Much like a soldier after the war, mention the words “travel bubble” to a Singaporean and they’ll start shaking and muttering to themselves.
The painful debacle of the proposed air travel bubble with Hong Kong has left many Singaporeans with unfulfilled wanderlust and traumatic memories.
Now when they read about a travel bubble, they’re too scared to believe in it; too afraid to hope for a future where leisure travel is possible.
But I’m here to tell you that it’s safe to believe again. This time, it’s Taiwan that we might be travelling to.
The keyword here is might.
Taiwan & S’pore Discussing About Air Travel Bubble 1 Day After Launching Taiwan-Palau Bubble
On Wednesday (17 March), Taiwan confirmed the launch of a travel bubble with diplomatic ally Palau, a country in Oceania.
Now, Taiwan has its sights on Singapore.
Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Thursday (18 March) that discussions about such an arrangement have begun between Taiwan and Singapore.
Last December, Singapore made it easy for Taiwanese travellers to enter Singapore by lifting restrictions such as the mandatory two-week quarantine, which means they only have to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival.
Since then, Singapore has been hoping for Taiwan to do the same. But as we’ve seen with Australia and New Zealand, our love may remain unrequited.
It’s evident, however, that Singapore is pushing for Taiwan to lift restrictions on Singapore travellers.
On Thursday, Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung said that while Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam are all discussing the possibilities of travel bubbles with Taiwan, “Singapore is by far the most proactive.”
Mr Lin gave no specifics, though, as details are still under discussion.
So, what could such a travel bubble look like?
No Quarantine Needed
On 1 April, Taiwan will launch its travel bubble with Palau.
Under this arrangement, people from both sides will be allowed to travel in tour groups. It will begin with two flights from China Airlines each week, with a limit of 110 passengers per flight.
Fortunately, travellers won’t have to undergo any quarantine. They’ll need to have negative COVID-19 test results ready three days before their trip.
Taiwanese travellers will also be tested for COVID-19 at the airport prior to their departure.
There are some additional criteria that Taiwanese residents who wish to travel to Palau must fulfil before they can travel.
This includes:
- no travelling abroad in the past six months
- no at-home isolation/quarantine in the past two months
- no COVID-19 diagnosis in the past three months
Travelling groups can plan trips for up to eight days, but must follow a government-approved schedule, stay in approved hotels, and only visit certain tourist sites.
They must observe social distancing rules at all times, of course.
Sure, it sounds like visiting North Korea, but with the coronavirus still running riot, any travel bubble would have similar rules.
Featured Image: Nawadoln / Shutterstock.com
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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