Hong Kong added to list of low-risk countries, travellers need only serve reduced stay-home notice: MOH

• Travellers from Hong Kong will serve a reduced seven-day stay-home notice period at home from Oct 15
• For now, they must serve 14 days’ notice at a dedicated facility
• The stay-home notice period for travellers from Sabah, Malaysia will be raised to two weeks from Oct 15
• ICA’s visa issuance will resume from Oct 19
• Other criteria apply to travellers arriving from Indonesia and the Philippines

SINGAPORE — From Thursday (Oct 15), travellers from Hong Kong coming to Singapore need only to serve a seven-day stay-home notice in their place of residence instead of two weeks at a dedicated facility, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday.

This means Hong Kong now joins a list of low-risk countries and regions such as mainland China, Macau, Taiwan and most parts of Malaysia, where travellers from these places are mandated to serve a seven-day stay-home notice period at their residences in Singapore after their arrival.

In another announcement from the authorities on Monday, from Oct 15 onwards, people with recent travel history to Sabah, Malaysia will be required to serve a two-week stay-home notice at a dedicated facility here due to an increase in Covid-19 cases there.

This will also apply to returning Singapore-based travellers under the reciprocal green lane agreements with Malaysia as well as Malaysian citizens and permanent residents entering Singapore under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement.

However, this new 14-day rule will not apply to Malaysia-based travellers under the green lanes. They will continue to be subject to existing green-lane health measures, such as a pre-departure test, on-arrival test and keeping to a pre-declared controlled itinerary.

MOH said: “For now, travellers from all other parts of Malaysia, except Sabah, will continue to serve a seven-day stay-home notice at their place of residence.”

At the moment, travellers from Australia (excluding Victoria State), Brunei, New Zealand and Vietnam need to undergo a Covid-19 test upon arrival instead of serving a stay-home notice. Singapore has updated a travel advisory to allow general travel to these countries.

MOH urged all travellers to accurately declare their travel history. “Strict enforcement action will be taken against false declarations,” it said.

The new updates are part of a regular review by the governmental task force on existing border control measures, taking into account the Covid-19 situation in various countries.

“Singapore’s border measures will evolve as the global situation changes. We will continue to monitor the global health situation closely and update our border measures in accordance with the public health risk assessment,” MOH said.

“If the situation in a country/region deteriorates, more stringent measures will be put in place to limit the risk of importation and prevent community transmission from imported cases.”

RESUMPTION OF VISA ISSUANCE

As part of this calibrated reopening of Singapore’s borders, the ministry also said that the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will lift visa suspension and resume the issuance of new visas.

Short-term visitors who require a visa to enter Singapore can apply for it through a contact here, a Singapore overseas mission or authorised visa agent from Oct 19. 

Those with valid visas or those whose passports allow them to transit through Singapore without a visa do not need to apply.

“Possession of a valid visa alone does not guarantee entry into Singapore. All short-term visitors must still seek prior approval via appropriate Covid-19 travel channels before they can enter Singapore,” MOH said.

These channels include the Safe Travel Pass under green or fast lane arrangements, or an Air Travel Pass — meant for travellers from low-risk countries such as Brunei and New Zealand. 

VALID NEGATIVE COVID-19 TEST RESULTS

For travellers with recent travel history to Indonesia and the Philippines within the last 14 days before their entry into Singapore, they will be required to take a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test within 72 hours before they depart and they have to serve a 14-day stay-home notice at a dedicated facility here on arrival.

They will need to present a valid negative Covid-19 test result in order to be approved to enter or transfer through Singapore. 

This new requirement will take effect for those arriving in or transferring through Singapore from Oct 20, MOH said.

The same testing requirement was applied earlier to travellers with recent travel to India who want to enter Singapore. MOH will now make it a requirement for travellers from India to have a valid negative Covid-19 test result to transit through Singapore as well.

These testing requirements do not apply to Singapore citizens and permanent residents.

For pre-departure testing, there are more than 150 clinics that provide pre-travel Covid-19 tests for eligible travellers.

MOH will increase the number of clinics and providers who can perform these tests.

“We will also gradually liberalise Covid-19 testing to allow those who require a test more options to procure such services from approved providers,” it added.

Right now, travellers can apply for a pre-departure test via the SafeTravel website and make an appointment with a list of approved clinics and providers.

MOH said that laboratories, clinics and swab service providers interested to provide these services may apply to get approval from the ministry.