US reclassifies S'pore Covid-19 travel alert to 'unknown'
The U.S. has reclassified its travel advisory alert for Singapore to "unknown".
The move was made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) on Jan. 4.
It also suggested that travel to Singapore should be avoided.
Other countries whose status are at the same classification include North Korea, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan.
The advisory said, "Because the current situation in Singapore is unknown, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants."
CDC: You should travel to Singapore only if you are fully vaccinated
In addition, travellers from the U.S. should enter Singapore only if they are fully vaccinated.
As for entry into the U.S., all travellers are required to show a negative Covid-19 test result taken no more than a day before arrival, with only children below two years old exempted.
All travellers are also required to provide contact information to airlines before boarding flights to the U.S. to allow federal, state, and local authorities to share health-related information.
Previously given the maximum risk
Singapore had previously been given the maximum risk level of "Very High" by the CDC on Oct. 18, 2021.
Less than a month before, on Sep. 27, the danger level was raised from "Moderate" to "High".
On Jan. 4, Singapore reported 842 new cases of Covid-19, of which 438 were cases infected with the Omicron variant.
VTL country Denmark imposes quarantine for travellers from Singapore following recent removal from EU list
SINGAPORE: Travellers from Singapore will now have to serve at least four days' quarantine in Denmark, after Singapore was recently removed from a European Union list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted.
On Tuesday (Nov 9), the EU list, which is reviewed every two weeks, was updated to exclude Singapore and Ukraine. The list states that the criteria for being listed takes into account the other country's "epidemiological situation and overall response to COVID-19".
The list is not legally binding and EU member states are allowed to adjust their own restrictions for incoming travellers.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Embassy of Denmark in Singapore said Singapore was "now considered a high risk country for travel to Europe".
According to the post, with the exception of certain groups such as Danish citizens "who are fully vaccinated regardless of where", all travellers from Singapore must be tested upon arrival and self-isolate for 10 days. If a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result is produced, the isolation will end on day 4.
This applies to all travellers regardless of vaccination status as Denmark does not recognise Singapore's vaccination certificate.
VACCINATED TRAVEL LANE
Denmark was one of several European countries recently added to Singapore's vaccinated travel lane (VTL) scheme. The scheme allows quarantine-free travel for those flying into Singapore via designated VTL flights.
Other conditions include travellers being fully vaccinated and a minimum stay of 14 consecutive days in one or more of the VTL countries before departure to Singapore.
As of Thursday, Denmark remains on the list of countries under the VTL scheme.
The scheme currently contains 12 countries, which will go up to 13 when it is extended to South Korea on Nov 15. Malaysia, Finland and Sweden will also be added to the VTL scheme later this month.
Singapore reported 3,481 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday for a total of 227,681 infections since the start of the pandemic.
Germany to classify Singapore as 'high risk area', with mandatory entry registration for travellers
SINGAPORE: Germany will classify Singapore as a “high-risk area” from Sunday (Oct 24), the country’s embassy in Singapore announced.
Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can still travel to Germany without the need for quarantine, but they must complete a digital entry registration before entering the country, the embassy said in a Facebook post.
According to Germany’s federal foreign office website, an entry registration is required for travellers who have visited a high-risk area or an area of variant concern in the last 10 days. They must carry proof of registration with them upon entry.
Unvaccinated children under 12 years old will need to quarantine for five days upon arrival.
Germany is one of 11 countries that Singapore has established vaccinated travel lanes with. Travellers to these countries need not be quarantined, but they must test negative for COVID-19 in pre-departure and on-arrival tests.
Apart from Singapore, four other countries - Bulgaria, Cameroon, Croatia and the Republic of Congo - were added to Germany's "high-risk" list.
Singapore on Friday reported 3,637 new COVID-19 cases and 14 more deaths.
Earlier this month, the US had raised its travel alert for Singapore to the highest risk level due to the current COVID-19 situation.
Asked if such advisories would impact negotiations on vaccinated travel lanes, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said countries issue the advisories to alert their citizens about the higher infection rates in Singapore and to take precautions while they are here.
“I think they are reflecting on the fact that we are going through a big wave, and therefore infection rates are higher, but there’s a lot of goodwill between these partners,” Mr Ong said at a press conference by the COVID-19 task force.
“We all know that this is a rite of passage we have to go through, at some point it will stabilise … and we all want to get together, maintain our connections (and) our exchanges.
“And so it should not, and I don’t think it will, stop us from continuing our joint initiative to develop vaccinated travel lanes.”
“I think they are reflecting on the fact that we are going through a big wave, and therefore infection rates are higher, but there’s a lot of goodwill between these partners,” Mr Ong said at a press conference by the COVID-19 task force.
Let's all pray that the CECA trash living amongst us will panic after learning about our newly minted level 4 status and subsequently scoot back to South Asia in droves!
