Singapore: Permanent Residents, Long-Term Pass Holders To Be Penalised For Flouting Covid Norms

Last week, Singapore issued a warning to cancel the permit or pass of permanent residents and long-term pass holders who refused to follow the new Covid-19 safety protocols. 

“Permanent Residents (PRs) and long-term pass holders who fail to comply with the new requirement may have their permit or pass cancelled,” the Ministry of Health (MOH) specified in a release. 

The announcement coincides with Singapore tightening border measures for people travelling from Australia and China’s Jiangsu province after an increase in COVID-19 cases were reported particularly from these places. The new measures are already in place. 

Travellers coming in with a travel history to Australia within the last 21 days will have to comply with a 14-day stay-home notice (SHN), up from seven days, the MOH has confirmed. The travellers are free to do these either at their place of residence or at a dedicated facility. 

Those who wish to stay at their place of residence are required to stay there alone, or with members who have the same SHN duration and travel history. 

As per the rules, these people should not have travelled to any other region within the last 21 days. 

Upon arrival and before the end of isolation, incoming travellers must take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Further, on their third, seventh and eleventh day of isolation, they are needed to take antigen rapid tests. 

The travellers will have to present a negative PCR test taken within the last 72 hours, before departing for Singapore. 

Incoming Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who have travelled to China’s Jiangsu province within the last 21 days are required to serve a seven-day SHN at their place of residence. They too will need to take a PCR test on arrival and before their isolation ends. 

However, people from other parts of China do not need to serve an SHN if their PCR test is negative on arrival, and can go about their daily activities normally. 

Short-term travellers with an air travel pass who have been to Jiangsu province within the last 21 days are not permitted to enter Singapore. 

According to the MOH, border measures will continue to be adjusted to manage the risk of imported cases. 

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