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SINGAPORE: Singapore will offer COVID-19 vaccines later this month to selected freight drivers and accompanying personnel entering the country from Malaysia on a regular basis.
Announcing this on Monday (March 8), Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) said: “Vaccination will provide an additional layer of protection against COVID-19, ensuring that these personnel can continue to deliver essential products to Singapore safely. “.
Those who are eligible for vaccination will be notified via personalized SMS from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and will be contacted later for an appointment to undergo vaccination at designated sites in Singapore.
Those who are not vaccinated can continue to enter Singapore, subject to infection control measures such as tests on arrival and safe handling measures, the Health Ministry said.
READ: Mandatory COVID-19 Testing for Freight Drivers Entering Singapore from Tuas and Woodlands Checkpoints
READ: Some Malaysian freight drivers encounter delays at Singapore checkpoints on the first day of mandatory COVID-19 testing
Freight drivers entering Singapore from Malaysia through the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints are currently required to undergo a rapid COVID-19 antigen test, which can return results in half an hour. Drivers will be allowed to enter Singapore if their results are negative.
The Health Ministry said steps have been taken to vaccinate everyone in Singapore.
“All Singaporeans and long-term residents of Singapore will have the opportunity to be vaccinated,” the Health Ministry said, adding that it will continue to “systematically extend” vaccination to other segments of the population from April.
Singapore began its COVID-19 vaccination exercise on December 30, and health workers from the National Center for Infectious Diseases were the first to receive the vaccines.
This progressively spread to other groups such as workers in the aviation and maritime sectors, as well as elderly residents.
As of Sunday, around 379,000 people in Singapore have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of these, more than 217,000 received their second dose and completed the full vaccination regimen.
