Singapore Will Need More Than Vaccination

According to the Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MTF) on COVID-19, Singapore is looking beyond vaccination for travel considerations, including the possibility of additional tests.

“I believe we should also consider some sort of individual testing, such as antibody tests to ensure that the person has not only been vaccinated but also has an antibody response to the vaccine.

At a virtual press conference on late March, MTF co-chairman Lawrence Wong, who is also the Education Minister, said, “Antibody testing is another way that we can assess that vaccination has been successful and has brought about the immune response from the person.”

Wong was responding to a query about whether the republic would consider proof of vaccines that have already been accepted within its borders.

Wong noted that regardless of the type of vaccine used in each region, it helps to minimise virus spread to the extent that the infection can be kept under control.

“And it will become a low-risk country in the future, and you know that in our travel system, we have a risk categorisation,” he said.

At the same time, the city-state eased measures for travellers from Hong Kong and lifted entry restrictions for the UK and South Africa.

Johor’s Menteri Besar, Datuk Ir. Haji Hasni Mohammad said on 20th April in a press conference, that his state government will propose measures that will limit the movement of workers who cross the border from Johor to Singapore.

“We will also present to the federal government standard operating procedures for crossing the border,” he said.

“This will include limited movement. Although they can cross the border, it does not mean they can travel all over Singapore,” adding that, “If it is for work, it means that they have to move from point A and point B. So there will be a mechanism that can be developed for us to (have) control (over this).”

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will meet with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in May for further discussions.