Following the confirmation of 65 imported Omicron cases, Singapore has stopped selling airline and bus tickets to travelers from its Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL).
The measure will take effect at least from Dec. 23 to January 20, both dates inclusive.
“With effect from 22 December 2021, 2359hrs (SGT), there will be no new ticket sales for designated VTL (Air) flights for entry into Singapore from all VTL countries until 20 January 2022, 2359hrs (SGT),” Immigration and Checkpoints Authority announced.
In response to the new restrictions, Indian airlines have expressed they will reschedule flights to follow the regulations.
Affected travelers are passengers from Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Maldives, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and the US who can travel to Singapore under the VTL initiative.
However, those who have already booked their tickets will not be affected by the change and will be able to travel to Singapore as planned.
The government also announced that allowed VTL flights must henceforth operate at 50% of their former capacity.
Singapore is the latest Asian country to halt its reopening for international travels over concerns regarding the disconcerting Omicron strain. Thailand, for instance, took similar action just yesterday.
“Our border measures will help to buy us time to study and understand the Omicron variant, and to strengthen our defenses, including enhancing our healthcare capacity, and getting more people vaccinated and boosted,” reads a statement from the Health Ministry.
Singapore has warned visitors to limit their social interactions, avoid crowds, and refrain from visiting restaurants for the first seven days of their stay, even if their daily COVID-19 test returns negative.
The COVID-19 caseload in Singapore has dropped from a daily high of over 4,600 in late October to just 221 on Dec. 21.
But, according to a Bloomberg report, the country is detecting an average of 50 new imported cases per day -mostly Omicron-.
Among the new cases, 226 are locally transmitted, with 221 in the community and five in a migrant workers’ dorm.