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A plan to house business travellers to Singapore in a travel bubble within dedicated facilities has been delayed.

According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the appointment process for the facilities are still ongoing.

Plan was first announced on Dec. 15, 2020

The plan, which is named Connect@Singapore, had been first announced on Dec. 15, 2020.

Under the plan, Connect@Singapore would have allowed the entry of a limited number of business, official, and high economic value travellers from all countries who are coming to Singapore for short-term stays of up to 14 days.

Such travellers will be required to stay within a bubble at appointed facilities, which will put in place measures to separate them from other individuals, and subject them to am enhanced Covid-19 testing regimen.

Applications for travel under the bubble were originally meant to start in Jan.2021

Dec. 15 also saw MTI initially announce that travel applications will open in the middle of Jan., with the initiative's first few travellers expected to arrive by the second half of the same month.

The Ministry's spokesperson subsequently added in their latest statement that, "the traveller application start date will be broadly aligned with the estimated operational start date of the first Connect@Singapore facility."

Business travel bubble is part of a larger effort to re-open safely

The plan is part of a broader effort to re-open Singapore's borders in a safe and controlled manner, so as to facilitate essential global business exchanges and support the revival of the country's air hub status and hospitality sector.

The delay follows another announcement on Feb. 3, in which the World Economic Forum proposed to pushback its Special Annual Meeting in Singapore to Aug. 17-20, in light of the Covid-19 situation.

Singapore has since agreed to the reschedule.

It was originally slated for May 13-16.

Top screenshot via Connect@Changi video