Singapore to allow quarantine-free travel from the US starting in mid-October
Singapore is easing entry requirements for vaccinated travelers from the United States, starting Oct. 19.
The country’s Ministry of Transport announced plans to expand its vaccinated travel lanes, or VTLs, to eight more countries, allowing them to enter without a quarantine period. The country initially opened travel lanes to two countries, Brunei and Germany, on Sept. 8.
Singapore officials labeled the travel lanes a success after only two of the more than 3,100 travelers who entered Singapore from the two countries brought in COVID-19 cases. Both cases were identified through PCR tests, and the travelers were isolated and had no interaction with the community, according to Transport Minister S. Iswaran.
“We have monitored the VTL scheme closely and are encouraged by the outcomes,” Iswaran said Saturday.
Testing requirements for travelers
Most U.S. citizens are not allowed to travel to Singapore for short-term visits.
Starting Oct. 19, travelers from the U.S. can enter Singapore as long as they show proof of vaccination and test negative through a PCR test twice: once 48 hours before departure and again upon arrival.
Travelers must also show they have only been in a VTL-approved country in the 14-days prior to departure.
► Travel to UK:England relaxes travel restrictions further
Restoring two-way travel
Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada will also get access to VTLs this October, Iswarni announced Saturday. A joint VTL launch with South Korea, set to begin Nov. 15, was previously announced Friday.
Wait times are dropping, but travelers are still waiting months for itAmerican tourists still have to wait
The announcement comes as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong lays out an updated plan for a “new normal” in Singapore, pivoting away from a “Zero COVID” goal to “Living with COVID-19” now that more than 85% of its population is fully vaccinated.
“It will take us at least three months, and perhaps as long as six months to get to this new normal,” he said Saturday. “The next few months will be trying. I expect daily cases to continue rising for some weeks. Our healthcare system will still be under pressure. We can slow, but we cannot stop the Delta variant.”
Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.