Singapore studying proposal from Hong Kong to re-open borders: Ong Ye Kung

SINGAPORE has received a proposal from Hong Kong to re-open borders safely, and will be studying it and "responding to Hong Kong shortly", said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Monday.

"We are very happy that Hong Kong has, in recent weeks, kept the pandemic under good control," he said in a brief statement to the media. "This is a very positive development."

The Straits Times (ST) reported on Monday that the Hong Kong government has proposed that passengers taking the Singapore-Hong Kong quarantine-free bubble flights be vaccinated.

Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau said that Hong Kong residents who take part in travel-bubble arrangements would have to complete two doses of vaccines and wait at least 14 days after the second jab before they can go on those flights.

"We have put forward the proposal to the Singapore government and we're waiting for a response, but I think it's important that we first get things right on our side - that is, before people here in Hong Kong travel, they must first be vaccinated. This is for their own protection," he said.

He also noted that the city's seven-day moving average for unknown infections has dropped to fewer than five, ST reported.

The travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong was originally slated to launch last November, but was halted before the first scheduled flight when Hong Kong saw a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Under the air-travel bubble, there would be a two-week pause if the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked coronavirus cases is more than five in either city. If the moving-average on the last day of the suspension period is five or fewer, the quarantine-free travel will resume.