Kids 12 and below can travel under vaccinated scheme

Unvaccinated children aged 12 and below will now be allowed to travel quarantine-free under a vaccinated travel scheme, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced yesterday.

Children can travel on Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights as long as they are accompanied by a vaccinated traveller who meets all requirements, the CAAS said in a statement.

They will also have to take two Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests - within 48 hours of departure to Singapore, and on arrival. Children aged two and below do not have to take PCR tests.

Last Saturday, the Government announced an expansion of the VTL scheme to nine other countries, including the United States and Britain. Many parents subsequently expressed unhappiness that unvaccinated children could not travel under the VTL.

Transport Minister S. Iswaran acknowledged yesterday that many Singaporeans and their families were keen to travel, and said allowing unvaccinated children under 12 on the VTL "helps to open up a few more possibilities for them".

The initial decision to exclude unvaccinated children was made out of extra caution, he said in an interview with The Straits Times.

From Oct 19, vaccinated travellers will be able to fly to Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the United States. The scheme will be extended to South Korea from Nov 15.

In all, there are 11 countries on the VTL, including Germany and Brunei. Brunei, however, currently does not allow leisure travel.

South Korea also currently does not allow in children who do not qualify for vaccination.

Urging caution for those who opt to travel, especially with children, Mr Iswaran said: "It is important that we understand the circumstances in the countries you might be considering to visit. It is important that we also appreciate that their requirements and regimes are different and not one size fits all."

He said about 3,000 travellers would be able to arrive in Singapore daily - a far cry from pre-pandemic days. "But it is a significant step up from where we are today."

Mr Iswaran also described the scheme as a "pathfinder" towards helping international aviation grow safely.

"If we can all work together, then there is a good chance that we can further enhance these vaccinated travel lanes, whether it is in terms of coverage or capacity," he said.

While parents welcomed the news, some said they would hold off on immediate travel plans.

"We are looking forward to travel in the new year, when airlines increase capacity to destinations such as the United Kingdom, and Singapore hopefully opens more VTL destinations like Japan," said Mr Aaron Kong, 41, a consultant and father to a five-year-old son.

Ms Alicia Seah, director of public relations and communications at Dynasty Travel, said: "We do not anticipate a large spike in queries for bookings with young children to Europe." She expects families to make plans next year instead.

Some would wait for more clarity on health and safety protocols in other countries, she added.

Mr Jeremiah Wong, senior marketing communications manager at Chan Brothers Travel, said his company had been receiving inquiries on travel with children even before yesterday's announcement. He also said there had been a surge in inquiries for European destinations since the VTL scheme was announced.

Ms Sarah Wan, general manager of travel website Klook, added: "While there may be some initial apprehension and caution, we believe that more Singaporeans will gain more confidence to travel overseas as they become acclimated to co-existing with Covid-19."