Singapore re-opens to extra 5 countries

Singapore has begun the arduous task of reestablishing itself as Asia’s international aviation hub, throwing its borders open to five more countries as it presses on with plans to reopen and live with Covid.

The country will allow vaccinated arrivals from five more countries, including Indonesia and India, to access the country without quarantine via its travel lanes from Nov. 29.

S Iswaran, Singapore's Minister for Transport, announced the latest five additions of vaccinated travel lanes countries at the multi-ministry task force regular media update today.

Travelers from India and Indonesia will be able to enter Singapore in a fortnight's time, that is, Nov 29, while travellers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) may visit the city-state from Dec 6, under the arrangement for travellers vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Infection rates are likely to increase as the travel lanes open and the country continues to ease its Covid curbs, a risk officials said they were willing to take given the rising number of vaccinations that have been administered. 

The southeast Asian nation started gradually reopening its borders to general travel in September when it kicked off a vaccinated travel lane with Germany and Brunei. 

An average of about 2,700 new infections are being diagnosed each day, a slight decrease from recent weeks as the current outbreak ebbs.

With 85% of its population fully inoculated, the country is trying to tread a path of reopening to rebuild its status as a hub and keeping a tight lid of infections that may overwhelm its health care system.

The city-state, home to the world’s best airport for eight years until 2020, has ditched its Covid-Zero policy and pivoted to an approach of living with the virus.