CDC places ultramodern city-state at highest travel risk for Covid-19
(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added one new location to its list of "very high" risk travel destinations this week.
The ultramodern city-state of Singapore has moved up from Level 3, or "high" risk for Covid-19, to Level 4, the agency's highest risk category.
This news comes on the heels of a recent decision by Singapore to further loosen restrictions and add eight new countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, to its Vaccinated Travel Lane program. Fully vaccinated people arriving from those nations can apply for a quarantine-free entry.
Destinations that fall into the "Covid-19 Very High" Level 4 category have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days, according to CDC criteria.
People should avoid traveling to locations designated with a Level 4 notice, the CDC recommends. Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency advises.
This newest update is far cry from early August, when the CDC added 16 destinations in one week to Level 4, and Delta variant cases were rising rapidly across much of the planet. This is the first week since early August that only one nation has been added to Level 4.
Popular favorites remaining on Level 4
However, other popular international vacation spots remain at this highest level of alert, evidence of Covid-19's continuing foothold. The current list of Level 4 destinations includes the following:
In the case of the UK, it's been lodged at Level 4 since July 19, and Greece has been there since August 2.
The Level 3 category applies to destinations that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
Six new destinations were assigned to this "high" risk category, three of which moved up from Level 2:
• Angola• Djibouti• Hungary
The Level 3 designation was good news for people interested in the following three destinations, which previously had been at Level 4:
• Cypus• Eswatini• Tunisia
Some options in Level 2
Destinations carrying the "Level 2: Covid-19 Moderate" designation have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
Popular destinations in this less risky category on October 18 included the following:
• Dominican Republic• Egypt • Peru
Just keep in mind the CDC list updates weekly, and your lower-risk destination of choice might move up after you begin making plans.
In the category of "Level 1: Covid-19 Low" destinations, fewer than 50 new cases per 100,000 residents have been logged over the past 28 days. New Zealand is in this category, but it has yet to open its doors to leisure travelers yet.
In its broader travel guidance, the CDC has recommended avoiding all international travel until you are fully vaccinated.
"Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread Covid-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some Covid-19 variants," the agency said.
If the situation worsens in SG, who knows the CDC may be induced to create a new level 5 designation specially for us; in which case there's finally hope we can upgrade to DORSCON RED. So exciting!!!!!!!!
Latest: CDC has classified SG as a "Level 3" (HIGH LEVEL OF COVID-19) country.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-3/coronavirus-singapore
US reclassifies S'pore Covid-19 travel alert to 'unknown'
The U.S. has reclassified its travel advisory alert for Singapore to "unknown".
The move was made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) on Jan. 4.
It also suggested that travel to Singapore should be avoided.
Other countries whose status are at the same classification include North Korea, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan.
The advisory said, "Because the current situation in Singapore is unknown, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants."
CDC: You should travel to Singapore only if you are fully vaccinated
In addition, travellers from the U.S. should enter Singapore only if they are fully vaccinated.
As for entry into the U.S., all travellers are required to show a negative Covid-19 test result taken no more than a day before arrival, with only children below two years old exempted.
All travellers are also required to provide contact information to airlines before boarding flights to the U.S. to allow federal, state, and local authorities to share health-related information.
Previously given the maximum risk
Singapore had previously been given the maximum risk level of "Very High" by the CDC on Oct. 18, 2021.
Less than a month before, on Sep. 27, the danger level was raised from "Moderate" to "High".
On Jan. 4, Singapore reported 842 new cases of Covid-19, of which 438 were cases infected with the Omicron variant.
https://mothership.sg/2022/01/us-singapore-covid-unknown/
VTL country Denmark imposes quarantine for travellers from Singapore following recent removal from EU list
SINGAPORE: Travellers from Singapore will now have to serve at least four days' quarantine in Denmark, after Singapore was recently removed from a European Union list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted.
On Tuesday (Nov 9), the EU list, which is reviewed every two weeks, was updated to exclude Singapore and Ukraine. The list states that the criteria for being listed takes into account the other country's "epidemiological situation and overall response to COVID-19".
The list is not legally binding and EU member states are allowed to adjust their own restrictions for incoming travellers.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Embassy of Denmark in Singapore said Singapore was "now considered a high risk country for travel to Europe".
According to the post, with the exception of certain groups such as Danish citizens "who are fully vaccinated regardless of where", all travellers from Singapore must be tested upon arrival and self-isolate for 10 days. If a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result is produced, the isolation will end on day 4.
This applies to all travellers regardless of vaccination status as Denmark does not recognise Singapore's vaccination certificate.
VACCINATED TRAVEL LANE
Denmark was one of several European countries recently added to Singapore's vaccinated travel lane (VTL) scheme. The scheme allows quarantine-free travel for those flying into Singapore via designated VTL flights.
Other conditions include travellers being fully vaccinated and a minimum stay of 14 consecutive days in one or more of the VTL countries before departure to Singapore.
