Singapore reopens borders to passengers from Germany and 3 other nations
Singapore's (gradual) border reopening program in the city-state is proceeding in small steps, and today it scores [...]
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Singapore city-state's (gradual) border reopening program proceeds baby steps and today makes a very important first announcement. Starting Thursday, August 26, passengers from Hong Kong and Macau and, from September 1, even those from Germany and Brunei will be able to leave the airport without having to undergo quarantine.
The VTL Protocol
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If in Thailand it is called Phuket Sandbox, 90-minute flight from the Asian island, they called the project VTL, or Vaccinated Travel Lanes. This corridor will be open only to fully vaccinated travelers. All passengers Will have to take four Covid tests: one two days before departure, one on arrival, one on the third day and another on the seventh day.
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If the travel lane with Germany is successfully launched in September, it will be the first time Singapore residents will be able to travel for pleasure to any country without quarantine since the city-state closed its borders last year. Singapore has twice postponed the Its travel bubble with Hong Kong because of the increase in Covid cases.
The LTV protocol includes:
- Travel on designated and direct flights to the vaccinated travel lane (VTL);
- Stay in Germany for 21 consecutive days before the flight;
- Apply for the Vaccinated Travel Pass (VTP) between 7 and 30 days before the expected date of entry into Singapore.
- Downloading a contact tracking app in Singapore.
- Have medical insurance with a minimum value of $300k
As you can see the protocol is very similar to the one designed by Thailand, the VTP is the corresponding of the COE in Phuket. The only real difference at the moment is that it is open to very few countries and that the 4 tests are carried out over 7 days and not two weeks.
It should be noted, however, that the approach is mainly related to business travel, as there is no exception for unvaccinated passengers, and/or children, as is the case in Thailand.
The agreement is a "welcome move and seems to be justified in light of the success of Singapore's vaccination campaign," said German Ambassador Norbert Riedel. "We are confident that people traveling under the LTV scheme will demonstrate the necessary self-discipline and self-responsibility by adhering to the necessary testing requirements," he added
According to Our World in Data, about 57% of the German population has been fully immunized, compared to 71.3% of the Singaporean population. While in Brunei, only 11.9% of citizens have been immunized.