Catch up on the hottest topics on The Big Story, The Straits Times' weekday online news programme.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has lifted the suspension on overseas leave application for all healthcare workers.

The update was announced on Tuesday (Oct 19) in an MOH Holdings circular to healthcare workers.

The circular said: "With the recent government announcement on the streamlined protocols and the newly opened Vaccinated Travel Lanes on Oct 9, MOH has further reviewed the overseas travel guidelines for healthcare workers."

Meanwhile, the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added Singapore to its list of "very high" risk travel destinations.

Under its Travel Notices, the CDC raised Singapore to Level 4, its highest risk category, from Level 3 previously.

The notice asked US residents to "avoid travel to Singapore".

Separately, Australia's plans to lift travel borders and reopen to the world remain mired in confusion.

New South Wales had announced that quarantine-free travel would begin Nov 1 and it would welcome all overseas arrivals. But this was quickly overruled by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who said the government would stick with plans to open borders to citizens and permanent residents first.

Australia correspondent Jonathan Pearlman shares more.

In other local headlines, a survey by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that some 57.3 per cent of Singapore businesses saw their costs rise in 2021, nearly double the 28.8 per cent who did so last year.

Of those who reported higher costs, about three-quarters said that their costs were up by 25 per cent.

The survey garnered feedback from 1,058 businesses, of which 92 per cent were small and medium-sized enterprises.

President of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises Kurt Wee weighs in on the survey findings.