SINGAPORE – Singapore has not given up the formation of a bilateral “air travel bubble” with Hong Kong, which would allow passengers to quarantine, Southeast Asian Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung told CNBC.
The arrangement was scheduled to begin in November last year, but was postponed after Hong Kong reported a recurrence of new Covid-19 cases. No new release date has been set, but the NGO said authorities on both sides have been in contact.
“As you know, the agreement has been signed, concluded. We are making some changes, some proposals to tighten it,” CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia minister said on Thursday.
“But I think the main consideration now is that it is shortly after the Chinese New Year, and both sides are cautious. We want to see if there is any impact because of the Chinese New Year on the transmission of the community,” he added.
The Lunar New Year festivities took place last month. Celebrations usually involve gatherings and visiting the homes of family and friends – events that have been reduced in many countries this year due to the pandemic.
Ong said there were no signs of an increase in Covid transmission after the festivities.
In Singapore, new daily cases remained low, with no infections in the community most days, he said. As of Wednesday, the country reported more than 60,000 confirmed cases and 29 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak, according to data from the health ministry.
In Hong Kong, the number of new daily cases has also fallen from a recent peak in January. As of Wednesday, the city reported more than 11,000 confirmed and probable Covid cases and 203 deaths, official data showed.
Both Singapore and Hong Kong are large Asian business centers that do not have domestic air travel markets. Their tourism and aviation industries, highly dependent on international travel, have been severely affected by the pandemic.
Pandemic control is still essential for reopening
In addition to Hong Kong, Singapore wants to establish “travel bubble” arrangements with other places, said the NGO, which predicts “some recovery” in aviation this year.
“What is in our favor is vaccination. What is not in our favor are mutations and variants that are more transmissible and may not respond to vaccination. So you got these opposing forces and I think that’s the nature of this battle. he keeps throwing you curve balls, “the minister said.
“But despite this, I think vaccination is a big game changer, and for some time this year we hope to see some recovery. And when we look at recovery, I think the air balloon is a major plate for to work, “he added.
As a place, as a territory or as a country, their history of infection control continues to be the key outcome we need to look at. And if they are successful, we should continue to open up and form air travel bubbles with them.
Ong Ye Kung |
Singapore Minister of Transport
Vaccination rates will not be the only consideration for Singapore in opening its borders, the NGO said. He added that the track record of countries and territories, when it comes to pandemic control, is a more important factor.
The minister emphasized that, even before vaccinations, Singapore had managed to open up to some places considered “safe”.
Over the past year, Singapore has allowed visitors from several places – including Australia, New Zealand, mainland China and Taiwan – to jump out of quarantine if they meet certain requirements, such as a negative Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test (PCR). ) on arrival.
Ong said about 1,000 such passengers enter Singapore daily without having to quarantine and have so far not led to higher Covid transmission rates in the country.
“However, we need to take a bilateral country-by-country approach,” he said.
“As a place, as a territory or as a country, their history of infection control continues to be the key outcome we need to look at. And if they are successful, we should continue to open up and train air travel. bubbles with them. “