Coronavirus
Border measures here tightened for travellers from New South Wales
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People queueing outside a vaccination centre in Sydney yesterday. Australia's New South Wales state has imposed tough restrictions in the city to contain a coronavirus outbreak in the state.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Border measures will be tightened for travellers entering Singapore from the Australian state of New South Wales and loosened for those from the state of Victoria in the light of the changing Covid-19 situation in Australia, said Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday.
Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, yesterday reported a double-digit rise in new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 for the third straight day as officials fought to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.
From 11.59pm tomorrow, Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders entering Singapore with a travel history to New South Wales in the last 21 days before departure for Singapore will be subject to an on-arrival Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a seven-day stay-home notice (SHN) at their place of residence, and a PCR test before the end of the SHN period.
From 11.59pm on the same day, short-term travellers holding an air travel pass (ATP) with a travel history to New South Wales within the last 21 days before departure for Singapore will be barred from entering Singapore.
An ATP is required by short-term visitors to enter Singapore.
Meanwhile, those entering Singapore with a travel history to Victoria in the last 21 days will be allowed to go about their activities in Singapore if their on-arrival PCR test is negative for the virus.
They will not need to serve a seven-day SHN period, like travellers from other states of Australia, excluding New South Wales, said MOH.
Short-term visitors with a travel history to Victoria within the last 21 days before departure for Singapore can also apply for an ATP with immediate effect, for entry into Singapore on or after July 1.
However, those already serving a seven-day SHN at their place of residence as at 11.59pm tomorrow will still be required to complete their notice and take a Covid-19 test.
All other travellers with a travel history to Australia, excluding New South Wales, in the last 21 days prior to travel will continue to be subject to a Covid-19 test upon arrival here, in lieu of their SHN, said MOH.
New South Wales has imposed tough restrictions in Sydney, Australia's largest city and home to a fifth of the country's population of 25 million, with health officials saying transmission could be happening even through minimal contact with infected individuals.
Victoria state, which shares a border with New South Wales, yesterday reported its first case likely to be linked to the New South Wales outbreak after a man in his 60s tested positive on returning home from Sydney, reported Reuters.
