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Pre-departure COVID-19 tests to be required for travellers from India who are not Singapore residents

09 Sep 2020, 18:55

SINGAPORE: Travellers with recent travel history to India and who are not Singapore citizens or permanent residents will soon be required to take a COVID-19 test before departing for Singapore, the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force said on Wednesday (Sep 9).

The announcement was made during a press conference held by the task force, amid reports of a resurgence of infections in India. Singapore has also observed a significant number of imported cases with recent travel history to India, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a press release on Wednesday.

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To reduce the risk of importation of COVID-19 cases from India, travellers who are not Singapore citizens or permanent residents and with travel history to India in the last 14 days prior to their entry into Singapore will be required to take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test.

The test has to be conducted within the 72 hours before their departure and a valid negative test result will need to be presented as a condition of approval to enter Singapore.

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The requirement applies to those arriving in Singapore from midnight on Sep 17, on top of existing terms that require such travellers to serve a 14-day stay-home notice at dedicated facilities and a negative COVID-19 test before the end of the notice.

"As the global situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures to manage the risk of importation and any onward transmission to the community," said MOH in its press release.

Singapore reported 75 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, 14 of them imported.

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