Under the Singapore-China Fast Lane travel arrangement, China requires arriving Singaporeans to test negative for both the coronavirus and antibodies.

However, Singaporeans are allowed to take the virus but not the test for antibodies before departure.

There is thus a possibility that a Singaporean who tests negative in Singapore for the virus may, on arrival in China, test negative for virus but positive for antibodies.

The Singaporean will then be required to remain in quarantine in China and put on the next plane back to Singapore.

Since China currently allows only one flight per week per airline from Singapore, the Singaporean will remain in quarantine in China for a week before returning to Singapore, whereupon he will be served a stay-home notice of 14 days.

All in all, the poor guy will have wasted 21 days, not to mention expenses for air fares, tests and quarantine in China, and achieved nothing.

All these could be avoided if the Singapore authorities could allow such departing Singaporeans to take a test for antibodies in addition to the virus test.

This is so that those who test negative for the virus but positive for antibodies can cancel their trips to China instead of going through an expensive 21-day agony.

Cheng Shoong Tat