People sit outside a bar in Emily Hill in Singapore, on Monday, August 22, 2022.
Huying ore | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Authorities announced, on Wednesday, that Singapore will allow fully unvaccinated travelers to bypass quarantine on arrival starting Monday.
The country is also set to remove indoor mask requirements from August 29, as it seeks to take another step toward living with Covid.
While further easing of safety and border procedures is an “important milestone,” the country must remain “mentally prepared for any sudden change because we don’t know how this virus will turn out and what it will look like next,” he said. Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is also the co-chair of the Singapore COVID Task Force.
Visitors who are not fully vaccinated will still be required to test negative for Covid within two days before leaving for Singapore. But they will no longer need to self-quarantine for 7 days at home or in their place of residence.
Currently, fully vaccinated travelers can enter Singapore without taking Covid-19 tests or undergoing quarantine.
Unvaccinated long-term and short-term visitors aged 13 and over are currently required to apply for approval to enter Singapore. This requirement will also be rescinded from Monday, according to the Ministry of Health.
Reduce mask requirements
The Ministry of Health said that masks will be optional indoors and required in special places, such as public transportation and in health care settings such as hospitals, residential care homes and ambulances from Monday. It is optional in taxis, private rentals, and at the airport.
“The reason is that we have identified areas where essential services are carried out in closed and crowded spaces, which are often used by people at risk,” said Wong, who is also the country’s finance minister.
The decision was to raise the mask requirements It was first announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Sunday.
Currently, masks are required in almost all indoor settings, with the exception of workplaces where there is no physical interaction or customer-facing areas.
“For businesses and employers, they have the discretion to decide whether or not they wish to do so [from] A workplace safety perspective… We are lifting a mandatory requirement to wear masks but it is optional,” Wong said.
reinforcement
In preparation for the next wave of omicron, the Department of Health said a second booster dose of mRNA Covid is now recommended for those aged 60 and over.
Previously, second boosters were only recommended for those 80 years of age or older.
About 93% of the population had completed the initial vaccination series as of Monday, while 79% of the total population had received the booster.
Singapore’s Health Minister Aung Yi Kung said the high rate of reinforcement is a “key reason” that the nation was able to weather the current Covid wave.
Ong stressed the need to extend recommendations to second boosters for those aged 60 to 79 – five months after the first booster dose – even though the first booster provided strong protection against severe disease for those in this age group.
The Ministry of Health also recommended that children aged 5 to 11 years receive a single booster dose – five months after the second dose of the initial vaccination series – to boost their protection.
The Covid situation in Singapore
Wong said plans are in place for a possible new wave of Covid, possibly in the winter.
“We continue to monitor closely and have plans for various emergency drawers including increasing our healthcare capacity as well as … vaccinations if and when needed,” Wong said at the press conference on Wednesday.
He added that these plans “will save us time” in the event of an aggressive and dangerous Covid wave.
Average daily infections over a 7-day period fell to 2,700 through Tuesday, as daily infections continued to fall from 26,032 on February 22. Most of those infected in Singapore have mild or no symptoms.
The The Southeast Asian country has eased Covid measures At the end of April. Social gatherings will no longer be limited to 10 people and people will not need to distance one meter.
People wearing face masks as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19 in Singapore.
maverick asia | SOPA photos | Light Rocket | Getty Images
In April, separate rules for unvaccinated people were also scrapped, with some exceptions.
Those who have not been vaccinated will not be allowed to eat or participate in events of more than 500 people. Nor can they visit the nightlife establishments where dancing includes.
However, there will be no need for food and beverage outlets to check vaccination statuses for customers, the Ministry of Health said in a press release.
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