S'pore-HK air travel bubble likely to be delayed again

The air travel bubble to allow for quarantine-free travel between Singapore and Hong Kong is likely to be delayed yet again, given the rising number of Covid-19 community cases in Singapore.

Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said yesterday: "It is very likely that Singapore will not be able to meet the resumption criteria.

"What we will do now is to closely monitor the numbers the next few days to review the start date, and early next week, we will make a decision and an announcement."

The bubble was slated to take off on May 26, six months after its initial planned launch last November. It was deferred by both parties, owing to the worsening Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong.

Both cities had agreed that the air travel bubble would be suspended when the seven-day moving average of unlinked community cases in either Singapore or Hong Kong increases to more than five.

There have been 16 unlinked Covid-19 cases in Singapore in the past week. This works out to a moving average of about two cases a day, which is still below the threshold for triggering a pause in the travel bubble.

Mr Ong, who was speaking at a virtual media conference held by the task force combating the pandemic, said he had briefed Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau yesterday morning about the Covid-19 situation in Singapore.

He said both cities are strongly committed to the bubble, but have to start it safely. They would also respect the resumption mechanisms that both sides had agreed on.

Mr Ong, who takes over as Singapore Health Minister from today, said that Hong Kong is a "very safe region" now, with daily Covid-19 cases ranging between zero and two.

According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, Mr Yau said yesterday that Mr Ong has told him that there might be a high chance the bubble arrangement may not be able to resume as planned on May 26.

Mr Yau also cited the need for "absolute precautions".

Earlier this week, both cities had expressed optimism that the bubble could still take flight.

Mr Yau had on Wednesday noted that the seven-day moving average of unlinked cases in both cities was below the threshold of five.

Singapore's Transport Ministry said the same day that Hong Kong was "recording very low or zero daily cases currently", adding that it will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation in both cities.