Singapore will consider relaxing curbs for vaccinated travellers -govt official

[January 04, 2021]    SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore will consider relaxing travel restrictions for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the co-head of the government's virus taskforce said on Monday.

People take photos at an empty Merlion Park amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at the central business district in Singapore, December 14, 2020. REUTERS/Edgar Su

The Southeast Asian travel hub has largely banned leisure travel, and has some limited business and official travel agreements with certain countries. Most returning residents have to isolate in designated hotels or at home for up to two weeks.

"There are several ongoing studies on the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing transmission risk, and we are monitoring these very carefully," Lawrence Wong said in parliament.

"If there is clear evidence that transmission risks can be lowered significantly, we will certainly consider some relaxation to the SHN (stay home notice) regime for vaccinated travellers."

(Reporting by John Geddie; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

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