SINGAPORE, 25 August 2020: Singapore eases travel from Brunei and New Zealand by phasing out the 14-day stay-home notice.
They will need only to take a Covid-19 test on arrival instead, according to a Ministry of Health statement first reported by Channel News Asia.
Singapore has also updated its travel advisory for Singaporeans who want to visit the two countries to allow general travel although they will need to comply with any border restrictions.
In the past, the advisory said Singaporeans should defer all travel abroad, except for essential business and official travel under green-lane and fast-lane arrangements.
The arrangement to allow Brunei and New Zealand citizens to skip the stay-home notice was decided unilaterally by Singapore and are not reciprocal, although discussions are ongoing with both countries.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health said the two countries are considered low-risk. New Zealand’s latest count stood at 1,693 cases and 22 deaths. Brunei reported 143 cases and three fatalities as of 23 August. In contrast, Singapore’s cases reached 56,353 on Monday with 27 deaths.
Since 18 June Singapore allowed travellers from designated low-risk countries to enter the country, but they need to serve a 14-day stay-home notice. The list includes Australia (excluding Victoria State), Brunei Darussalam, Macau, Mainland China, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia. The stay-home notice is due to change to from 14 to seven days.
Australia, South Korea and Vietnam have all suffered second and third wave infections. Australia reports 24, 915 cases and 517 deaths, South Korea 17,779 cases and 309 deaths and Vietnam 1,016 cases and 27 deaths.
Singapore’s decision to withdraw the need to serve a stay-home notice was praised by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines for taking a bold step to open borders.
MOH said: “Amongst these low-risk countries listed, we will start by lifting our current border restrictions to allow the entry of visitors from Brunei Darussalam and New Zealand to Singapore.”
Visitors from the two countries will need to apply for an Air Travel Pass between seven and 30 days before their intended date of entry into Singapore. They can apply for the pass starting 1 September for travel from 8 September.
Returning Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders will not have to serve a stay-home notice but will need to undergo a Covid-19 test upon arrival. They do not need to apply for the Air Travel Pass.
However, a check of New Zealand and Brunei’s immigration websites, indicate borders remain closed to “almost all travellers” so as the MOH explained the move was not reciprocal or indicative of a travel bubble or corridor set up.
