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Singapore imposes 21-day quarantine on most travellers, closes gyms to manage flare-up in Covid-19 cases
- The country will also return to social distancing rules of last year, with authorities saying they hope not to institute another ‘circuit breaker’ or partial lockdown
- Singapore’s moves currently have no bearing on the travel bubble plans with Hong Kong scheduled to start on May 26 but the government will assess if changes are needed
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Singapore will impose a 21-day quarantine on most inbound travellers and bring back tighter social-distancing controls including closing gyms and fitness centres, as authorities respond to a flare-up in Covid-19 cases.
The news has put a cloud over the city state’s efforts to launch a travel bubble with Hong Kong later this month and host major events like the Shangri-La Dialogue in June.
From Friday 11.59pm, all inbound travellers except those from Australia, Brunei, mainland China, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau will have to do a three-week quarantine at dedicated facilities, (with those from Fiji and Vietnam allowed to finish the last seven of the 21 days at home), joining Hong Kong which has had a strict three-week isolation requirement for most inbound travellers since last December.
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Currently, travellers from India, Britain, South Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka are subject to a 21-day quarantine.
The size of social gatherings will be reduced from eight to five people from Saturday to May 30, while employers must limit workplaces to 50 per cent of staff, down from the current 75 per cent. This is a return to rules that the country last had from June to December.
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