Singapore will remove most remaining COVID-19 restrictions from April 26, easing its entry requirements for travellers, according to its health ministry.
According to Reuters, the measures include removing limits on group sizes and allowing the full return of employees to workplaces, while lowering the Southeast Asian financial hub’s alert level for the first time since the pandemic started.
Moreover, the authorities announced the scrapping of a requirement for vaccinated travellers to take a COVID test before departing for Singapore.
With these changes, we can now have a well deserved breather, after two very difficult years of fighting the virus. But let’s always remember, we are getting closer to the finish line, but the race is not over and the pandemic is certainly not over
said Lawrence Wong, finance minister and co-chair of the government’s coronavirus taskforce.
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However, some rules will remain, such as the mandatory wearing of face masks in indoor public settings and on public transport. In addition, many of the restrictions will remain in place for non-vaccinated individuals.
As of now, Singapore has vaccinated 93% of its 5.5 million population, one of the world’s highest rates. It has also achieved one of the lowest COVID fatality rates.
During March, MPA Singapore announced that in line with the national move, existing Vaccinated Travel Lane arrangements via sea (VTL (Sea)) were replaced by the Vaccinated Travel Framework from 1 April 2022.
Under the Vaccinated Travel Framework, all vaccinated travellers arriving in Singapore via sea from any country classified under General Travel will enjoy quarantine-free travel from 1 April 2022.
There will no longer be any designated VTL (Sea) ferry services, and the weekly quota under VTL (Sea) ferry services was also be lifted.