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Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble postponed to after December

The departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal 3.
The departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal 3. (PHOTO: Ore Huiying/Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble (ATB) arrangement will be further postponed to beyond December, as local unlinked COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong remain high.

In a media release on Tuesday (1 December), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said that the exact commencement date of the ATB will be reviewed in late December.

It has advised passengers to contact their airlines regarding their travel plans.

The ATB arrangement – in which travellers between Singapore and Hong Kong are subject to COVID-19 tests in lieu of quarantine or Stay-Home Notice – was originally scheduled to begin on 22 November, but was postponed for two weeks on 21 November after a surge in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong.

Under the terms of the agreement, the bubble will be suspended if the seven-day moving average of unlinked cases exceeds five per day. On Monday, the moving average in Hong Kong was 16.

So far, Hong Kong has a total of more than 6,300 cases, including 109 deaths. The latest number of daily new infections has crossed 70 for more than a week.

Travellers may still continue their journey to either Singapore or Hong Kong on non-designated ATB flights. However, they will be subject to the prevailing border control and health requirements of both cities.

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