S'pore bars long-term pass holders, visitors from India

All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have travelled to India in the past 14 days will no longer be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore, as the country goes on "heightened alert" against the coronavirus.

The move takes effect from 11.59pm today, and will apply to people who have obtained prior approval to enter Singapore as well as those who transited in India, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong.

In addition, those who travelled to India recently but have yet to complete their 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) will have to complete the additional seven-day SHN in a dedicated facility, rather than their place of residence.

They will have to undergo three rounds of polymerase chain reaction tests for the virus: When they arrive, on the 14th day of their SHN and before the end of their SHN.

Explaining why Singapore has tightened its border measures, Mr Wong said at a virtual news conference that the situation in India has worsened since the start of the week. He noted that the majority of new arrivals from India work in the construction, marine and process sectors, and live in dormitories.

"Even if they were to serve out the stay-home notice, we know that is never 100 per cent foolproof, and leaks can still happen," Mr Wong said.

Should such leaks happen, new strains of the virus could make their way into dormitories and cause new clusters as recovered or vaccinated workers get reinfected, he added.

India reported 314,835 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, the world's biggest single-day surge. The country has recorded 16 million cases and 184,657 deaths so far, with a new "double-mutant" variant thought to be fuelling its second wave.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) also confirmed yesterday that 17 recovered workers at Westlite Woodlands dormitory were found to have Covid-19, although there is no evidence that these cases were linked to India or to the new viral strain that has emerged there.

"What is of concern to us is the risk of reinfection amongst recovered workers," Mr Wong said. "These are workers that were previously infected, but now are getting infected again."

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who with Mr Wong co-chairs the multi-ministerial task force handling the pandemic, said Singapore is on heightened alert against the coronavirus, given rising case numbers and emerging virus variants around the world.

The situation may escalate quickly if Singapore lets its guard down, he added.

Viral variants - including those first detected in South Africa and Brazil - have been found in 342 imported cases and eight local cases, said MOH's director of medical services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak.

The imported cases were isolated on arrival, while the local cases were promptly isolated and ring-fenced, he said, adding that no further community spread has been detected in either instance.

But Prof Mak also warned that these numbers may increase over time as more Covid-19 cases are detected and more testing done.

Mr Gan urged Singaporeans to continue to be socially responsible and adhere to safe management measures. This applies to those who have been vaccinated as well, he said. "The recent spate of cases has reminded us that we cannot afford to let our guard down."

Mr Wong added that Singapore is facing "an invisible and very formidable enemy", noting that the emerging viral strains are a worrying development.

"Perhaps after this round of vaccination, we might have to continue with further rounds of vaccinations," he said. "Even up to beyond this year, because we will have to be confronting not just the virus today, but potentially new strains of the virus that may be more infectious and virulent."