More Travellers Will be Allowed into S’pore As We Move Into Phase 3

I have good and bad news.

The good news is that travel will gradually resume as the country moves into Phase 3, which will be on 28 Dec.

The bad news is that it’s only for incoming travellers. 

Yes, as much as we want to travel the world to forget about all the troubles of 2020, we won’t be allowed to do so just yet.

However, this might be good news for you if you have a partner, friend, or relative abroad.

More Travellers Will be Allowed into S’pore As We Move Into Phase 3

Singapore will permit more travellers to enter or transit through the country in a bid to revive our air hub.

We won’t open up all at once, of course. That could bring us all the way back to Phase 1, and possibly even further back to the shudder-inducing circuit breaker.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Monday (14 Dec) that we’ll reopen our borders in a gradual and controlled manner, to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system and contact tracing capabilities.

Thanks to enhanced testing and tracing capabilities, he said, Singapore will be able to trial new ways of managing the risks for travellers.

Retaining her status as an air hub is one of the four key goals of the government to rebuild Singapore’s economy.

And we’ve already seen evidence of this in the last few days.

S’pore Allowing Visitors from Taiwan to Come in Without Serving SHN

Residents in Taiwan will soon be able to visit Singapore without serving a stay-home notice (SHN), as the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) said Singapore would lift border restrictions for the country.

Travellers can now apply for a single-entry Air Travel Pass (ATP) to enter Singapore from Friday (18 Dec), as long as they are in Taiwan for 14 consecutive days before departure.

Once they arrive, all they have to do is undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and if they test negative, they will be allowed to go about their activities in Singapore.

However, in the unfortunate event that they contract Covid-19 in Singapore, they will be responsible for their own medical bills.

Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders returning from Taiwan from 18 Dec will undergo the same procedure, and won’t have to serve an SHN either.

We Won’t Return to a Pre-Covid World

The country may be shifting to the final phase of its safe reopening, but that doesn’t mean things will go back to normal.

In fact, the authorities are certain it won’t.

Speaking during a virtual press conference by the Covid-19 multi-ministry, Minister Chan said some industries may have been permanently changed by the pandemic, including areas such as tourism and aviation.

“We will not return to the pre-Covid world,” he said. “We should pivot to seize new opportunities and overcome the current challenges starting now.”

As for us travelling abroad? Well, that depends on other countries, as we’ve seen with New Zealand and several other nations who have not yet opened their borders to us, even though we’ve opened up to them.

So, while we should certainly celebrate the fact that we will soon be able to have larger social gatherings and live performances, we shouldn’t expect to travel like we did last year anytime soon.

Sadly, just like KTV sessions, we’ll have to wait a little longer for that.

Featured Image: Rajaraman Arumugam / Shutterstock.com (Image is for illustration purpose only)