March 13, 2020, 12:15 PM
From Mar. 15, 2020, 2359 hrs, Singapore will ban all new visitors who have travel history to Italy, France, Spain, and Germany in the last 14 days.
They will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore.
This latest announcement was made by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Mar. 13) morning, at the Multi-Ministry Taskforce for Covid-19's latest press conference.
He also announced new travel advisories for Singaporeans planning trips to Italy, France, Germany and Spain, urging all to defer or avoid non-essential travel to these countries.
Singapore residents and long term pass holders to be served with Stay-Home Notices
Exceptions will be made for the following groups of people, but they will be issued 14-day Stay-Home Notices:
- Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents with travel history to Italy, France, Spain, and Germany in the last 14 days.
- Long term pass holders with travel history to Italy, France, Spain, and Germany in the last 14 days. This includes holders of work passes, Students Passes, Dependents' Passes, and Long Term Visit Passes.
The same measures apply, as previously announced, for the aforementioned groups returning from mainland China (outside Hubei province), Iran, and the Republic of Korea.
Travel Advisory to Italy, France, Spain, and Germany
In view of the developing Covid-19 situation in Europe, the Ministry of Health (MOH) also advised Singaporeans to defer all non-essential travel to Italy, France, Spain, and Germany because of their high case numbers and high rates of increase.
This in addition to its ongoing advisories to defer all travel to Hubei, China, as well as non-essential travel to the rest of mainland China, Iran, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
Additionally, MOH also advises caution when travelling to countries affected by Covid-19, especially those with exported cases including Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.
As the global situation is ever evolving, Singaporeans are reminded to check MOH's website for updated information and advisories.
What is a Stay-Home Notice?
People served with Stay-Home Notices must remain in their place of residence at all times for 14 days.
Those who require special assistance, for example, for their food and daily necessities, can seek help from the following:
- Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents (PRs) and Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders can seek assistance from the People’s Association.
- Students can seek assistance from their schools and institutions, or the Ministry of Education.
- Those on work passes can seek assistance from their employers or MOM.
Lawrence Wong: Need for more rigorous surveillance on Singapore's borders
National Development Minister and Co-chair of the Multi Ministry Task Force for Covid-19 Lawrence Wong said in a press conference on Friday (Mar. 13) that there is a need for more rigorous surveillance on Singapore's borders.
He also said these are temporary border restrictions which are dynamic and will be reviewed regularly as the global situation changes.
"We are constantly looking at how we can minimise the number of imported cases coming into Singapore and we will see if there are better ways of doing this," said Wong.
Beyond travel restrictions though, Wong added, there is a need to do more within Singapore to contain or slow down the spread of the virus, which is already circulating within the population.
Top photo via VisitSingapore.
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