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Eligible short-term visit pass holders in Singapore will now be able to get vaccinated against Covid-19, as of Wednesday (Aug. 18).
The extension of the Covid-19 national vaccination programme is to "further strengthen the resilience of our society against Covid-19", said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Eligible short-term pass holders can get vaccinated
In a press release on Wednesday, MOH announced that eligible short-term pass holders who have been in Singapore for an extended period of time will be able to get vaccinated.
This group includes short-term work pass and special pass holders, such as those on Training Employment Passes, Training Work Permits, Work Holiday Passes, and Special Passes.
In addition, vaccination will also be available to eligible Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) holders who have been in Singapore for at least 60 days continuously.
Many of these STVP holders were unable to return because of global travel restrictions during the pandemic.
As of Aug. 16, MOH said, 76 per cent of Singapore's population has received the full vaccination regiment, and 82 per cent have received at least one dose.
Daily administration is decreasing, to about 40,000 doses a day, compared to 80,000 at its peak.
Registration process
Age-eligible Training Employment Pass, Training Work Permit, Work Holiday Pass, and Special Pass holders may walk-in to any vaccination centre to receive their first dose without a prior appointment.
They need to bring with them identifying documents, such as their passport and their work or special passes for verification.
These pass holders will not be notified by MOH, and will not be able to walk-in to polyclinics of participating Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs).
Over the coming days, MOH will progressively send SMSes to eligible STVP holders with valid phone numbers registered with the government.
The SMS will include a personalised booking link to vaccine.gov.sg, where individuals can book their appointments.
STVP holders will not be able to walk-in to any of the vaccination sites without an appointment.
STVP holders with valid pass extensions who do not receive an SMS from MOH by Aug. 22 may request for an appointment by sending MOH supporting immigration documentation via www.vaccine.gov.sg/appeal.
MOH said that it will review such requests on a case-by-case basis over the next few weeks.
The eligible short-term pass holders mentioned above may view their vaccination status in the TraceTogether App from late-September 2021 onwards.
Vaccination will be free
Covid-19 vaccination will be free for eligible short-term pass holders.
However, they will not qualify for the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for Covid-19 Vaccination (VIFAP).
Any medical bills that they incur following the vaccination appointment will also be subject to the prevailing charging policies.
Top photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash.
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