Singapore welcomes talks with Hong Kong on resuming cross-border travel

SINGAPORE: Singapore welcomes discussions with Hong Kong on the gradual resumption of cross-border travel between both sides, with safeguards in place, said the Singapore Consulate-General in Hong Kong in a statement on Thursday (Sep 10).

“The resumption of safe cross-border travel between Singapore and Hong Kong will benefit both cities, given our strong business and people-to-people links,” said the Consulate-General, noting that Singapore has brought its COVID-19 situation under control.

“We have one of the lowest COVID-19 fatality rates in the world, and see only a handful of new cases in our community per day. This has given us the confidence to re-open our economy, gradually and carefully,” it added.

READ: Singapore reports 63 new COVID-19 cases, including 2 in the community

The statement comes after Hong Kong’s Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah said earlier this week that the territory is planning “travel bubbles” with 11 countries, including Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, France and Germany.

READ: Hong Kong eases some COVID-19 curbs, allows gatherings of 4

The number of new daily cases in Hong Kong has dropped to single digits, prompting authorities to relax some restrictions.

From Friday, restaurants will be allowed to seat four people, up from two currently, while indoor and outdoor recreation spaces will reopen.

Singapore has cross-border travel arrangements with China, Malaysia, Brunei and South Korea.

It is in talks to resume essential business travel with Japan, with officials tasked to finalise an agreement by early September.  

It has also said it will begin discussions on a reciprocal green lane with Indonesia.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram