People gather outside the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on January 17, 2023. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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SINGAPORE — Singapore is about to permit non-fully vaccinated travelers to enter the country with no negative pre-departure test from next week, health authorities announced Thursday.
The country is about to remove mask-wearing on public transport from Monday, because it seeks to exit the “acute phase” of the pandemic, said the Ministry of Health.
The country’s Covid task force, created in January 2020, will likely be deactivated.
“Our Covid situation has remained stable over the recent months, despite increased travel over the yr and holidays and China’s shift from zero Covid,” said Singapore’s deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong, who can be co-chair of the Covid task force.
“Our population has developed a high level of hybrid immunity. The chance of infections resulting in severe illness or deaths may be very low — comparable to other endemic respiratory diseases like influenza.”
The further leisure of pre-departure travel and mask requirements are “significant steps” that mark Covid-19 as an endemic and “latest norm” for Singapore.
Changes to travel
All travelers entering Singapore via air or sea must still to submit a health declaration before or on arrival, said the ministry.
Along with removing the necessity to indicate proof of a negative pre-departure test, short-term visitors may even not be required to purchase Covid travel insurance.
Previously, non-fully vaccinated visitors were required to check negative for Covid inside 2 days prior to their departure for Singapore.
While travelers who aren’t fully vaccinated can now enter Singapore without pre-departure tests, vaccinated travel lanes will remain “for reactivation,” should there be international developments of concern similar to latest variants, authorities said.
Singapore is about to permit non-fully vaccinated travelers to enter the country with no negative pre-departure test from Feb. 13, 2023.
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Singapore opened vaccinated travel lanes in April 2022 to facilitate secure resumption of international travel.
After locking down large parts of the city-state and ramping up travel and dining restrictions in the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Singapore began lifting most of its Covid restrictions in April.
Further Covid measures were eased at the top of August, as authorities removed indoor mask requirements and allowed non-fully vaccinated travelers to skip quarantine on arrival.
Mask-wearing rules ease
Mask-wearing on public transport and indoor health settings will now not be mandatory, but Wong encouraged the general public to proceed wearing masks in the event that they showed any symptoms.
Nonetheless, mask-wearing continues to be required be in places like hospital wards, clinics and nursing homes, where there may be “interaction with patients” and “indoor patient-facing areas,” the health ministry said.
“That is to raised protect patients and healthcare employees from infectious diseases typically,” it added.
The Ministry of Health said that personal enterprises can also select to keep up mask-wearing requirements as company policy for workplace health and safety, or “business continuity reasons.”
Singapore reported 377 cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, with infections continuing to fall from a record 26,032 cases nearly a yr ago on Feb. 22.
Most of those infected in Singapore have had mild or no symptoms.
Back to pre-pandemic levels
Singapore will further downgrade its disease outbreak response, bringing it back to pre-pandemic levels.
As such, Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce — formed in January 2020 in response to Covid-19 — may even stand down.
The framework, known locally as Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON), will likely be adjusted to green from yellow. That indicates the disease is mild and there may be minimal disruption to day by day life.
The colour-coded system starts from green at the bottom level, to yellow, orange and red — the best risk level. At the peak of the pandemic, Singapore raised the extent to orange.
Vaccination progress
In accordance with the Ministry of Health, around 92% of the population has accomplished the first vaccination series as of January, while 83% has “minimum protection” — which refers back to the primary series and first booster shot.
As of Feb. 7, only 48% has received up-to-date vaccination, which implies receiving a second booster dose between five months to 1 yr from the primary.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the “availability of effective vaccines” was a “turning point” for the Covid situation in Singapore.
“Our high vaccination coverage is one in all the important thing the reason why we progressively restore normal lives … and [arrive] at today’s DORSCON green, endemic latest norm.”
It’s endorsed that individuals who’re 60 years and above should take an annual booster shot, very similar to influenza flu jabs, said Ong.
“A lot of them are currently protected by boosters or recent recovery from Covid-19. But it will likely wane over time due to their vulnerable status.”
Those that are between 12 to 59 years old may even be “offered” a further booster 12 months after their last dose, should they decide to take it, Ong added.
“It is a notch down from the present guidelines, which is that they’re really useful. Now they’re offered.”