Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble spiked

Singapore and Hong Kong will no longer launch the long-delayed travel bubble for quarantine-free travel between the two cities.

"Both sides are focused on keeping our populations safe and minimising the risk of imported cases. But our strategies differ, with Singapore now taking steps to becoming a Covid-resilient nation," Transport Minister S. Iswaran said yesterday.

He added: "Against this backdrop, my Hong Kong counterpart, Secretary Edward Yau, and I have discussed and concluded that we will not be able to launch or sustain the air travel bubble in its present form."

Mr Iswaran said Singapore and Hong Kong remain committed to facilitating travel between each other, given that both cities are financial and aviation hubs with close ties.

However, Hong Kong is tightening its border control measures from today, with vaccinated travellers from Singapore and other places deemed to be of medium-risk of infection having to serve a 14-day quarantine, instead of seven days.

Meanwhile, Singapore yesterday announced that visitors from Hong Kong and Macau can enter the Republic with just one on-arrival Covid-19 swab test. They will be allowed to go about their activities if they test negative.

The travel bubble was slated to launch last November but was postponed to May after Hong Kong had a surge in cases.

It was derailed again after a spike in cases in Singapore in May and then June.

Hong Kong legislators had last month urged the government to scrap the plan as Singapore shifts from a zero-infection strategy, which Hong Kong places great importance on.

They reasoned that having zero coronavirus case is a requirement for the territory to reopen borders with the mainland.

Singaporeans in Hong Kong were mostly delighted at the news that there would be no quarantine for people entering Singapore from Hong Kong from today.

Ms Janice Chia has not returned home since January last year. The 44-year-old, who works in education, said: "I am thrilled to know that I can travel back to Singapore without quarantine, even though I still need to serve a 14-day quarantine in Hong Kong."

But others like retired banking professional Tan Lay Hoon, 54, were "disappointed" the bubble has popped, though she did think it might have been inevitable.

She said she had expected Singapore's unilateral move because it "had opened up to Taiwan, so why not for Hong Kong when Hong Kong has fewer cases".

"I think there is clarity in the regulations and there is no need to wait for the travel bubble, so we just have to bite the bullet and serve the 14 days (in Hong Kong)," said Ms Tan.

The Hong Kong government said yesterday it welcomed Singapore's move, and it remains committed to facilitating connectivity between the two places.