The Covid-19 pandemic has brought air travel to a standstill. Besides leisure travellers, others who need to travel for business purposes have also been badly affected.
However, from mid-January 2021, a selected number of “business, official and high economic value travellers” from any countries will be allowed to visit Singapore under a new segregated travel lane arrangement.
This would allow travellers to stay up to 14 days and have face-to-face meetings with their counterparts in Singapore.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), only a “limited number” of short-term business travellers would be allowed to enter Singapore under this arrangement.
Applicants may reportedly apply for the segregated travel lane from mid-Jan 2021, and the first visitors are expected to arrive from “the second half of January”.
Visitors would have to undergo a whole host of precautionary measures when they arrive in Singapore, such as having to stay within their dedicated facilities throughout the entire trip, reports CNA.
Though they would be allowed to meet with their business counterparts in person, this would be done with floor-to-ceiling dividers separating them.
They would also have to undergo Covid-19 tests before departure from their home countries and upon arrival in Singapore.
Additionally, visitors would have to undergo antigen rapid tests from the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 11th day of stay in Singapore.
This means a traveller who stays in Singapore for the full course of 14 days would have to undergo at least 6 Covid-19 tests.
Of course, visitors would also have to adhere to all safe management measures in Singapore, such as using TraceTogether and SafeEntry systems.
We are heartened by the government’s efforts allowing Singapore to retain its status as a global business hub, even if the Covid-19 pandemic has brought air travel to a standstill in many parts of the world.
Opening our country up to visitors from all countries would surely pose its own set of risks, but we are confident that these will be successfully managed with the set of safeguards and measures that we have in place.
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Featured image adapted from Now Boarding by Changi Airport.
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