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Singapore is extending its entry ban on visitors with recent travel history in Hubei province to all who are arriving from mainland China.

This will take place with effect from 11:59pm on Saturday, February 1, the government announced in a press conference on Jan. 31.

With immediate effect, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) will also suspend the issuance of all forms of new visas to those with PRC passports.

Visa changes

They will also suspend Singapore’s status as a visa-free transit facility for those with PRC passports.

Previously issued short-term and multiple-visit visas for those with PRC passports will also be suspended. During this period of suspension, they will not be allowed entry into Singapore.

This means that anyone with a China passport will be barred from entry or transit in Singapore, with certain exceptions.

Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who have travelled to mainland China within the last 14 days can enter Singapore, but they will be issued advisories to take 14-days Leave of Absence (LOA) from the time they left.

This is also true of Long-Term Pass holders, such as Work Passes and Permits, Student Pass, Dependent Pass and Long-term Visit Pass, who have been to mainland China in the past 14 days.

Appeals will be looked at on a case-by-case basis, if a person holding a China passport has been living elsewhere, for example.

Since Jan. 29 at noon, new visitors with Hubei travel history within the last 14 days, and holders of PRC passports issued in Hubei have been denied entry into Singapore, or transiting through Singapore.

Providing further context to the extended ban, the government said that the Wuhan virus has already affected all provinces, so the risk is higher of people outside of Hubei getting infected.

They also said that the number of confirmed cases outside Hubei is expected to increase.

However, there has been no community spread of the virus in Singapore so far.

Lawrence Wong, co-chair of the Wuhan virus task force and National Development Minister, emphasised that it is not nationality-based, instead it is a travel restriction for all travellers regardless of nationality with recent travel history to china.

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ICA to check travel history of people entering Singapore

Immigration & Checkpoint Authority (ICA) officers will also check the travel history of those coming into Singapore.

If they have travelled to mainland China in the past 14 days, they will not be allowed to enter Singapore.

Exceptions will be made for flight crews.

The government stated that the measures that were announced didn’t just come in response to the recent WHO announcement.

The government does get more info from WHO announcements, but the reason lies in the fact that day by day there is more information from Hubei and how the situation is evolving beyond Hubei.

Of the 13 confirmed cases in Singapore so far, all were China nationals who arrived from Wuhan before China’s travel ban out of the larger Hubei province, as well as Singapore’s own ban, were implemented.

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