Singapore further lifts border measures as COVID-19 situation eases

Non-fully vaccinated travelers entering Singapore will no longer be required to undergo a seven-day home quarantine upon arrival starting from 11:59pm local time on August 28 after the latest Omicron BA.5 wave has subsided in the city-state, the health authority said on Wednesday.

Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release here on Wednesday that the country had weathered the Omicron BA.5 subvariant wave without additional domestic or travel restrictions thanks to high vaccination and boosting rates, and Singapore is now able to take another step toward living with COVID-19.

According to the press release, the current requirement that non-fully vaccinated Long-Term Pass Holders and Special Tourist Visa Holders aged 13 and above are required to apply for entry approval to enter Singapore will also be lifted at the same time.

However, non-fully vaccinated travelers will continue to be required to test negative on a pre-departure test within two days before departing for Singapore.

Besides border measures, Singapore will also remove its legal requirement for mask-wearing in most indoor settings from August 29 except for places like health care facilities, welfare homes for the aged and public transport.

MOH stressed that it will remain vigilant as the situation can quickly change with the emergence of new variants.

In order to better get prepared for the next infection wave, the MOH recommends people aged 60 years and above receive a second mRNA COVID-19 booster vaccine and children aged five to 11 years receive a first booster dose.

Singapore saw a steady decline in the number of infections in its community since late July with the week-on-week infection ratio falling below 0.7, according to statistics from the MOH.

As of August 23, the seven-day average daily infections fell to 2,700 from a peak of 10,200 in mid-July. The number of daily hospitalized cases has halved from more than 800 at its recent peak in July to below 400.

So far, over 90 percent of the population in Singapore has been fully vaccinated.