Singapore aims to start quarantine-free travel by September

[snoop1130]

FILE PHOTO: A medical worker prepares a syringe at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination center in Singapore, March 8, 2021. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

 

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore is looking to allow quarantine-free travel for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from September, when 80% of the city-state's population should be inoculated, the government said on Monday.

 

Singapore will establish travel corridors with countries or regions where COVID-19 is under control, and those who are vaccinated may not have to quarantine or may be allowed to isolate at home, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said.

 

The city-state is also set to review whether to loosen curbs in early August, when two-thirds of its population would be fully inoculated.

 

"The easing will be differentiated and extended to only vaccinated persons, because they are much better protected against the effects of the virus," Wong said. "If you want to go out to dine in the restaurant or workout in the gym, you have to be fully vaccinated."

 

Last week, the country tightened social curbs, including halting restaurant dining and banning gatherings of more than two people for one month, after a rise in infections.

 

More than half the country has received both doses of either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. It has inoculated nearly 75% of its 5.7 million people with at least one dose, the world's second-highest rate behind the United Arab Emirates, a Reuters tracker shows.

 

As countries with advanced vaccination campaigns prepare to live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease, their focus is turning to preventing death and serious diseases through vaccination.

 

Still, Singapore may not do away with all of its social distancing measures. For example, it may remove its mask mandate for outdoors, but require people to keep them on in an indoor enclosed environment, Wong said.

 

As of July 25, Singapore had 1,537 active cases, with 12 cases of serious illness requiring oxygen, and two patients in critical condition in the intensive care unit (ICU). None of the 14 cases is fully vaccinated.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-07-26

[IAMHERE]

It should be interesting to see how herd immunity works out.

[spidermike007]

There is no reason why Thailand should not start quarantine free travel immediately. Think about it. All incoming tourists would be fully vaccinated, with a real quality vaccine. And they would end up being tested at least twice, by the time they arrived. Thailand is now brimming with Delta variant Covid, so where is the risk? In reality, the incoming tourists are at far greater risk here, than the locals are, by hosting them. A message to Prayuth, Anutin and Phiphat: Let's get real, and let's start behaving like an adult. OK? For once in your sorry lives?

 

The greater danger, is keeping the economy shut down, and sabotaging tourism even more than this heinous administration has already done. 

[Postmaster]

Sorry but her hands look filthy. They are probably not but why she not wear protective gloves.

[Letseng]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

There is no reason why Thailand should not start quarantine free travel immediately. Think about it. All incoming tourists would be fully vaccinated, with a real quality vaccine. And they would end up being tested at least twice, by the time they arrived. Thailand is now brimming with Delta variant Covid, so where is the risk? In reality, the incoming tourists are at far greater risk here, than the locals are, by hosting them. A message to Prayuth, Anutin and Phiphat: Let's get real, and let's start behaving like an adult. OK? For once in your sorry lives?

 

The greater danger, is keeping the economy shut down, and sabotaging tourism even more than this heinous administration has already done. 

Why would anybody with a sane mind want to travel to Thailand at this time? A country which is wwide on highrisk list, no travel insurance available, most of the country in lockdown. And most of all with hospitals overflowing with C19 patients. Dream on.

[spidermike007]

10 hours ago, Letseng said:

Why would anybody with a sane mind want to travel to Thailand at this time? A country which is wwide on highrisk list, no travel insurance available, most of the country in lockdown. And most of all with hospitals overflowing with C19 patients. Dream on.

Yes, absolutely correct. And if someone did want to travel here, why on earth would restrictions be imposed upon them? I cannot think of a single reason to justify the quarantine or sandbox, at this time. We are way beyond that. Only hubris, arrogance, ignorance, ivory tower consciousness, and inability to determine the difference between fantasy (the false belief that your nation is the center of the universe) and reality (who would want to come, and why penalize them for showing the courage to show up?) is causing this continued sabotage to a once vital, and now dead industry. 

[Albert46]

Interesting that Singapore is allowing flights from Germany with cases on the rise over there. 

[olfu]

September of ???

Now September of 2022 if we are lucky.