Unvaccinated people may not be allowed back to workplace despite negative test result: Wong

A concession allowing unvaccinated people to return to the workplace if they have a negative Covid-19 test may be removed, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.

Acknowledging that such a move would have implications for employers and workers, he added: "We are consulting and discussing with our tripartite partners on this particular move, and we will provide more details when the arrangements are finalised."

Mr Wong was speaking at a virtual press conference of the multi-ministry task force tackling the coronavirus, which he co-chairs.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday also announced that vaccination-differentiated measures would be expanded to more settings next year.

From Feb 1 next year, the measures will cover all indoor sports facilities, institutes of higher learning (IHLs), and leisure guests in hotels, hostels and serviced apartments. However, students in IHLs who are completing their full-time Nitec/Higher Nitec, diploma or degree programmes will be exempted from the measures when entering their respective institutions.

MOH said more details will be announced by the relevant agencies.

In addition, from Feb 1 next year, all events, irrespective of event size, will have to implement vaccination-differentiated measures in order to proceed.

These include media conferences, work-related events and death memorial events.

However, funerals, wakes or funeral processions held during or before the burial or cremation of the deceased will continue to be allowed with a maximum of 30 participants at any time, and will not be subject to the measures.

Currently, only events with over 50 attendees are required to implement such measures.

But MOH said: "Even smaller-sized events can spark transmission that can then spread to wider groups of people, especially in view of the Omicron variant."

It added that there are currently no plans to introduce vaccination-differentiated measures for children aged 12 and below, as the current focus is to ensure they are well protected by vaccination.

The authorities had previously announced on Nov 20 that, from Jan 1 next year, voluntarily unvaccinated people would no longer be able to enter a setting with vaccination-differentiated measures by producing a negative pre-event test.

And on Nov 23, the National Library Board said that unvaccinated people - apart from those medically ineligible, people who have recovered from the virus, as well as children aged 12 and below - would not be allowed into public libraries from next year, even with a negative test result.

Mr Wong said that the new moves announced yesterday would enhance and strengthen Singapore's vaccination-differentiated safe management measures.

He added: "That means that across a whole range of different settings, whether it's activities, events, indoor premises, workplaces, there will be more restrictions on unvaccinated persons, because unvaccinated persons are at risk.

"Should they get infected, there will be severe consequences, and we have to protect them."