Singapore tightens border measures for four South Asian countries and Thailand

SINGAPORE is barring non-resident visitors from four South Asian countries, and requiring visitors from Thailand to serve their stay home notice (SHN) in dedicated facilities, the multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19 announced on Friday, alongside the tightening of safe-management measures in the community.

From 11.59pm on May 1, all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with travel history - including transit - to Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore. This also applies to those who had obtained prior approval for entry.

This is in light of recent sharp increases in cases reported by those countries, said the taskforce.

Meanwhile, those with recent travel history to the above four countries who have yet to complete their SHN by 11.59pm on May 2 will need to complete an additional seven-day SHN at a dedicated SHN facility.

This move follows a similar curb on non-resident arrivals from India, which began the night of April 23, and is expected to exacerbate manpower shortages for the construction, marine and process industries in particular.

Measures for arrivals from Thailand are also being tightened, "given the increased risk of community spread" there.

From 11.59 pm on May 2, all travellers with recent travel history to Thailand will no longer be able to opt out of serving their 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities. This applies even to those who had earlier obtained approval to opt out.

Travellers from Fiji and Vietnam are still allowed to apply to opt out of dedicated SHN facilities, and instead serve their 14-day SHN at their place of residence, if they fulfil two criteria: One is that they must not have travelled to any other country or region in the 14 days prior to entry; the other criterion is that they must be occupying their place of residence either alone, or only with household members who are serving SHN with the same travel history and SHN duration.