Visitors barred from Singapore as imported coronavirus cases rise
AL L short-term visitors will no longer be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore from 11.59pm on Monday in view of the heightened risks of importing coronavirus cases into the country.
Work pass holders and their dependants will be allowed to return to Singapore only if they work in sectors that provide essential services such as healthcare and transport.
This will also kick in at 11.59pm on Monday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Sunday.
The measures were announced a day after two patients - a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man - died from Covid-19 due to complications. They were the first deaths the Republic has seen in the Covid-19 outbreak.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said at a briefing on Sunday morning that the measures to “significantly tighten” Singapore’s borders are taken in the light of the rapidly escalating virus outbreak around the world.
Previously, except for a handful of countries, shortterm visitors from elsewhere were allowed to come into Singapore but were issued a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) upon arrival.
This meant, however, that resources were being expended to serve and enforce SHNs on them, and if they fell ill, to provide them with medical treatment. On Saturday, there were still 533 short-term visitors arriving in Singapore.
To date, there are more than 260,000 Covid-19 cases across 185 countries, and around 11,200 deaths.
The MOH said that in Singapore, almost 80 per cent of new Covid-19 cases over the past three days were imported, most of them Singapore residents and longterm pass holders returning home from abroad.
These imported cases had travel histories to 22 different countries.
There were 432 cases of coronavirus patients in Singapore as of Saturday evening. A total of 140 cases have fully recovered. Of the 290 patients still in hospital, most are stable or improving, but 14 are in critical care.
On the limited entry for work pass holders and their dependants, the Ministry of Manpower will allow this only for those in essential services.
On what constitutes essential services, Wong said the Ministry of Manpower will continue to approve applications for the workers to come back according to existing rules, with inputs from relevant government agencies when needed.
He added that foreign domestic helpers could also be considered as offering essential services, especially in cases where they are needed to help look after children or the elderly.
As previously announced, all Singapore citizens, permanent residents and longterm pass holders returning will continue to be issued a 14-day SHN.
In addition, Malaysians with Singapore work permits can continue to work in the Republic during this period, with accommodation arrangements.
Transport of goods between both countries will also be facilitated, the Singapore-Malaysia Special Working Committee has agreed.
Diplomats accredited and based in Singapore can continue to come in. They will also be subjected to the 14day isolation.
On Sunday, Mr Wong said that these were very significant moves especially for a small open economy like Singapore which has always been connected to the world.
“But this is an unprecedented crisis,” he said.
He noted that while very few short-term visitors have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, they can take up enforcement and medical resources.