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'No plans' to impose vaccinations as Singapore entry requirement: Ong Ye Kung

Travellers in face masks seen walking inside the transit area at Singapore's Changi Airport on 15 December 2020. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
Travellers in face masks seen walking inside the transit area at Singapore's Changi Airport on 15 December 2020. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE — The Singapore government has "no plans" to make vaccinations a requirement for travellers looking to enter the country, said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung in Parliament on Monday (1 March).

"Over the past year, we have been able to allow some travel to take place without requiring vaccinations, as a condition for entry into Singapore... we have no plans to impose the requirement that unless you are vaccinated you can travel," he said in response to queries from Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh.

Ong noted that more scientific data was needed so that health authorities can better determine the extent to which vaccines can reduce COVID-19 transmissions.

"So until then, it is premature to decide if border measures can be reduced for vaccinated individuals and whether, for purposes of implementing border measures, there should be differentiation between different vaccines," he said.

Notwithstanding this situation, it would still be prudent to pursue a system of mutual recognition of vaccine certification between countries, said Ong. To that end, Singapore has put in place a digital vaccine certification system that is "tamper proof and verifiable".

"We are in discussions at the International Civil Aviation Organization, and with various countries on the mutual recognition of such certificates, and such bilateral consultation and discussions will take some time," he said, adding that more details would be shared during his ministry's upcoming Committee of Supply debate.

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