Hong Kong, Singapore to allow travel to each other without quarantines from November 22

A travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore will begin on November 22, the two cities announced on Wednesday, as they moved to re-establish overseas travel links and lift the hurdle of quarantine for visiting foreigners.

Hong Kong’s Commerce Secretary and Singapore’s Transport Minister said the scheme would begin with one flight a day into each city, with a quota of 200 travellers per flight. This would be increased to two flights a day into each city from December 7.

The bubble will be suspended for two weeks if either Hong Kong or Singapore reports a seven-day moving average of more than five untraceable coronavirus infections, according to the Hong Kong government.

No quarantine would be required in either place and there would be no restrictions on the purpose of travel, but travelers from both cities must travel on designated flights and must have a negative virus test result before they leave, when they arrive and before they return. They must also have no travel history to any places other than Singapore or Hong Kong in the last 14 days prior to their departure.

“Hong Kong and Singapore are similar in terms of epidemic control. Both are regional aviation hubs and international cities, enjoying strong trade, investment, finance, tourism and people-to-people ties,” said Hong Kong’s secretary for commerce and economic development Edward Yau. “The revival of cross-border air travel between the two places is of utmost importance.”

Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said the travel bubble was the first of its kind in the world and enabled both cities to open up borders in a controlled manner, while maintaining safety.

“While we may be starting small, this is an important step forward ... It will be a useful reference for other countries and regions that have controlled the epidemic, and are contemplating opening their borders.”

Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines would be the carriers offering the initial designated travel bubble flights, according to authorities.

For Hong Kong, which has banned non-residents since March, the deal with Singapore is its first resumption of travel ties with another city. Travelers from China’s mainland and neighboring Macau still face 14 days in quarantine.

Eligible Hong Kong residents in Guangdong Province and Macau will be exempt from quarantine in Hong Kong under a quota scheme from November 23, as long as they register test negative for the coronavirus, Hong Kong authorities announced on Wednesday.

At the beginning, a daily quota of 3,000 would be set at the Shenzhen Bay Port and 2,000 at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Hong Kong Port.

(Agencies)