Coronavirus: Thailand among 6 countries added to Singapore’s quarantine-free travel lane | South China Morning Post
▻https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3157442/australia-investigates-new-covid-19-variant-found-south
Coronavirus: Thailand among 6 countries added to Singapore’s quarantine-free travel lane. The city state also restricted travel from seven African countries after a ‘potentially more contagious’ Covid-19 variant was found in South Africa Scientists are concerned the new strain could evade the body’s immune response and make it more transmissible
Singapore on Friday extended its quarantine-free travel lane scheme for visitors vaccinated against Covid-19 to six more countries in a bid to regain its international aviation hub status.The inclusion of Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey to the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) programme brought the number of nations the city state has such arrangements with to 27.The move came even as Singapore tightened border restrictions with seven African countries after the “potentially more contagious” B.1.1.529 Covid-19 variant was detected in South Africa.
The island nation currently has no cases linked to the strain.Singapore’s civil aviation authority said the 27 countries under the VTL scheme contributed to about 60 per cent of its total arrivals before the pandemic.
It added that Cambodia, Thailand, Maldives and Sri Lanka were popular tourist destinations among Singaporeans.Singapore still hoping for Hong Kong travel bubble, health minister says
24 Nov 2021Travellers from Thailand would be able to enter Singapore under the arrangement from December 14. Those from Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Turkey can visit two days later.With these new lanes, the daily quota under the VTL would be increased from 10,000 to 15,000.Transport Minister S. Iswaran told reporters that Singapore has to be “very mindful” of the evolving virus situation and that it was closely monitoring the emergence of new variants of concerns even as it looks to reopen its borders.“We must expect that in a dynamic situation like this, and with the pandemic evolving, that settings may change.”Singapore is seeing about 2,000 Covid-19 infections a day but authorities have pledged to treat the virus as endemic and would progressively open up given its high vaccination rates.
#Covid-19#migrant#migration#singapour#ambododge#fiji#maldives#srilanka#thailande#turquie#sante#frontiere#circulation#bulledevoyage#vaccination#frontiere#variant
