According to the republic’s Multi Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on Covid-19, eligible work pass holders and their dependants must be fully vaccinated before arrival in Singapore. – AFP file photo
SINGAPORE (Aug 6): Singapore will resume entry approvals for work pass holders and their dependants with travel history to higher risk countries and regions from Aug 10, 2021 as the republic reaches higher vaccination rates locally.
According to the republic’s Multi Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on Covid-19, eligible work pass holders and their dependants must be fully vaccinated before arrival in Singapore.
An individual is considered fully-vaccinated two weeks after he or she has received the full regimen of Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty), Moderna or WHO’s Emergency Use Listing (EUL) vaccines.
Singapore, in May had announced that it will not accept new entry applications for work pass holders from higher-risk countries and regions as Covid-19 cases was on the rise in several places around the world.
At the virtual press conference today, the MTF’s co-chair Lawrence Wong said however they will be subjected to the prevailing health protocols in Singapore.
“As we have reached a higher level of vaccine coverage, we will start to adjust our border measures and we will resume entry approvals for such fully vaccinated work pass holders and dependant subject to prevailing SHN (stay-home notice) requirements,” he said.
As of Aug 5, a total of 67 per cent of the Singapore population have completed their full vaccination regimen under the national vaccination programme and the MTF expects by Aug 9, around 70 per cent of the entire population would have completed two doses.
Wong who is also the Finance Minister added that from Aug 20, Singapore will allow more fully vaccinated travelers from certain countries to opt-out of dedicated SHN facilities and served a 14-day SHN at home or other suitable accommodations.
“From Aug 20, we will identify a group of countries which have risk levels that are acceptable to allow travelers from these places to serve the 14-day SHN at home as an option and the full list of countries will be put out (soon),” he said.
For instance, from Aug 21, all fully vaccinated travelers from Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, South Korea, and Switzerland may be able to apply to opt out of dedicated SHN facilities and serve their 14-day SHN at their respective places of residence or other suitable accommodation.
The MTF has undertaken a mid-point review of the current Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) measures, and will allow some easing of the measures in two steps which the first will take effect from Aug 10, and the second from Aug 19, “if conditions remain stable”.
Among others, it will further increase event sizes and capacity limits for congregational and other worship services, cinemas, MICE, live performances, spectator sport events, and marriage solemnizations to 1,000 attendees, if all are fully vaccinated, from Aug 19.
The MTF will also ease the work-from-home requirements, in particular up to 50 per cent of employees who are able to work from home will be allowed to return to the workplace. – Bernama