airport. Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions. Reconsider and reconfirm nonemergency health appointments. Plan for queues and delays at available shopping centers.

Emphasize basic health precautions, especially frequent handwashing with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. Practice good coughing/sneezing etiquette (i.e., covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, maintaining distance from others, and washing hands). There is no evidence that the influenza vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medications will prevent this disease, highlighting the importance of diligent basic health precautions.

Resources

Ministry of Health Singapore
TraceTogether Mobile Application
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
Safe Travel Portal