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SINGAPORE: Passengers arriving in Singapore under the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble will now need to undergo a COVID-19 test at Changi Airport, an additional measure following the surge in coronavirus cases in Hong Kong.
The launch of the air travel bubble will take place as planned, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in a press release on Saturday (November 21). The first designated flights will take off and land in the two cities as scheduled on Sunday.
The additional requirement of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is a “precautionary measure given the increase in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong in recent days, and is foreseen in the ATB Singapore-Hong Kong agreement. “said CAAS. .
“More cases are expected in Hong Kong in the next few days due to the emergence of new clusters. The health authorities of Singapore and Hong Kong are in close contact and monitoring the situation.”
Under the terms of the travel bubble, the deal would be suspended if the seven-day moving average of unrelated cases exceeds five per day.
That figure for Hong Kong is currently 2.14, CAAS said.
“The threshold will be exceeded if there are more than 22 unrelated cases in Hong Kong over the next three days. This will trigger a two-day notification period, after which the suspension will take effect.
“The current border measures, a seven-day stay-at-home notice for travelers from Hong Kong, will apply upon entering Singapore.”
The aviation authority added: “Hong Kong has a comprehensive public health surveillance system and the overall incidence rate remains low.”
READ: Hong Kong closes more schools as COVID-19 situation becomes ‘severe’, says health minister
Under the travel bubble, travelers will not be subject to quarantine or a stay-at-home notice.
They must take COVID-19 tests and dedicated flights, but there are no restrictions on the purpose of travel and no controlled itinerary is required.
Singapore reported 4 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, all of which were imported. No cases of local transmission were reported for the tenth consecutive day. The country’s COVID-19 infection count is 58,143, with 28 deaths.
Hong Kong reported 26 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with the city’s top health official describing the situation as “dire.”
“I would appeal to people to stop all unnecessary gathering activities because the situation is dire right now in Hong Kong,” said Hong Kong Secretary of Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan.
Hong Kong “has probably entered a new wave of cases,” he said.
Face-to-face classes for lower primary students have been suspended on the island.
READ: Requirements for Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble should not be ‘totally symmetrical’: Ong Ye Kung
In early November, Mr. Ong said that the requirements for the airlift bubble were not designed to be “totally symmetrical.”
Initially, both cities had agreed to the need for COVID-19 PCR testing prior to departure as a prerequisite for travel, but only travelers from Singapore to Hong Kong were required to undergo additional testing upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport.
That will now change with the new requirement announced on Saturday.
Singapore also excludes children 12 and under from having to undergo the PCR test, while Hong Kong requires all travelers to be tested.
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