Business and official travellers on Singapore-China 'fast lane' arrangement must get COVID-19 swab tests
04 June, 2020
The Singapore-China "fast lane" arrangement begins on Jun 8, and approved travellers must take a COVID-19 swab test within 48 hours before departure.
Users of the fast lane between China and Singapore will bear the price of the pre-departure polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and acquire a certificate of experiencing tested negative for the coronavirus.
Furthermore, travellers must adhere to a controlled itinerary that is supervised by the host company or government agency for the first 2 weeks, announced Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) and Trade and Industry Ministry (MTI) in a joint statement on Wednesday (Jun 3).
"The traveller might not exactly use public transportation for this function, apart from private hire cars/taxis or cohorted company transport," they added.
Authorities had announced on, may 29 that Singapore and China have decided to a "fast lane" arrangement which would facilitate essential travel for business and official purposes between your two countries.
To begin with, this arrangement will be for travel between Singapore and six Chinese provinces or municipalities - Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
MANDATORY ISOLATION WHILE WAITING FOR TEST RESULTS
Users of the Singapore-China “fast lane” need not be quarantined but must remain isolated for one to two days while looking forward to COVID-19 test results.
"An approved applicant travelling from Singapore to China will undergo a PCR test and serology test after arrival in China at his/her own cost, and stay in locations designated by the neighborhood provincial or municipal government for you to two days before test result is released," said MFA and MTI.
Singapore residents who wish to make essential happen to be China via the fast lane must be sponsored by the company or a government agency in China, that will file an application with the local provincial or municipal authorities.
Once approved, they are able to then obtain a visa from the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, and submit a health declaration to the Chinese authorities.
Meanwhile, residents in China seeking to make essential happen to be Singapore via the fast lane must be sponsored by the company or a Singapore government agency, that may file an application with respect to the applicant for a SafeTravel Pass.
When the SafeTravel Pass application is approved, an approval letter will be issued to the applicant, along with the sponsoring company or government agency.
COMPULSORY USAGE OF CONTACT TRACING APPS
For inbound happen to be Singapore, business or official travellers sponsored by government agencies may submit applications through their respective sponsors from Jun 8.
Applications for company-sponsored travellers can be submitted in a later phase.
Those travelling into Singapore may also have to take a PCR test after arrival and remain in isolation for one to two days before test result is known. The accommodation, which should be self-sourced, can't be a residential address.
Travellers must use contact tracing mobile iphone app TraceTogether throughout their stay, while Singapore residents travelling into China will have to utilize the country's local Health QR code during their stay.
Travellers from Singapore who have to travel between fast lane regions in China within 2 weeks of arrival must get advance approval from the provincial or municipal government of the next destination, through the federal government agency or company hosting them.
They will only be allowed to travel beyond your six fast lane regions after 14 days, and should stick to prevailing measures in China.
"MUTUAL ASSURANCE"
Talking with the media on Wednesday, Trade and Industry permanent secretary Gabriel Lim explained Singapore is in negotiations with several other countries and regions to establish similar "reciprocal green lane" (RGL) arrangements.
Mr Lim noted that China is one of Singapore's biggest trading partners, and that the united states is among the largest resources of foreign investment in China.
"There are thousands of folks working in each other’s economy. There are even more persons who travel for official and business reasons between your two countries. It is the important reason why we have set up the RGL arrangement with China," he said.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry taskforce tackling COVID-19, said last month that the federal government is in talks to establish "travel bubbles" with countries where in fact the spread of COVID-19 is in order.
MFA had also earlier said Singapore would get started discussions with New Zealand on the gradual reopening of borders, carrying out a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern.
"As Singapore contains the COVID-19 situation on the health front, we must maintain our global connectivity to sustain our financial capacities and capabilities, developed painstakingly over the decades," said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
"Mutual assurance and confidence to put in place effective COVID-19 prevention and control measures are essential in such fast lane arrangements, and I look forward to making progress with an increase of countries inside our bilateral discussions," he added.
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