People sit outside a bar in Emily Hill, Singapore, on Monday, August. 22, 2022.
Ore Huiying | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures
SINGAPORE – Singapore is set to allow travelers with incomplete vaccinations to bypass quarantine from Monday, authorities announced on Wednesday.
The country will also lift indoor mask requirements from August. 29 wants to take another step towards living with Covid.
While further easing of security and border measures is a “significant milestone”, the country “must be mentally prepared for any sudden change because we don’t know how this virus will mutate and what the next variant will look like,” he said. Lawrence Wong, deputy prime minister of Singapore, who is co-chairman of the Covid task force in Singapore.
Visitors who are not fully vaccinated will need to test negative for Covid within 2 days before they leave for Singapore. But they will no longer be required to serve a 7-day quarantine at home or in their place of residence.
Currently, fully vaccinated travelers can enter Singapore without being tested for Covid-19 or going into quarantine.
Unvaccinated long-term visitors and short-term visitors aged 13 and over are currently required to apply for entry clearance to enter Singapore. According to the Ministry of Health, this requirement will be lifted from Monday.
Easing mask requirements
The health ministry said masks will be optional indoors from Monday and will be required in private settings such as public transport and in healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and ambulances. They are optional in taxis, private hires and at the airport.
“The reason is we identified areas where essential services are conducted in closed, crowded spaces and are frequently used by vulnerable people,” said Wong, who is also the country’s finance minister.
It was decided to remove the mask requirement First announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Sunday.
Currently, the use of masks is mandatory in almost all interior spaces, except in areas where there is no physical interaction or where there is a customer face-to-face.
“Businesses and employers have the power to decide whether they want to do this or not. [from] “We’re removing a mandatory requirement to wear masks, but it’s optional,” he said.
boosters
The health ministry said a second mRNA Covid booster is now recommended for those aged 60 and over, in preparation for the next wave of microns.
Previously, second boosters were only recommended for people 80 and older.
About 93% of the population had completed their primary vaccination series as of Monday, while 79% of the total population had received supplements.
Singapore’s health minister, Ong Ye Kung, said the high rate of supplementation is the “main reason” the country has been able to weather the current Covid wave.
Ong stressed that although the first supplement offered strong protection against serious disease for those in this age group, recommendations for the second supplement should be extended to those aged 60 to 79 years—five months after the first supplement.
The ministry of health also recommends that children ages 5 to 11 take a supplement five months after the second dose of the primary vaccine series to increase their protection.
Covid situation in Singapore
Wong said plans are being made for a potential new wave of Covid, perhaps in the winter.
“We continue to watch closely and have drawer plans for a variety of contingencies, including boosting our healthcare capacity, as well as vaccine operations as and when needed,” Wong said at a news conference Wednesday. Said.
He added that these plans “will buy us time” in the event of an aggressive and dangerous Covid wave.
Average daily infections over a 7-day period fell to 2,700 on Tuesday, while daily infections continued to drop from a record 26,032 infections in February of 26,032. 22. Most of those infected in Singapore have mild or no symptoms.
this Southeast Asian country further eases Covid measures At the end of April. Social gatherings will no longer be limited to 10 people, and people will no longer need to keep 1 meter apart.
People wearing face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of Covid-19 in Singapore.
Maverick Asio | SOPA Pictures | LightRocket | Getty Pictures
Separate rules for unvaccinated people were also abolished in April, with some exceptions.
Those who are not vaccinated will still not be allowed to eat or attend events attended by more than 500 people. Nor can they visit nightlife venues where dancing is concerned.
But the health ministry said in a press release that food and beverage outlets are not required to check customers’ vaccination status.
