Singapore to Test all Inbound Travellers for COVID-19

Starting January 24, 2020, Singapore will launch another travel-related safety measure in order to combat a resurgence in worldwide coronavirus rates. All inbound travellers, including Singaporeans and permanent residents, will have to undergo a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival.

Apart from this directive, the island-nation has mandated an additional seven-day quarantine period for citizens/permanent residents (at their place of residence) returning from the United Kingdom or South Africa January 18&nbsponwards.

This doesn&rsquot account for their initial 14-day stay at an isolated facility. Individuals falling under this category have to undergo a COVID-19 test at the end of both periods. A response of this nature can be traced to the discovery of mutated strains of the virus, seemingly more-transmissible, in the aforementioned countries.

These measures can also be attributed to an inflation in the number of imported cases reported in Singapore.

On Saturday, the Ministry of Health reported four community-based cases, nineteen imported cases, and one from the dormitories for foreign workers.

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Hence travellers who aren&rsquot citizens or permanent residents of the country, and display a recent travel history to high-risk locations, will be directed to take a PCR test within 72 hours before departure. They will be tested at the conclusion of their stay-home notice period as well.

According to a press release by the ministry, &ldquoThe multi-ministry task force regularly reviews Singapore's border measures to manage the risk of importation and onward local transmission from travellers. Given the resurgence of COVID-19 cases around the world, we will be putting in place more stringent measures for travellers to manage the risk of importation.&rdquo

From January 31, visitors applying to access Singapore under the Air Travel Pass and Reciprocal Green Lanes will need to redeem travel insurance, with a minimum coverage of SGD 30,000, to cover for costs pertaining to hospitalisation and medical treatment in the event that they contract the virus in Singapore. &ldquoThe travel insurance will help them pay for the costs of their medical treatment in Singapore. The visitors can purchase the travel insurance from Singapore-based or overseas insurers,&rdquo said the Ministry. The Singapore-Japan RGL will remain non-functional until the prevailing state of emergency in Japan is relaxed.

As of Saturday, the country reported 59,083 cases.