Some Singapore expats head for exit as patience for coronavirus rules wears thin

Covid-19 has prompted soul-searching among many foreign workers who bemoan the inability to travel freely to visit family

But despite the curbs, AmCham Singapore boss said the ‘city state, from a relative point of view is a great place to live and do business’

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Israeli expatriate Atar Sandler packs up with her husband and children in their flat in Singapore for relocation to New York. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:14pm, 27 Jan 2022Updated: 2:28pm, 14 Feb 2022

Atar Sandler arrived in Singapore in 2019, seizing the opportunity to live in a buzzing global city that is also a convenient base to jet off to more exotic locales nearby.

But after two years of mask-wearing, socialising in small groups and travel restrictions to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, the Israeli human resources professional packed her bags for New York with her husband and children this month.

“It’s been like this for so long. And it doesn’t feel like anything’s going to change here,” said Sandler. “Life is very, very easy here. [But] is it worth it to live such a convenient life without being able to see family, friends, without being able to travel?”

Risk-averse Singapore is trying to balance its approach to living with Covid – aiming to protect people in the densely populated island from the disease while reopening its economy and borders to maintain its reputation as a hub for capital and talent.

Companies and expatriate professionals have long been drawn to the business-friendly city state, one of the safest places in the world with a high quality of living, political stability, a skilled workforce, ease of travel and low taxes.