[ad_1]
SINGAPORE: Singapore will lift border restrictions for visitors to Taiwan from December 18, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) said on Friday (December 11).
Effective immediately, travelers can apply for a single-entry Air Travel Pass (ATP) to enter Singapore starting next Friday, CAAS said in a press release, adding that they must be in Taiwan for 14 consecutive days prior to departure. .
Upon arrival, visitors will undergo a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and, if the result is negative, they will be allowed to continue their activities in Singapore without providing a stay-at-home notice.
As part of the contract tracking process, Taiwan travelers must download and register for the TraceTogether app on their mobile devices before entering Singapore and keep it activated during their stay.
They should not remove it for 14 consecutive days after leaving Singapore.
They will also be responsible for their COVID-19-related medical bills while in Singapore, CAAS said.
In an exclusive interview with CNA, Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said that Taiwan is a “very safe partner to make a unilateral opening.”
He cited how a few weeks ago, Taiwan unilaterally reduced the quarantine period for essential business travelers from Singapore to just five days.
READ: Singapore and Hong Kong to postpone launch of air travel bubble
READ: Hong Kong and Singapore bubble delay highlights obstacles to travel recovery
These travelers must also adhere to a controlled itinerary in Taiwan.
“That is the most relaxed rule that they have imposed on any traveler and that they have given Singapore the lowest risk country,” said Ong.
“So with this one-sided opening, I think it’s not bad, as a business traveler, you can go to Taiwan with five days of quarantine. And then when you come back with a test, there is no need for SHN (stay at home notice) It is possible, hopefully we will go back and forth a little more between the two places. “
SINGAPORE: Fast Lane, Green Lane, Air Transport Bubble – What You Need To Know About Singapore’s COVID-19 Travel Measures
Beginning December 18, Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from Taiwan will also undergo a PCR test upon arrival, CAAS said in its statement.
This supersedes a 7-day stay-at-home notice. If the result is negative, they will be allowed to continue their activities in Singapore.
Friday’s announcement comes after the previous lifting of border restrictions for travelers from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China, New Zealand and Vietnam.
CAAS said some 4,050 passengers from these countries had arrived in Singapore, as of December 10, and none of the visitors under the ATP scheme have tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.
He has approved more than 9,250 ATP applications.
Taiwan has not reported local cases for more than 200 days. When asked why Taiwan was not one of the first places that Singapore unilaterally opened borders to, Ong said: “There is no particular methodology, it is what is appropriate at the time.”
The He added: “We do not open unilaterally to all places, to all countries that have a very low infection, even if we trust their system. But let’s open little by little.
So far, it has run smoothly. That did not affect our infection rate in Singapore. So I think that was the correct approach.
“But I think places are running out. I hope to have more places as the vaccines arrive.”
READ: Comment: Removing travel restrictions is not as scary as it sounds
READ: Comment: As Singapore gradually opens its borders, we must be aware of a second wave of COVID-19
When asked if Singapore is seeking an air travel bubble deal with Taiwan to allow general travelers to move between borders, Ong said he would like to pursue that deal with all the places the country has opened up to. unilaterally.
“I will be more than happy to have a travel bubble with all of them. Because we feel comfortable with them. But it takes two hands to clap. Especially for the northern hemisphere, they are now going through winter. So winter is a sensitive period, you see these cases increasing … it is not a time when they are prepared to do this … to try to establish an air transport bubble. “
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
