The Singaporean Ministry of Health on Thursday announced that travelers from Taiwan would no longer need to isolate at home if they test negative for COVID-19 upon arrival, as the number of domestic cases in Taiwan has fallen over the past few weeks.
The ministry said in a statement that travelers who have been in Taiwan for at least 21 days before departing for Singapore would not have to isolate for 14 days if they test negative for COVID-19 in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) upon arrival.
The statement was a revision of Singapore’s border control regulations imposed on May 16, which required 14-day home isolation for travelers from Taiwan, amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Taiwan.
Singapore implemented the regulation one day after Taiwan reported 180 new domestic cases and raised the COVID-19 alert to level 3 for Taipei and New Taipei City, the two infection hot spots at the time.
The ministry said that its Multi-Ministry Task Force had been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation worldwide.
“As the situation in Taiwan has improved, we will allow travelers from Taiwan to undergo a COVID-19 PCR test upon arrival, and to go about their activities in Singapore if the PCR test result is negative,” the ministry said.
The order also includes short-term visitors from Taiwan, who can also apply for an air travel pass for entry into Singapore starting on Thursday next week, it said.
Taiwan lowered its COVID-19 alert to level 2 on Tuesday last week, as the number of indigenous cases continued to fall.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
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