2 foreigners tested positive for Covid-19 since green lane arrangements began: Gan Kim Yong

SINGAPORE — Two foreigners who travelled to Singapore tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the reciprocal green lane arrangement, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday (Jan 5).

Mr Gan was responding to a parliamentary question by Member of Parliament for Sengkang He Ting Ru.

Workers' Party's Ms He asked how many Singaporeans and foreigners who travelled under the green lane scheme had tested positive for Covid-19 during the 48-hour period of self-isolation upon arrival.

Up until Dec 26 last year, close to 2,500 people came to Singapore via seven reciprocal green lanes, Mr Gan said.

"As of Dec 26, 2020, two foreigners travelling via RGL have tested positive for Covid-19," he said.

"Both cases arrived from Japan and were detected during the mandatory on-arrival Covid-19 test for RGL travellers."

Ms He also asked how many foreigners tested positive in the 72 hours prior to their departure flight.

Foreigners who test positive for Covid-19 for their pre-departure test performed within 72 hours before departure for Singapore are not allowed to enter the country.

The Health Ministry, said Mr Gan, does not have data on the number of foreigners who had positive pre-departure tests and thus cancelled their plans to travel to Singapore.

CNA has contacted the Ministry of Health for more information.

The reciprocal green lane came into effect on Jun 8 last year and facilitates short-term essential business and official travel between Singapore and counterpart countries, or regions.

These are: Brunei, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. CNA

For more stories like this, visit cna.asia.