Singapore tightens rules for unvaccinated; simplifies testing protocols

Sharon See

Published Sat, Oct 9, 2021 · 01:47 PM

UNVACCINATED individuals in Singapore will no longer be able to dine at eateries or visit shopping malls and attractions from Oct 13, even as the Republic moves to streamline its healthcare protocols to live with Covid-19 endemically.

Extending such vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS) - currently only in place at food and beverage (F&B) establishments - will protect unvaccinated individuals and reduce the strain on Singapore's healthcare system, the country's Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce said on Saturday (Oct 9).

At the moment, unvaccinated individuals can dine at coffee shops and hawker centres, limited to two in a group.

Enterprises that are able to implement the expanded VDS earlier are strongly encouraged to do so, the taskforce said in a virtual briefing following a speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that was streamed live at noon.

Noting that there will be no change to the rest of the measures during this "stabilisation" phase, taskforce co-chair Lawrence Wong said there are some who are asking why Singapore is holding back the relaxation of measures on account of individuals who have deliberately chosen not to be vaccinated.

"Our concern goes beyond these unvaccinated individuals. In fact, many, many Singaporeans are genuinely concerned also about the health and well-being of their parents and their grandparents who are vaccinated, as well as the safety of their young children who remain ineligible for vaccines during this time," said Wong.

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He added that Singapore will ease out of its stabilisation measures in a calibrated manner to ensure it will always have the ability to provide medical care to anyone who falls seriously ill from Covid-19.

With about 83 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, companies believe the new rules for unvaccinated individuals are unlikely to have a significant impact on business.

"But businesses that are impacted by the lack of footfall would definitely wish that we could open up faster than existing rules, instead of tightening such that unvaccinated people cannot go to malls," said Ang Yuit, vice president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME), describing the new restriction a "dampener" mitigated by the expanded Vaccinated Travel Lanes.

On the other hand, Singapore Business Federation (SBF) chief executive Lam Yi Young believes these rules could provide "greater peace of mind" for businesses and vaccinated customers, while nudging those on the fence to get their shot.

Meanwhile, the taskforce is revising the country's healthcare protocols to reserve polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for symptomatic cases. Antigen rapid tests (ART) will be used for individuals who are well.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said this is because the Delta variant's viral load tends to be higher, allowing the ART to do a "pretty good job" at detecting someone who is infectious.

Exit PCRs will no longer be needed for individuals to clear a quarantine order, which will also be phased out in favour of self-isolation.

"A system like that is less watertight than today's quarantine system, but it can significantly and substantively manage the risk," said Ong, who also co-chairs the taskforce.

"As we move towards living with Covid-19, if we restrict large numbers of people every day over prolonged periods to weed out the last risk tail, it is actually not sustainable and, in fact, very frustrating and disruptive to many," he said.

The revised protocols apply from Oct 11.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will be distributing a package of 10 ART kits to each household from Oct 22 to Dec 7.

Those who have tested positive and are feeling unwell should still see a doctor. They will then be placed on the Home Recovery Programme if they are vaccinated and if their home environment is suitable.

Vaccinated individuals will be isolated for 10 days, while unvaccinated ones and young children will be isolated for 14 days.

For individuals who have tested positive but are feeling well, they should self-isolate for 72 hours then test themselves again. They may exit isolation and resume normal activities if they test negative.

Those who have received a Health Risk Warning (HRW) should immediately self-isolate and test themselves with an ART. They can continue normal activities if the test is negative.

Such individuals should test daily until day 7 before going out. If the test is negative on day 7, there is no further need for tests.

"This is a significant change and a pivot in our strategy. All the complicated rules frustrate people and are a constant reminder to people that Covid-19 is a scary disease," said Ong.

More than 98 per cent of those who are infected exhibit mild or no symptoms, he said, adding that the risk falls mainly on unvaccinated individuals above 60 as well as all individuals above 80.

"If we recognise this and then change the protocols, I believe we can lift the fear and confusion surrounding Covid-19 and we can all exercise personal responsibility and do our part to overcome the pandemic and then focus our efforts on the vulnerable groups," Ong said.

Calling this period the "toughest part of our transition to a Covid-19 resilient nation", Ong urged Singaporeans to do their part to alleviate the pressure on healthcare workers.

"Don't leave them to carry the burden as the last line of defence. We can do our part to stand up as the first line of defence, and we can do so by cutting back on our social activities," he said.

The greater emphasis on self-isolation and home recovery could indicate a need for a higher level of trust and communication between employers and their staff, businesses said.

Lam said employers should allow employees who need to self-isolate, to work from home where possible. If they are unable to do so, the period of absence should be treated as paid sick leave, in line with the tripartite advisory issued on Sep 25, he added.

Ang said companies should also take this opportunity to strengthen their human resources, to ensure their processes are robust and digitalised.

As for vaccine boosters, the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination is expanding Singapore's booster programme to more people from Oct 9.

This includes healthcare and frontline workers, persons and staff in institutionalised settings, as well as persons aged 30 and above.

So far, almost 372,000 individuals have received their booster shot as of Oct 7. The programme currently covers persons aged 50 and above.

About 57 per cent of individuals aged 50 to 59, and 72 per cent of those aged 60 and above, who are eligible for their booster dose have either booked an appointment or already received their booster dose.

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