Entradas etiquetadas: Travel

Singapore said it’s in “close discussions” with Hong Kong over a postponed travel bubble.

“We will announce more details when ready,” Daniel Ng, director of air transport at the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, said in an emailed reply to questions.

The South China Morning Post reported Saturday that both cities are mulling extra safeguard measures for such an arrangement, adding that it’s still too early to say when it would begin.

The Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble, originally slated to begin in November last year, was postponed after a surge of new coronavirus infections in Hong Kong.

When the plan was put on hold, Hong Kong’s rolling seven-day average of unlinked cases was 3.86.

It shot up to 16 by the end of November and continued to remain above the stated threshold.

But in the past week, the figure dipped below five. It stood at 4.57 as of Friday.

Dr. Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said it would be safe to start the air travel bubble if the number of unlinked cases remains below five consistently for two to three weeks.

This is taking into account that the incubation period of the virus has been lengthened to almost 21 days, he added.

“As an added precaution, they should ask the individual to be vaccinated. The incentive then should be no Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing will be done,” Dr. Leong added.

“Vaccination of travelers can expedite the formation of travel bubbles in a safe manner.”

What other experts think about the travel bubble?

Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said last month that he would rather not set a target on when the air travel bubble can begin.

Under the original arrangement, people traveling between Singapore and Hong Kong can avoid a lengthy quarantine by taking multiple Covid-19 tests.

Both sides agreed to have one flight a day into each city and a quota of 200 travelers per flight.

There were no restrictions on the purpose of travel, and no need for a controlled itinerary.

But travelers are required to meet eligibility criteria, such as staying in either city for 14 consecutive days prior to departure and adhere to border control measures and public health requirements of both cities.

While Hong Kong had imposed stricter restrictions in the past few months, it relaxed social distancing rules in the past week, for the first time since November.

Source: The Star

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is collaborating with its counterpart in Hong Kong to offer joint promotional activities to welcome the launch of the air travel bubble between the two destinations.

The partnership launched ahead of the first flights on Nov 22, “demonstrates the close ties between the two destinations as well as a mutual commitment to provide visitors with a safe travel experience”, STB said in a joint announcement with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) on Wednesday.

Travelers under the air travel bubble will have to take dedicated flights – with a maximum of 200 passengers each way – but will have no restrictions on their travel purpose and do not have to follow a controlled itinerary. 

Details about the STB and the HKTB collaboration

The chief executive Keith Tan said with Singapore’s “strong track record, we are confident that Hong Kong travelers can explore Singapore with a peace of mind”.

HKTB’s CEO Dane Cheng similarly expressed confidence that the territory is ready to welcome visitors.

“Thanks to the united efforts of people in different sectors in stepping up their hygiene measures, we are confident Hong Kong is clean and ready to welcome visitors back,” he said.  

With the resumption of travel between Singapore and Hong Kong, the health and safety of locals and travelers “remain a key priority”, STB and HKTB said.

“Singapore’s SG Clean is a national mark of excellence awarded to businesses across Singapore – including tourism establishments – that meet its high standards of hygiene and sanitization. Meanwhile, the HKTB has rolled out the Anti-Epidemic Hygiene Measures Certification Scheme to ensure that every touchpoint of visitors’ journey is covered with anti-epidemic measures.”

As part of the partnership, the two tourism boards will also undertake joint promotional activities.

The first batch of visitors can look forward to special gifts, such as limited edition face masks that “showcase unique aspects of both cities”, STB and HKTB said.

Travelers flying on the first air travel bubble flights out of both cities on Nov 22 will also be treated to a special in-flight menu that includes local favorites from Singapore and Hong Kong. The menu, curated by Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, will be available on all air travel bubble flights until the end of the year.