Near virus-free environment vital if 'air travel bubble' is to work

IT came as no surprise, but Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung's remarks in Parliament last week - that there can be no overseas holidays this December - was a body blow to those who were still hoping this dreadful year might end on an upswing.

His caution is a sober reminder of how persistent and long-lasting the Covid-19 pandemic has become, despite Singapore having largely reined in the virus threat, with daily infections dipping to the low teens or single digits from a peak of a thousand a day. If only this trajectory is mirrored elsewhere.

Despite the sacrifices in personal liberty and livelihood, particularly during the circuit-breaker period, Singapore has succeeded in creating a safe bubble at home, as the pandemic runs amok in much of the Western world. Singapore has managed to stave off a health crisis, but is still mired in an economic one, which cannot pass until the borders are reopened fully.

Mr Ong has warned that Singapore risks losing its status as an international air hub and its attractiveness as a place to invest if its borders are closed over a prolonged period. Singapore Changi Airport is now serving just 1.5 per cent of its usual passenger volume. Its ranking as the world's busiest airport has dived to 58th from seventh in 2019.

With new cases soaring in the Americas, Europe and India, waiting for the pandemic to disappear before opening up our borders is not an option.

Therefore, it is imperative for the government to establish "Air Travel Bubbles" with safe countries or regions that would allow general travellers to cross borders without a controlled itinerary. Singapore has already unilaterally lifted travel bans on visitors from New Zealand and Brunei. It is not alone. Japan last week announced plans to lift bans next month on travel to a dozen economies including Singapore, China, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia.

It is unrealistic for short-term visitors to agree to quarantine themselves for 14 days. The idea of a general travel bubble is to let a limited number of visitors into Singapore from countries with low prevailing Covid-19 cases, and then leverage technology to undertake rapid and effective pre-testing and retesting for the virus, along with contact-tracing people who may have been exposed to it.

However, these measures merely address the host country's concerns. For the bubble to work, visitors also need reassurances in the form of clear protocols if they were to test positive while abroad. Although the cost of treatment can be met easily by broadening travel insurance cover to include Covid-19 infections, the fear of being stuck in a foreign land until full recovery will be a huge deterrent to potential visitors.

The best reassurance is to keep the local community cases in the low to zero range, and convince not just the authorities of foreign countries, but also their residents of this achievement. A Singapore Tourism Board campaign to communicate this message may be necessary, but it should be low-key and avoid the usual razzmatazz.

The pursuit of a travel-bubble arrangement must be approached with an overarching emphasis on safety. The harm of a resurgent, uncontrollable outbreak far outweighs any benefit of a limited boost to tourism.

READ MORE: Some insurers reviewing products to facilitate stepped border reopenings