Coronavirus Singapore
S'pore opens doors to visitors from Taiwan in unilateral move
They can enter for all forms of travel and won't need to be quarantined, but must test negative for virus on arrival
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This sign at a university library in Taipei earlier this month warns all visitors to be masked up or face a stiff fine. The CAAS said that Taiwan has controlled the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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Toh Ting Wei, Katherine Wei
Visitors from Taiwan will be able to come into Singapore for all forms of travel and not be quarantined from next Friday, provided they test negative for Covid-19 on arrival.
The same applies to Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from Taiwan, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said yesterday, as it announced the Republic's decision to unilaterally open its borders to Taiwan.
It said Taiwan has a comprehensive public health surveillance system and has controlled the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
"Over the past 28 days, Taiwan has zero local Covid-19 cases. The risk of importation from Taiwan is low," CAAS added.
Visitors from Taiwan can apply for an Air Travel Pass for entry into Singapore from Dec 18. They will have to adhere to requirements such as using the TraceTogether app, and paying for their medical bills related to Covid-19, if any.
The CAAS will also update Singapore's travel advisory to allow for travel to Taiwan.
The opening is unilateral, as restrictions in Taiwan remain in place, with leisure and social visits by foreigners currently banned.
Taiwanese citizens who want to travel out of the territory can do so. But they will have to test negative for Covid-19 within three days prior to their return flight to Taiwan.
They will then have to be quarantined for 14 days after they return to Taiwan.
Taiwan is the sixth place that Singapore has unilaterally opened up to, after Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China, New Zealand and Vietnam.
The CAAS said that as at 11.59pm on Thursday, it had approved 9,284 applications for visitors from these places, and received 4,050 visitors.
As at 11.59pm on Wednesday, all visitors who arrived in Singapore under the Air Travel Pass scheme have tested negative for Covid-19.
Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post that he hopes the reopening arrangements will let families and loved ones reunite amid the upcoming festive period.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said Singapore's relaxing of quarantine restrictions for Taiwanese travellers would gradually allow safe travel between both places, and will be helpful to business and trade.
It added that Singapore opening its doors to Taiwanese travellers and replacing quarantine with screenings will build up mutual trust, which "will be beneficial in discussing the possibilities of opening a travel bubble".
Taiwanese Yi-jen Lee, 31, who works in a non-governmental organisation in San Francisco but is back in Taiwan to visit her family, said: "I am back in Taiwan because we have done a good job containing the virus, and I think people are more cautious because of the government's hard work."
She expressed cautiousness about travelling to Singapore, given the recent community cases, and added: "I don't think I am going to be visiting any other country soon, even though I do miss travelling in South-east Asia."
Correction note: An earlier version of this article said Taiwanese are required to be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival in Taiwan. We are sorry for the error.
