Health

S’pore Arrivals With HK Travel History To Serve 14-Day SHN From 13 Dec As City Is Hit By 4th Wave

Those With HK Travel History Must Take Covid-19 Test Before Entering S’pore, S’poreans & PRs Exempted

Singapore’s Covid-19 relationship with Hong Kong is complicated.

From an initial engagement and almost-marriage via the Síngapore-HK travel bubble, we’ve had the travel bubble unceremoniously called off, then indefinitely postponed.

Source, Source

Now, instead of welcoming HK visitors with open arms, we’re back to treating them like arrivals from most other countries.

They’ll have to serve a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN), and must even serve it at dedicated facilities.

Compulsory SHN for HK travellers to take effect from 13 Dec

In a media release on Friday (11 Dec) night, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said arrivals in Singapore who were in HK in the past 14 days would have to serve the SHN.

This will come into effect on Sunday (13 Dec), at 11.59pm — that means such travellers arriving from Monday (14 Dec) will be affected.

Currently, travellers from HK are allowed to serve a 7-day SHN, and at their residence.

Source

Like before, they will also be tested for Covid-19 near the end of the SHN.

 

Opt out of dedicated facilities

However, the HK arrivals are allowed to opt out of serving SHN at dedicated facilities, along with those from Fiji, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

They cab serve SHN at their place of residence only if they fulfil certain criteria:

  1. In the last 14 days before entering Singapore, they’ve travelled to no other countries or territories except the above.
  2. They live alone in their residence, or with household members with the same travel history who are also serving SHN of the same duration.

Arrivals from HK must test Covid-19 test before departure

Another rule for travellers from HK that’s stricter now is the requirement to take a Covid-19 test 72 hours before departure.

The test must be a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The traveller must of course test negative, and show proof of this negative test in order to enter Singapore.

Source

This requirement will take effect from 18 Dec, 11.59pm, and will be required from travellers who have HK travel history in the past 14 days.

However, Singaporeans and permanent residents returning from HK will not have to do this.

HK seeing 4th wave of Covid-19

These stricter measures come as the Chinese city is seeing a 4th wave of Covid-19 infections.

On Friday (11 Dec), HK reported 86 new cases of the virus, with 37 unlinked, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

However, in the 3 days before that, daily cases exceeded 100.

Source

The city had already tightened safe distancing measures from 16 Nov.

On Thursday (10 Dec), the measures become tighter still, with gyms and beauty parlours in HK closed and restaurants stopped offering dine-in services at night.

Hopefully HK can control pandemic

It’s depressing that the Covid-19 cases in HK surged just as we were about to start the travel bubble.

While for us, it just means that we’ve to stay put in Singapore during the Dec holidays, for our friends in HK life is far worse.

Let’s hope that the city can control the pandemic as it has done so previously, so the relevant authorities can feel safe opening borders between cities again.

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from Facebook.

Jeremy Lee

Analog person making do with a digital world.

Recent Posts

Online model seller in Japan scammed by buyer who returned different kit with pieces cut out

The seller was soured by the experience with Mercari, saying the platform only provided compensation…

14 Nov 2024, 6:57 pm

Woman in Indonesia steals formula milk by placing them between thighs

The woman walked away naturally despite the boxes between her thighs.

14 Nov 2024, 6:20 pm

Leopard in Thailand caught wriggling on zoo visitor’s pickup truck, netizens joke driver should bring it home

The leopard reportedly jumped off the truck once it saw zoo staff approaching.

14 Nov 2024, 5:53 pm

Motorist in M’sia crushed to death after container falls from trailer, lorry driver arrested

The trailer driver made a V sign for the media while being escorted to the…

14 Nov 2024, 5:42 pm

77-year-old woman dies after wooden walkway collapses in Taiwan’s Alishan, 4 others injured

The walkway was scheduled for repairs the day after the incident.

14 Nov 2024, 5:32 pm