Singapore to ban short-term travellers from China’s Guangdong province due to uptick in Covid-19 cases

SINGAPORE — From Saturday (June 5) night, short-term travellers who have been to China’s Guangdong province in the 21 days before departing for Singapore will be banned from entering the country.

These are short-term visitors who would otherwise be able to seek entry into Singapore via the Air Travel Pass scheme.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday that the Government would also tighten border rules for returning Singapore citizens, permanent residents and holders of long-term passes with travel history to the province within 21 days before departure.

They will have to take a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test on arrival in Singapore, isolate themselves for seven days at their place of residence, and receive another coronavirus test before the end of their stay-home period.

The new measures will kick in at 11.59pm on Saturday, MOH announced in a statement.

Guangdong, China’s most populous province, has seen an uptick in coronavirus infections, with more than 50 cases being reported in the latest wave.

All nine locally transmitted Covid-19 cases reported in China on Thursday were in the southern Guangdong province.

Most of Guangdong's cases have been in its capital Guangzhou, with some reported in the nearby city of Foshan.

The recent climb has led to tighter measures in the province, with flights cancelled, travellers asked to show negative Covid-19 test results and compounds locked down.

MOH said that travellers entering Singapore who have been to other parts of China in the last 21 days would continue to take a Covid-19 test on arrival in lieu of a stay-home notice. 

“As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures to manage the risk of importation and transmission to the community,” the ministry said. 

It advised travellers to check the Singapore Government’s SafeTravel website for updated border measures before their trips.