More than 240 Air Travel Passes issued to travellers from Hong Kong, Macao to Singapore: CAAS
A security staff member working in Zone 1 wearing full personal protective equipment at Changi Airport, May 24, 2021. (Photo: Gwyneth Teo)
SINGAPORE: A total of 243 Air Travel Passes have been issued to travellers from Hong Kong and Macao coming to Singapore, after the relaxation of border measures for those two cities last week.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said on Wednesday (Aug 25) that 230 of such passes have been issued for Hong Kong and 13 for Macao as of 11.59pm on Tuesday.
Nineteen visitors to Singapore from Hong Kong are expected to arrive on Thursday, while two from Macao are expected on Saturday. They will be the first short-term visitors from those two cities to Singapore under the Air Travel Pass scheme.
Last week, Singapore’s COVID-19 multi-ministry task force announced that short-term visitors with travel history to Hong Kong or Macao in the last 21 consecutive days can apply for an Air Travel Pass for entry into Singapore from Aug 26.
Similar to other arrangements with the Air Travel Pass, these visitors will undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival at Changi Airport, and can go about their activities in Singapore with a negative test result.
They will no longer need to serve a seven-day stay-home notice with a COVID-19 PCR test before the end of the notice, said CAAS.
Since the easing of the border restrictions for Hong Kong and Macao at 11.59pm on Aug 20, 63 Singaporeans and permanent residents have returned to Singapore as of 11.59pm on Tuesday.
There are currently more than 25,000 Singaporeans living in Hong Kong and Macao, said CAAS.
Mr Han Kok Juan, director-general of CAAS said: “The opening to Hong Kong and Macao is part of Singapore’s effort to further reopen our borders in a cautious and step-by-step manner.
“We have had good response in the first one week. We expect more Singapore citizens and permanent residents to return home in the coming months and more travellers to come to Singapore, particularly towards the end of the year.”
Since September last year, short-term visitors from “very low-risk” countries or regions have been allowed to enter Singapore under the Air Travel Pass scheme.
To date, more than 33,000 of such pass holders have entered Singapore.
Air Travel Passes issued in the first six days after launch of applications
| Country/Region | ATPs issued in the first six days after launch |
|---|---|
| Mainland China | 607 |
| Hong Kong | 230 |
| Vietnam | 221 |
| Taiwan | 153 |
| Australia | 73 |
| New Zealand | 64 |
| Brunei | 35 |
| Macao | 13 |
(Source: CAAS)
They must comply with the conditions of the scheme, which includes undergoing a PCR test on arrival and remaining isolated until a negative test result is obtained.
They will also need to use the TraceTogether app for their entire stay in Singapore.
