Singapore bars long-term pass holders from India

SINGAPORE: All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have travelled to India within the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore, as the country goes on "heightened alert" against COVID-19.

This move takes effect from 11.59 p.m. on Friday, and includes people who have prior approval to enter Singapore, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (April 22), the Straits Times reported.

In addition, people who have recently travelled to India and have not completed their 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) by 11.59 p.m. on Thursday night will have to complete their additional seven-day SHN at a dedicated facility rather than their places of residence.

This group will undergo three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for the virus: when they arrive, on the 14th day of their SHN and before the end of their SHN.

Explaining why Singapore has tightened its border measures, Wong said that the situation in India has worsened since the start of the week. He added that the SHN period is not "100 per cent foolproof", noting that any leaks among newly arrived Indian workers could possibly introduce new strains into dormitories and result in new clusters.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who with Wong co-chairs the multi-ministerial task force handling the pandemic, said that Singapore is on heightened alert against the coronavirus, given rising case numbers and emerging virus variants around the world. The situation may escalate quickly, necessitating the tightening of measures in Singapore, he added at a virtual press conference.

Viral variants - including those first detected in South Africa and Brazil - have been found in 342 imported cases, said the Health Ministry's director of medical services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak. All the cases were isolated on arrival and no community spread has been detected.

He warned that this number may increase over time as more COVID-19 cases are detected and more testing done. (IANS)

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