Travellers arriving in Singapore will face more stringent rules after 11.59pm on 2 December, and the relaxation of social measures will be stopped temporarily.
MOH said on Tuesday that although no cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Singapore at the moment, these measures are needed to assess the potential impact of the new Covid-variant as well as reduce the risk of it being imported.
New measures
As of 11.59pm on Thursday, all air travellers arriving via the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) will need to go through ART tests that will be supervised and self-administered on the third and seventh day of their arrival, at a Quick Test Centre.
At the moment, travellers only need to take the test before departure and upon arrival.
Travellers entering Singapore by air must test negative prior to departure and within 2 days of leaving for Singapore.
Need to buy time
MOH said that Singapore needs to buy some time to find out more about the Omicron variant.
They said: “In terms of vaccine efficacy, early data suggests that current vaccines should remain effective against severe disease and death. However, more studies are needed to understand the actual impact of this variant on our existing countermeasures, including vaccines and treatments”
MOH also acknowledged that the Omicron variant has spread globally, with more countries reporting the cases in the last few days.
Co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce, Gan Kim Yong, said that they are closely monitoring the situation.
The tightened measure will last for four weeks, after which they will be reviewed.
The Omicron variant was categorised as a variant of concern, with more mutations than the Delta variant.