Singapore, Aug. 6 (CNA) Singapore's Ministry of Health announced Thursday that travelers from Taiwan will not be required to isolate at home if they test negative for COVID-19 on arrival, as the number of domestic cases in Taiwan has been dropping.
In a statement released late at night, the health ministry said travelers who have been in Taiwan for at least 21 days before departure to Singapore can take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on arrival, and they will not be given the 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN) if the results are negative.
The statement was a revision of Singapore's border control regulations that were imposed on May 16, requiring 14-day home isolation for travelers from Taiwan, amid a spike in domestic COVID-19 cases in Taiwan.
The regulation in Singapore was implemented one day after Taiwan reported 180 new domestic COVID-19 cases and raised the alert to Level 3 for Taipei and New Taipei cities, the two infection hotspots at the time.
On Thursday, Singapore's health ministry said its Multi-Ministry Taskforce had been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation across the world.
"As the situation in Taiwan has improved, we will allow travelers from Taiwan to undergo a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival, and to go about their activities in Singapore if the PCR test result is negative," the ministry said in the statement.
The new order also includes short-term visitors to Taiwan, who can also apply for an Air Travel Pass for entry into Singapore on or after Aug. 12, the ministry said.
Taiwan lowered its COVID-19 alert to Level 2 on July 27, as the number of indigenous cases continued to fall. On Thursday, Taiwan reported six new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily number since the national epidemic alert was issued in mid-May.
The new cases brought the total in Taiwan to 15,753, of which 14,256 were domestic infections reported since May 15. To date, 791 people have died of COVID-19 in Taiwan, including 779 since May 15.
