Events and live performances returns to a maximum of 250 attendees (up from 100), with pre-event testing. Photo Credit: Facebook/Singapore International Energy Week
Singapore welcomed three major tourism updates last week. One, operating capacities and event size limits have increased; two, a review of the Hong Kong bubble will be back on the table in July; and three, an agreement with Australia for resuming two-way travel.
Local authorities announced on Thursday, 10 June, that they will begin to ease Covid-19 restrictions in two phases, following a steady drop in the number of cases in the community.
From today (14 June) sizes of social gatherings will increase from two to five people. Indoor and outdoor activities are capped at 30 pax in groups of up to five.
MICE events and live performances, including spectator sports, may also allow a maximum of 250 attendees (up from 100), with pre-event testing. Testing is not required for events with under 50 people.
Attractions and cruises will return to 50% operating capacity (up from 25% previously).
In the second phase, from 21 June, restaurants will also resume dine-in activities.
Hong Kong and Australia bubble talks resume
Singapore's Ministry of Transport announced last week that the twice-delayed Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble will be revisited in early July.
"Both Singapore and Hong Kong remain strongly committed to launching the ATB safely. We will continue to monitor the public health situation in both places closely," said the 10 June statement, which cited an improvement in community cases on both sides.
As well, Singapore and Australia announced an agreement towards realising an air travel bubble in a safe and calibrated manner, as a result of a meeting between both country's leaders at the sixth Australia-Singapore Annual Leaders' Meeting.
Prime ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Scott Morrison added that Singapore students in Australia would be the first to test the bubble system, before widening to a larger scale.
"We really do want to focus on those students coming, as a first wave, a first tranche — as part of the exercise of piloting how these systems can work most effectively when we get to the next phase," said Morrison, in a Straits Times report.
Discussions included mutually recognising health and vaccination certificates, Covid-19 transmission rates, and preparing the necessary infrastructure for such an arrangement.
Source: Travel Weekly Asia