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SINGAPORE – The response rate of Malaysian freight drivers selected for Covid-19 vaccination in Singapore has been very positive so far, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MTI) said on Sunday (March 21).
Drivers and their companions who have been vaccinated here since Saturday have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the ministry said in response to inquiries from The Straits Times.
The MTI did not provide figures on the response rate among those contacted so far.
ST reported Saturday that vaccination had begun for selected freight drivers and accompanying workers. Two designated facilities have been established, at Boon Lay and Woodlands, near the ground checkpoints.
MTI said it will continue to contact those who have been selected and schedule them for vaccination.
Those who are not vaccinated in Singapore will still be able to enter, subject to existing border health measures such as tests on arrival.
And all freight drivers and accompanying personnel must still adhere to existing safe driving measures while working, regardless of their vaccination status, the MTI said.
These include limiting movement to delivery points only, ensuring SafeEntry and temperature checks are performed prior to entering the delivery site, and observing a safe distance at all times, including during cargo unloading and delivery.
Authorities had said earlier this month that freight drivers regularly entering Singapore from Malaysia will be offered the Covid-19 vaccine to minimize the risk of transmission from workers transporting essential goods here.
Those who have taken both doses of the vaccine in Singapore will receive a certificate of immunization and will be exempt from daily testing on arrival 14 days after the second dose.
But they may still be tested at Singapore’s ground checkpoints from time to time.
Since January 22, a mandatory rapid Covid-19 antigen test has been progressively implemented for freight drivers entering Singapore at ground checkpoints.
This is in line with Singapore’s reinforced border controls, which require all travelers to undergo Covid-19 testing upon arrival to manage the risk of imported cases.
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