As of Thursday, Denmark remains on the list of countries under the VTL scheme.
The scheme currently contains 12 countries, which will go up to 13 when it is extended to South Korea on Nov 15. Malaysia, Finland and Sweden will also be added to the VTL scheme later this month.
Singapore reported 3,481 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday for a total of 227,681 infections since the start of the pandemic.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/denmark-vtl-quarantine-singapore-travellers-2306061
Germany to classify Singapore as 'high risk area', with mandatory entry registration for travellers
SINGAPORE: Germany will classify Singapore as a “high-risk area” from Sunday (Oct 24), the country’s embassy in Singapore announced.
Those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can still travel to Germany without the need for quarantine, but they must complete a digital entry registration before entering the country, the embassy said in a Facebook post.
According to Germany’s federal foreign office website, an entry registration is required for travellers who have visited a high-risk area or an area of variant concern in the last 10 days. They must carry proof of registration with them upon entry.
Unvaccinated children under 12 years old will need to quarantine for five days upon arrival.
Germany is one of 11 countries that Singapore has established vaccinated travel lanes with. Travellers to these countries need not be quarantined, but they must test negative for COVID-19 in pre-departure and on-arrival tests.
Apart from Singapore, four other countries - Bulgaria, Cameroon, Croatia and the Republic of Congo - were added to Germany's "high-risk" list.
Singapore on Friday reported 3,637 new COVID-19 cases and 14 more deaths.
Earlier this month, the US had raised its travel alert for Singapore to the highest risk level due to the current COVID-19 situation.
Asked if such advisories would impact negotiations on vaccinated travel lanes, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said countries issue the advisories to alert their citizens about the higher infection rates in Singapore and to take precautions while they are here.
“I think they are reflecting on the fact that we are going through a big wave, and therefore infection rates are higher, but there’s a lot of goodwill between these partners,” Mr Ong said at a press conference by the COVID-19 task force.
“We all know that this is a rite of passage we have to go through, at some point it will stabilise … and we all want to get together, maintain our connections (and) our exchanges.
“And so it should not, and I don’t think it will, stop us from continuing our joint initiative to develop vaccinated travel lanes.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/germany-singapore-vtl-high-risk-country-alert-travel-2263952
Let's all pray that the CECA trash living amongst us will panic after learning about our newly minted level 4 status and subsequently scoot back to South Asia in droves!
Lai lai lai come guess which country will be the first to cancel its VTL agreement with us :P
CDC places ultramodern city-state at highest travel risk for Covid-19
(CNN) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added one new location to its list of "very high" risk travel destinations this week.
The ultramodern city-state of Singapore has moved up from Level 3, or "high" risk for Covid-19, to Level 4, the agency's highest risk category.
This news comes on the heels of a recent decision by Singapore to further loosen restrictions and add eight new countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, to its Vaccinated Travel Lane program. Fully vaccinated people arriving from those nations can apply for a quarantine-free entry.
Destinations that fall into the "Covid-19 Very High" Level 4 category have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days, according to CDC criteria.
People should avoid traveling to locations designated with a Level 4 notice, the CDC recommends. Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency advises.
This newest update is far cry from early August, when the CDC added 16 destinations in one week to Level 4, and Delta variant cases were rising rapidly across much of the planet. This is the first week since early August that only one nation has been added to Level 4.
Popular favorites remaining on Level 4
However, other popular international vacation spots remain at this highest level of alert, evidence of Covid-19's continuing foothold. The current list of Level 4 destinations includes the following:
• Austria • Belize • Botswana • Croatia • Greece • Ireland • Malaysia • Switzerland • Turkey • United Kingdom
In the case of the UK, it's been lodged at Level 4 since July 19, and Greece has been there since August 2.
The Level 3 category applies to destinations that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
Six new destinations were assigned to this "high" risk category, three of which moved up from Level 2:
• Angola • Djibouti • Hungary
The Level 3 designation was good news for people interested in the following three destinations, which previously had been at Level 4:
• Cypus • Eswatini • Tunisia
Some options in Level 2
Destinations carrying the "Level 2: Covid-19 Moderate" designation have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.
Popular destinations in this less risky category on October 18 included the following:
• Dominican Republic • Egypt • Peru
Just keep in mind the CDC list updates weekly, and your lower-risk destination of choice might move up after you begin making plans.
In the category of "Level 1: Covid-19 Low" destinations, fewer than 50 new cases per 100,000 residents have been logged over the past 28 days. New Zealand is in this category, but it has yet to open its doors to leisure travelers yet.
You can view the CDC's risk levels for global destinations on its travel recommendations page.
In its broader travel guidance, the CDC has recommended avoiding all international travel until you are fully vaccinated.
"Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread Covid-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some Covid-19 variants," the agency said.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/cdc-very-high-risk-travel-destinations-october-18/index.html
Wah SG is no.1 again, this time counting from the back. PAP wansui!