March 28, 2024

Erichoffer

Savvy business masters

COVID-19: Travellers to Singapore will receive notice of stay-home requirement before arrival

SINGAPORE: Travellers arriving in Singapore from 9am on Friday (Mar 27) will be notified of their stay-home requirement via email before they arrive in the country, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a news release on Wednesday.

The move will enable travellers to be notified of the requirements in advance, instead of only during immigration clearance in Singapore.

They will also be warned in advance of the penalties they face should they fail to comply with the 14-day stay-home notice.

READ: COVID-19 FAQ: When will a stay-home notice be issued, and what does it mean?

Singapore has been progressively tightening its border restriction measures as the country seeks to tackle a rise in COVID-19 cases, many from overseas Singaporeans returning home.

As part of new measures to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak, all travellers – including residents and long-term pass holders – arriving in Singapore from 9am on Friday will have to submit a health declaration online before proceeding with immigration clearance.

They can submit the declaration up to three days before arrival.

Upon submission of their health declaration, travellers will be sent an acknowledgement e-mail.

They will also receive a reminder of the stay-home notice requirement, 24 hours before their arrival.

After they land, travellers will need to show the acknowledgment e-mail – either a mobile device or a print-out – to ICA officers.

Those who do not have an acknowledgment e-mail will face delays while clearing immigration, said the authority.

READ: COVID-19: PM Lee urges returning travellers to stay home, isolate themselves

Anyone who does not comply with a stay-home notice requirement may be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Other penalties included the shortening of the validity or total revocation of various passes that enable them to stay in Singapore. Students may face disciplinary action, including suspension or dismassal.

As of Wednesday, Singapore has confirmed 631 cases of COVID-19. The country has seen two deaths related to the disease, a 75-year-old Singaporean woman and a 64-year-old Indonesian man.

Recent days have seen a spike in the number of imported cases, and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has warned the country to to prepare for an “expected surge” in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month the authorities announced that all Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and short-term visitors returning from overseas will be issued a 14-day stay-home notice. 

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