A woman walks past dining domes, installations which help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, at Capitol Singapore Outdoor Plaza, Singapore, on Oct. 21, 2020. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

 
Singapore will lift its entry restrictions on visitors from the Chinese mainland on Nov 6, Singaporean Ambassador in China Lui Tuck Yew announced Thursday on China’s twitter-like Sina Weibo. 

Travelers must have stayed in the mainland for 14 days before arriving and must take a nucleic acid test at the airport upon their arrival. Visitors who have a negative nucleic acid test can then travel freely in Singapore and will not be subject to home isolation.

Starting from noon on October 30, travelers from the Chinese mainland can apply for an Air Travel Pass to enter the country, the announcement said. Notably, the travellers should arrive in Singapore by direct flight without a transit.

They are also required to use a mobile App called “TraceTogether” during their stay, which will be used for tracing contacts of COVID-19 cases.

The new rules are also applicable to travellers from the state of Victoria in Australia, according to the announcement.

It said that the incidence rates in the Chinese mainland and Victoria were as low as 0.0009 and 0.099 per 100,000 people respectively in the past 28 days, so the risk of importing coronavirus is low.

The Chinese mainland and Victoria have comprehensive public health monitoring systems that have achieved remarkable results in epidemic control, it said. 

The lifting of travel restrictions was welcomed by some Chinese netizens who believe it will allow cross-border exchange amid the coronavirus.

“It is really good as business travel will be much more convenient under the new rule,” a Chinese netizen commented on Sina Weibo.

However, some still have a cautious attitude to international travel given the infection risk, as the COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally. Those who want to go as tourists may also decide to wait for a while given the 14-day quarantine when they return to China.

“There is still a 14-day quarantine after coming back, which could be even longer than my vacation. So I will stay at home for now,” another said.

Previously, Singapore had lifted entry restrictions for visitors from other states of Australia, as well as Brunei, New Zealand and Vietnam.