A day after National Day, Singapore begins road to normalcy with 'vaccination differentiated' approach
Dining-in resumes for fully vaccinated people in up to groups of five; 78% of population have taken at least one dose
Singapore
SINGAPORE starts down the road to normalcy with a "vaccination differentiated" strategy from Aug 10 when activities such as dining-in will be allowed for vaccinated people in up to groups of five, the government's multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19 announced on Friday.
The start date is more than a week ahead of the original plan to resume dining-in and other higher-risk activities on Aug 19, after the end of the current Phase 2 (Heightened Alert).
Unvaccinated children aged 12 and below can be included in a group of five if they are from the same household. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, can dine in at hawker centres and coffee shops from Aug 10, but only in groups of two.
Several other restrictions will also be eased on Aug 10 - the cap on group sizes for social gatherings increased from two to five, while households will be allowed to receive up to five distinct visitors per day.
As of Aug 10, the government's definition of a vaccinated person refers to anyone who has taken Covid-19 vaccines under the World Health Organization's emergency use list.
This means that all those who have taken both doses of the Sinovac, Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines will also be eligible for the vaccination-differentiated safe management measures, after two weeks have passed from their second jab.
As of Aug 5, 78 per cent of Singapore's population have received at least one dose of a vaccine under the national inoculation programme. Two-thirds have received two doses.
Meanwhile, restrictions relating to higher-risk activities including high-intensity sports with masks off, personal care services, and larger events like marriage and solemnisation and worship services, will also be eased for vaccinated persons.
Unvaccinated individuals with a valid negative pre-event test result or recovered individuals may also join in such groups of five.
Separately, the Ministry of Manpower will resume entry approvals for fully vaccinated workpass holders and their dependents with travel history to higher risk countries or regions. They must be fully vaccinated before arrival in Singapore and will be subjected to prevailing health protocols.
The above measures are part of the first of a four-step transition to becoming a Covid-19 resilient nation, said Minister for Health and taskforce co-chair Ong Ye Kung at a press conference.
"This is when we will make important adjustments to healthcare protocols, rules on social activities and travel, to prepare ourselves for the transition," he said.
This first stage should last for about a month until early September, at which point 80 per cent of the population is expected to be fully vaccinated.
Assuming the situation remains under control, limits will be further increased from Aug 19. These include increasing the capacities for worship services, cinemas, Mice events and live performances, as well as easing of work-from home requirements.
Trade and Industry Minister and taskforce co-chair Gan Kim Yong warned, however, that there are still "significant uncertainties", including rising numbers of Covid-19 cases worldwide and the risk of a new variant entering Singapore.
"We have to remain vigilant... to ensure that even as the number of cases grows, the number of serious cases remain under control, and our hospital healthcare system continues to be able to cope," he said.
"We need to continue to be nimble... and be prepared to make adjustments as we go along, in terms of the pace of opening. Sometimes, we may need to reimpose some of the measures just to buy us time."
It was also announced that workers in selected sectors will have to undergo vaccination or regular Covid-19 testing.
This regime - to take effect from Oct 1 - will be introduced for those in the healthcare and eldercare sectors, and settings with children aged 12 years and below; in sectors that involve customer interactions in higher risk mask-off settings such as gyms and fitness studios; and public service officers.
People who are unvaccinated will have to be tested with an antigen rapid test kit twice a week. These tests will be subsidised only if the unvaccinated worker is medically ineligible for vaccines.
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said it is important for workers in these settings to be vaccinated, adding that regular tests in lieu of vaccination will help to protect these workers, their colleagues, and the people they serve in the course of their work.
