Coronavirus: Singapore

MOH studying how short-term pass holders can get Covid-19 jabs

A Changi Airport staff member (in personal protective equipment) escorting arriving passengers in May. There were 48,724 short-term visit pass holders in Singapore as at end-June. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
A Changi Airport staff member (in personal protective equipment) escorting arriving passengers in May. There were 48,724 short-term visit pass holders in Singapore as at end-June. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is studying how short-term pass holders can get Covid-19 vaccinations, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary yesterday.

This could include people who have been in Singapore for an extended period of time due to pandemic travel restrictions, as well as the more vulnerable.

"The national vaccination programme will cover all who make Singapore their home or who are here for an extended period of time," Dr Janil told Parliament.

"Age is, of course, a consideration, as well as risk to the people around them - so (are) the settings in which they live, the circumstances in which they find themselves."

He was replying to Workers' Party MP He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC), who had asked if MOH will allow short-term pass holders who live in close contact with long-term residents to be eligible for vaccination schemes.

More details will be released later, Dr Janil said.

In a written answer to a separate question filed by Ms He, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said there were 48,724 short-term visit pass holders in Singapore as at end-June.

This number has, for the most part, hovered between 40,000 and 50,000 a month since June last year. It stood at 197,292 in January last year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 03, 2021, with the headline MOH studying how short-term pass holders can get Covid-19 jabs. Subscribe