Malaysian cargo drivers who have received both shots of the Covid-19 vaccine in Singapore will be exempted from daily Covid-19 tests conducted on arrival 14 days after the second shot, CNA reported.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) was quoted as saying that such drivers and accompanying personnel who have completed their vaccination will receive an acknowledgement in the form of a SMS, along with a certificate of immunisation.

However, they may still be subjected to occasional tests at land checkpoints, the ministry clarified.

Vaccination drive of delivery personnel who enter Singapore is ongoing

Currently, both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are approved for use in Singapore.

Earlier in March, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that vaccinations will be offered to select cargo drivers and accompanying personnel who enter Singapore from Malaysia on a regular basis to deliver essential goods, in order to minimise risk of transmission risks.

Those who are eligible for vaccination will be notified via a personalised SMS from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and will then be contacted for an appointment to undergo vaccination at designated sites in Singapore.

Delivery personnel who are not vaccinated may continue to enter Singapore, subject to the prevailing infection control measures such as on-arrival testing and corresponding safe management measures.

This includes the Antigen Rapid Test which was made compulsory at the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoint on Jan. 22 for cargo drivers and accompanying personnel entering Singapore.

Some drivers have welcomed the drive for vaccination, in hopes that congestion stemming from the time it takes to clear customs will ease.

Malaysians working in high-risk sectors in Singapore have also begun receiving the vaccine

In addition, some Malaysians working in Singapore have begun to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

They are largely workers in sectors that have been prioritised for vaccination by the Singapore government.

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the construction, marine and process sector, as well as migrant workers, have been prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine as they have been identified as jobs or settings where risk of a super-spreading event is high.

In addition, migrant workers will also receive the vaccine for free, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan.

Thus far, around 100,000 Malaysians are expected to receive the vaccine.

Top photo by Matthias Ang