GEIS-新闻详情

Stay-home notice cut to 14 days for travellers from high-risk areas, but additional Covid-19 rapid tests a must

2021-06-23 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - All new travellers arriving from high-risk countries and regions must be placed on a 14-day stay home notice (SHN) from Thursday (June 24) instead of serving 21 days at dedicated facilities.

However, they must take an antigen rapid test using self-test kits on the third, seventh and eleventh day after arriving in Singapore.

This new requirement will come into force on Monday (June 28).

Travellers can collect the self-test kits when they reach the SHN facilities.

The higher risk places include all countries or regions except Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macao, China, and New Zealand.

The new measures do not apply to those who are now serving their 21-day SHN.

Affected travellers who are now serving their SHN will have their SHN reviewed and they will be informed of their check-out arrangements separately.

The Health Ministry, in a statement on Wednesday, said while there is increased transmissibility with the new variants of concern, it found no evidence - from both overseas and local data - that these variants come with longer incubation periods.

It added that since the 21-day SHN for all travellers with recent travel history to higher risk countries or regions was implemented from May 8, there were 270 imported cases among such travellers, as at Tuesday.

MOH said: "All of them had incubation periods well within the 14-day window. As such, we will reduce the SHN period from 21 days back to 14 days."

However, to identify potential infection cases early and provide infected travellers with appropriate medical care as soon as possible, travellers will be required to test themselves regularly with antigen rapid test (ART) self-test kits on the third, seventh and eleventh day of their arrival in Singapore, while serving their SHN.

This is on top of the Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests they have to take on arrival in Singapore, and on Day 14 of their arrival, before they finish their SHN.

ART is a quick screening tool to detect the presence of the Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. It is able to pick up infections early and can be done in less than 20 minutes.

PCR tests are done by taking swabs from the nose or back of throat, or from sputum. These tests are the gold standards for testing and look for genetic sequences of Covid-19.

MOH on Wednesday also said travellers who were in Taiwan and Israel 21 days immediately before arriving in Singapore will be allowed to apply to opt out of dedicated SHN facilities, and serve their 14-Day SHN in their homes.

However, they must not have travelled to any other country or region in the last 21 days and they must be living alone or only with household members who are also serving their SHN, with the same travel history and duration of SHN.

Refund details are being worked out for travellers who are affected by these changes and they will be informed, MOH said.