Category: Singapore

Singapore Halts Vaccinated Travel Lane Policy Amid Rising Omicron Cases Globally

Singapore will temporarily freeze flight and bus ticket sales under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) policy from Dec. 23, 2021, to Jan. 20, 2022, to limit its exposure to imported Omicron cases, said the Ministry of Health in a press release (pdf). Although VTL ticket sales will resume on Jan. 21, flight and bus ticket…


Jetstar Asia Flights Between Singapore and Darwin Resume After 2 Year Hiatus

Jetstar Asia will resume its flights between Singapore and Darwin after a two-year pause in travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a  media release on Monday the Northern Territory state government, noted that the first scheduled flight to arrive in Darwin from Singapore will touch down at 4.45 a.m. on Tuesday morning, marking the beginning of…


Benefits Outweigh Risks in Vaccinating Children: Singapore Senior Minister of State

Vaccination helps protect against COVID-19 and no safety issues have surfaced after millions of children aged 5 to 11 around the world have been vaccinated, said Singapore’s Senior Minister of State (Ministry of Health), Dr. Janil Puthucheary. At a virtual press conference held on Dec. 14 by Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce, the committee managing the country’s…


Boosters Needed to Extend Full Vaccination Status in Singapore

Singapore will review the validity period for full vaccination status as new variants emerge, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in a press release on Dec. 14, 2021. Details on the validity period will be announced at the end of this year or early next year. Currently, a person is considered fully vaccinated after two…


New Saliva-Based Antigen Rapid Testing Technology Developed by Singapore Scientists

A new type of saliva-based Antigen Rapid Testing (ART) technology to diagnose COVID-19 has been developed by scientists in Singapore, co-developed by the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre and the National University of Singapore.


MAS Warns Singapore Homebuyers of Expected Interest Rate Hike

Homebuyers should “exercise prudence” in taking out new mortgages as interest rates are expected to increase, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said in its Financial Stability Review released on Dec. 6, 2021. It also advised against undertaking new loan commitments for highly leveraged households. Household debt in Singapore has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to…


Singapore Defers Vaccinated Travel Lanes Due to Omicron Variant

Singapore announces deferment of VTLs to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE due to concerns over Omicron variant.


Grab’s Nasdaq Debut Highlights Mixed Views on Southeast Asia’s Startup Scene

Singapore-based tech company Grab’s shares have tumbled more than 30 percent since it was first traded on the Nasdaq on Dec. 2, 2021. Reaping proceeds of $4.5 billion, its high-profile debut on the Nasdaq attracted much attention, marking the largest U.S. public listing by a company from Southeast Asia. The listing came after Grab agreed…


Singapore Donates Over 100,000 COVID-19 Vaccines to Malaysia

Singapore delivered 100,620 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to its neighbour, the Malaysian state of Johor, on Dec. 2, as Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan called on the Sultan of Johor to affirm support for the state’s effort to combat COVID-19. The vaccine contribution came on top of the 20,000 Sinovac doses donated to Johor in July…


Singapore Tightens Border Measures Over Concerns of Omicron Variant

Singapore will adopt stricter healthcare protocols over concerns of the Omicron variant, announced Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in the multi-ministry task force press conference on Nov. 30. While the city-state’s existing approach to handling the Delta variant is to “co-exist” with it, the new protocols are intended to “contain” the emerging Omicron variant, according…