Singapore is easing Covid-19 curbs, lifting most restrictions for fully vaccinated visitors and a requirement to wear masks outdoors.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that Singapore will allow up to 75% of employees who can work from home to return to their workplaces, he said. The city-state will also “drastically streamline” testing and quarantine requirements for travellers.
The move will give a much-needed boost to businesses, particularly the tourism sector. “But they stop short of a complete opening up,” he said. “We remain watchful because Covid-19 may yet bring further surprises.”
Singapore joins other Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, that are taking steps to allow vaccinated travellers to enter freely, replacing mandatory quarantine with Covid-19 testing.
“Wearing mask outdoors will now be optional,” Lee said. “This is because the risk of outdoor transmission is significantly lower. But indoors, masks will still be mandatory.”
