SINGAPORE — Singapore’s border controls for people coming in from Hong Kong will be revised given the “deteriorating” Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Dec 11).

Travellers who have been to Hong Kong in the last 14 days and are entering Singapore from next Monday will need to serve a two-week stay-home notice at dedicated facilities.

From Dec 19, travellers from Hong Kong planning to enter Singapore must take a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours before departure and present a valid negative test.

The PCR test does not apply to Singapore citizens and permanent residents.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced earlier this month that the launch of the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble has been delayed to next year, with the exact start date to be reviewed in late December, given the Covid-19 situation in Hong Kong.

MOH said that the latest measures are needed given the increased risk of community spread in Hong Kong recently. 

It added that travellers from Fiji, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and now Hong Kong can opt out of serving their 14-day quarantine in dedicated facilities and do it at their place of residence, if they fulfil the following criteria:

• They have travelled to no other country in the last consecutive 14 days before entering Singapore

• They are occupying their place of residence alone, or only with household members who are also persons serving stay-home notices with the same travel history and duration of the notice

“As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures to manage the risk of importation and transmission to the community. Any changes to border measures will be updated on the SafeTravel website,” MOH said.

The ministry advised travellers to visit the website to check for the most updated border measures before entering Singapore so that they can prepare to be subjected to the prevailing border measures upon entry, including payment for their stay at dedicated facilities when serving their stay-home notices, tests and treatment.

It reminded travellers to accurately declare their travel history, adding that strict enforcement actions will be taken against false declarations.

Hong Kong recorded 86 new cases on Friday, 37 of which could not be traced. Friday’s tally broke a three-day streak of more than 100 daily Covid-19 cases in the city.