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SINGAPORE, Nov. 8 (The Straits Times / ANN): Twenty-two travelers from China arrived in Singapore last Friday (Nov. 6), the first day Singapore unilaterally opened its borders to visitors there.
They all tested negative for Covid-19 upon arrival here, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) told The Straits Times on Sunday.
Singapore’s decision to unilaterally lift its border restrictions also applies to the state of Victoria in Australia. It is not known how many arrived in Singapore from Victoria on Friday, as travelers only need to declare the country they came from, not the specific state.
As part of the unilateral opening of the border, tourists and travelers flying to Singapore do not need to send a stay-at-home notice if their Covid-19 test is negative.
The same applies to Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from China and Victoria.
Singapore had previously announced similar unilateral measures for all forms of travel from Brunei, New Zealand, Vietnam and all other parts of Australia except Victoria, which had until recently faced more cases than the rest of the country.
Since applications for air travel passes opened on September 1, CAAS has approved 2,613 applications to come to Singapore from Brunei, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia and China.
Of these, 811 visitors had arrived in Singapore on Friday: 336 from Vietnam, 232 from Brunei, 115 from New Zealand, 106 from Australia and 22 from China.
The remaining 1,465 people have yet to travel, while 337 applications have expired.
The CAAS had said on October 29 that mainland China and Victoria were the latest to be added to the list of countries with unilateral openings, as they have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and have successfully controlled the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
China has a local virus incidence rate of 0.00009 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while Victoria has a rate of 0.099 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it said in a statement.
Applicants from China or Australia must have stayed in their country for the last 14 consecutive days before entering Singapore. Chinese and Australians can leave their own countries, with some restrictions.
Singapore also has an upcoming round-trip bubble with Hong Kong and multiple green lanes for business and official travel with Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Germany. – The Straits Times / Asian News Network
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