No stay-home notice for non-vaccinated travellers entering S’pore from Aug 28, 11.59pm: MOH

SINGAPORE — Travellers entering Singapore who are not fully vaccinated will soon not need to undergo a seven-day stay-home notice or take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon ending their stay-home notice.

However, these travellers must still test negative on a pre-departure test two days before they leave for Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release on Wednesday (Aug 24).

This relaxation of border measures, which takes effect from 11.59pm on Aug 28, is because the Covid-19 situation here and around the world is improving.

Singapore also lifted most of the legal requirements for the wearing of face masks indoors from Aug 29 onwards.

On Wednesday, MOH said that the country’s border measures under the vaccinated travel framework will be eased.

The framework was launched in April this year, allowing vaccinated persons to travel without the need to quarantine.

Most travel restrictions for fully vaccinated visitors entering Singapore were also lifted at the time, allowing them to enter without having to apply for entry approval, take Covid-19 tests or undergo stay-home orders.

At the moment, long-term pass holders and short-term visitors aged 13 and above who are not fully vaccinated need to apply for approval to enter Singapore.

This requirement will also be lifted from 11.59pm on Aug 28 onwards.

MOH noted that because long-term pass holders will stay here for a longer period of time, they will still have to comply with all the infection control rules pertaining to vaccination after they arrive here.

Short-term visitors who are not fully vaccinated must still buy Covid-19 travel insurance to cover their stay here.

MOH said that travellers who test positive for the coronavirus overseas are advised to follow the recovery protocols of their host country.

"For travel to Singapore, those who have tested positive for Covid-19 should defer their travel plans and not board commercial flights or ferries, as they may infect fellow passengers and crew while infectious.

"They should only resume their travel when they test negative, and at least 72 hours from the time they first test positive," MOH added.