Advertisement

COVID-19: Singapore tightens measures for travellers from Turkey, Finland

An airport worker seen walking past the empty check-in rows at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 on 11 October 2020. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)
An airport worker seen walking past the empty check-in rows at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 on 11 October 2020. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE — Singapore authorities on Thursday (26 November) announced that travellers from Finland and Turkey entering the city-state will be required to serve their 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) at dedicated facilities, given the spike in COVID-19 cases in both countries.

This will take effect from 11.59pm on Saturday even if they have obtained approval to opt out earlier, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Previously, as announced on 27 October, travellers from Finland and Turkey were allowed to serve their SHN at a suitable place of residence.

Travellers from Fiji, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand will continue to be allowed to apply to opt-out of dedicated facilities and serve their SHN at their place of residence.

However, this only applies if they have not travelled elsewhere apart from the above-mentioned countries in the last consecutive 14 days prior to entry and are occupying their place of residence alone, or only with household members who are also persons serving the notice with the same travel history and duration of the notice.

The COVID-19 tests will continue to be administered before the end of the notice, said authorities.

From 11.59pm last Sunday, travellers from Malaysia and Japan were also required to serve the 14-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities, given the spike in COVID-19 cases in both countries.

Finland’s prime minister on Thursday announced that the country’s COVID-19 situation has “worsened rapidly” in recent days, while Turkey recently recorded 28,351 new cases, its highest reported daily tally ever.

On the same day, the MOH confirmed five new COVID-19 cases in Singapore, one of which is a locally-transmitted infection, the first such case in 16 days.

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

More Singapore stories:

Singapore stays 'committed', says MOT on report of Malaysia's plan to end HSR at JB

Third national distribution of reusable masks to begin on Monday at over 800 locations

OBITUARY: Brilliance of Diego Maradona's genius overshadows the darkness of his life