S’pore Travellers Must Serve 14-Day Stay Home Notice & Foot Covid-19 Bills Upon Return
Besides entering Phase 2, MOH announced changes to procedures involving inbound & outbound travellers in Singapore on Monday (15 Jun).
This includes the compulsory SHN stays at dedicated facilities, up to $200 Covid-19 tests & an updated list of nations with less strict travel regulations.
We summarise the new measures below.
S’pore travellers must pay for Covid-19 tests
All travellers will be required to pay for Covid-19 tests upon return to Singapore.
This will take effect for all citizens & PRs leaving and entering the country from 17 Jun 2020, 11.59pm.
Incoming travellers who aren’t Singapore Citizens or PRs, who enter from Wednesday (17 Jun), must also bear the full costs of staying at SHN facilities.
$200 Covid-19 tests & $2,000 SHN stays
MOH has also released the estimated costs for SHN stays & Covid-19 tests.
- Covid-19 SHN tests: Up to $200
- 14-day SHN stay: $2,000
Citizens & PRs will still enjoy sponsored SHN stays, but Long-Term pass holders will be required to bear the costs themselves.
Where will SHN be served?
All travellers entering or leaving Singapore from Wed (17 Jun) at 11.59pm must serve a 14-day Stay Home Notice (SHN).
Singapore citizens & PRs can stay at home to serve their 14-day SHN.
LTP holders may stay with their family members as long as the house is owned or rented fully. Alternatively, they can choose SHN hotels at their own cost.
All other travellers who enter Singapore must serve the full duration of their SHN at dedicated facilities for now.
Covid-19 tests a few days before end of SHN
Covid-19 tests will be done during the course of one’s SHN period.
There’ll be a test several days before an individual completes their SHN period. Individuals will be informed via SMS of their:
- Appointment slot
- Venue
These tests will be carried out at community testing facilities. Travel to & fro the place of residence should be done via a private vehicle or designated transport.
Individuals are also advised to avoid public transport & adhere to social-distancing measures like wearing a mask.
MOH shares that it’s an “additional precautionary measure” to detect the virus — in particular, asymptomatic cases.
Take note of these 10 nations
Incoming travellers from these countries will not have to serve their SHN at dedicated facilities:
- Australia
- Brunei
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Macao
- Mainland China
- New Zealand
- Korea
- Taiwan
- Vietnam
Travellers from all other nations are subject to prior approvals & must check-in to serve their SHN accordingly.
Those who breach these regulations by leaving their place of residence or not complying with spot-checks will face strict penalties.
Short-term visitors not allowed yet
All Long Term Pass (LTP) holders must receive “prior approval” before being granted entry to Singapore.
The number of LTP holders granted entry will be “gradually increased” in the coming weeks, to facilitate business travels.
However, short-term visitors aren’t allowed yet.
China will be the first country from which we’ll admit visitors under Green/Fast Lane arrangements — a measure to be extended to more countries & regions eventually.
Reopening our borders safely
As we ease the nation into Phase 2 and beyond, we must be careful in reopening our borders to travel once more.
This also means that leisure holiday trips are not advisable yet as citizens will have to take the costs of Covid-19 screening & length of SHN stays into account.
When we eventually get to travel freely again in a post-Covid-19 world, all of these procedures could very well be something we must all take in our stride.
Featured image adapted from Unsplash.
