SINGAPORE – Singapore has not stopped forming a bilateral “air travel bubble” with Hong Kong that will allow travelers to skip quarantine, Southeast Asia Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung told CNBC.
The arrangement was supposed to start last November, but was postponed after Hong Kong reported a boom in new Covid-19 cases. A new launch date has not yet been set, but Ong said authorities from both sides were in touch.
“As you know, the agreement has been signed, signed. We are making some adjustments, some proposals to make it stricter,” the minister told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Thursday.
“But I think the most important consideration is that it is shortly after the Chinese New Year and that both parties are careful. We want to see if there is an impact on the distribution of the community as a result of the Chinese New Year,” he added.
The lunar New Year festivities took place last month. Celebrations usually involve gatherings and visits to the homes of family and friends – events that have been scaled down in many countries this year due to the pandemic.
Ong said there was apparently no sign of increased Covid transfer to the festivities.
In Singapore, new daily cases remained low, and most days there were no community infections, he said. As of Wednesday, the country has reported more than 60,000 confirmed cases and 29 deaths since the outbreak began, the Ministry of Health data showed.
In Hong Kong, the number of daily new cases also declined from a recent high in January. Official data as of Wednesday reported more than 11,000 confirmed and probable Covid cases and 203 deaths.
Both Singapore and Hong Kong are major Asian business hubs that do not have domestic air travel markets. Their tourism and aviation industries, which are heavily dependent on international travel, have been hit hard by the pandemic.
Pandemic control remains key to reopening
In addition to Hong Kong, Singapore is keen to make arrangements for a travel bubble with other locations, said Ong, who predicts some recovery in aviation this year.
“What is in our favor is vaccination. What is not in our favor are mutations and variants that are more transmissible and that may not respond to the vaccination. So you have these opposing powers, and I think that’s the nature. of this fight, it’s keep throwing ‘curveballs’ at you,’ the minister said.
“But nonetheless, I think vaccination is a big game changer and that we want to see some recovery for some time this year. And if we look at recovery, I think air travel bubbles are an important plan to work on,” he added.
As a place, as an area or as a country, their record of infection control is still the most important result we have to look at. And if they are successful, we must continue to open them up and form air bubbles with them.
Ong Ye Kung
Singapore’s Minister of Transport
Vaccination is not the only consideration for Singapore to open its borders, Ong said. He added that the performance record of countries and territories, in terms of pandemic control, is a more important factor.
The minister pointed out that even before vaccinations were underway, Singapore could open up to some places considered ‘safe’.
In recent years, Singapore has allowed visitors from various locations – including Australia, New Zealand, mainland China and Taiwan – to skip quarantine if they meet certain requirements, such as a negative Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) – test on arrival.
Ong said about 1,000 such travelers enter Singapore every day without having to drive in quarantine, and so far this has not led to higher Covid transmission rates in the country.
“We still have to follow a country by country, a bilateral approach,” he said.
“As a place, as an area or as a country, their history of infection control is still the most important outcome we have to look at. And if they are successful, we must continue to open them up and form air travel. Bubble with them. ‘