Coronavirus: Hong Kong, Singapore reach agreement in principle on ‘world’s first’ two-way, quarantine-free travel bubble
- Arrangement eliminates quarantine for residents of both cities, requires travellers to prove they have tested negative for coronavirus
- Bubble could launch within ‘weeks’, Hong Kong’s commerce minister says
Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed in principle to form a travel bubble exempting residents of both cities from any form of quarantine, the two governments revealed on Thursday.
Confirming an exclusive Post report earlier, the plan to reconnect the two cities after months of border closures requires travellers to prove they have tested negative for the coronavirus but imposes no restrictions on the purpose of travel.
Quarantine is eliminated for both sides under the deal, while airlines must operate dedicated routes on which transit passengers are not allowed.
Travellers can move freely in either city and do not have to provide a predetermined itinerary, but protective mechanisms are in place to change or even suspend the travel bubble in the event of a rebound in Covid-19 infections.
“This is the first travel bubble we will form,” said Edward Yau Tang-wah, Hong Kong’s secretary for commerce and economic development.
Singaporean transport minister Ong Ye Kung said: “Based on our desktop research and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first reciprocal travel bubble in the region and maybe in the world.”