[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – Citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders who traveled outside of Singapore on or after March 27, will now be able to access government subsidies and insurance coverage to receive treatment if they are found to be infected with the Covid-virus. 19 after his return.
This is in line with the measure to progressively reopen the country’s borders, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday (October 20).
Previously, it was said that those leaving Singapore on or after March 27 would be responsible for their own bills and cannot access government subsidies or insurance coverage if they have Covid-19 symptoms within 14 days after her return.
Exceptions are made for those traveling with permitted travel arrangements, such as reciprocal green lanes, and for students traveling abroad for full-time study.
The Health Ministry also said on Tuesday that the Government will continue to pay any Covid-19 medical bills for Singaporeans, PRs and long-term pass holders who left the country before March 27.
He added that he will have to gradually reopen the borders more.
“Unlike the larger countries that can keep their borders closed, our livelihood and economic survival largely depend on Singapore being open to the world and being a key international and travel hub,” the ministry said.
“Therefore, it is not possible for Singapore to keep our borders closed indefinitely. We will have to gradually allow more travel to resume safely.”
While travelers from some countries, such as China and New Zealand, can now enter Singapore without spending two weeks in isolation under special arrangements, those who come from countries that are considered to be at higher risk of Covid-19 infection will still have to. serve 14 days in quarantine.
The Health Ministry said it will seek more frequent tests and other security measures to allow more travelers to enter without having to be quarantined.
Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the task force fighting the Covid-19 outbreak, said in a briefing on Tuesday that the mandatory isolation period is the “main impediment to travel today.”
Mr. Wong said, “We have been looking for ways we can allow people to enter without having to go through this 14-day self-isolation period.
“But in return, to make sure they are safe, we implement more frequent testing. So an example of such a use case might be a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test when it arrives, and more. Later on, the more frequent tests can be done using an antigen test. “
He added that the PCR test will remain the required test on incoming travelers in the meantime, in response to a question about whether authorities will switch to using rapid antigen tests to detect Covid-19 infections in incoming travelers.
The Health Ministry said Tuesday it will require participants in some mass events to take a rapid antigen test and obtain a negative result before admission. These tests can provide results in 30 minutes, but are less accurate than PCR tests.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said any decision on the use of antigen tests for travelers will depend on the results of the pilot tests for mass events.
On the question of whether Singapore will reconsider its travel arrangements with Malaysia in light of the growing number of Covid-19 cases there, Wong said Singapore monitors not only the number of cases in other countries, but also other data such as the prevalence of Covid-19 infections. among travelers from those countries.
“The guarantee for everyone is that our travel arrangements are not free for all types of arrangements. People enter, but there is a system of notices to stay at home, as well as tests, to ensure that they are safe before they can enter the community, ”he added.
[ad_2]
