Starting today, Nov. 11, unvaccinated and unrecovered arrivals from Singapore are to undergo quarantine upon arrival in Denmark, authorities have revealed.
“Singapore is now considered a high risk country for travel to Europe“, said the Danish Embassy in Singapore in a post posted on social media.
The decision was taken after the European Council announced that Singapore and Ukraine had been removed from the EU’s safe travel list due to the increase in cases of COVID-19 infection, which means whereas it is recommended that Member States now impose entry restrictions on arrivals from this country, SchengenVisaInfo reports .com.
The decision was made after data revealed that the number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore and Ukraine has increased rapidly in recent weeks. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that it was only in the past 24 hours that Singapore has reported 3,397 new cases of COVID-19.
“Following a review in the context of the recommendation on the gradual lifting of temporary restrictions on non-essential travel within the EU, the Council updated the list of countries, special administrative regions and other entities and territorial authorities to which travel restrictions should be lifted. In particular, Singapore and Ukraine were removed from the list“, said the Council of the EU in a press release.
But, according to Reuters, most of Singapore’s new cases are asymptomatic or mild, as 85% of the 5.45 million people are vaccinated.
Additionally, unvaccinated and unrecovered travelers from Singapore must be tested upon arrival in Denmark and undergo a ten-day quarantine. The isolation period can be completed on the fourth day by performing a PCR test. The testing rules apply to all travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, as Singapore’s vaccination certificate is not recognized by EU authorities, the Danish embassy in Singapore has revealed.
Currently, the EU’s epidemiologically safe travel list consists of 18 countries, including China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity. Unlike Singapore and Ukraine, vaccinated arrivals from safe third countries can enter EU member states exempt from entry restrictions.
Moreover, Germany had already tightened entry restrictions for travelers from Singapore weeks before the Council issued the notice. Like Germany and Denmark, France has also removed Singapore from its safe travel list, while Spain has imposed an entry ban on unvaccinated and unrecovered travelers from Singapore, unless they do not travel for essential purposes.
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WHO also reveals that since the start of the pandemic, 224,200 positive cases have been recorded in Singapore. The same data shows that 12 deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to a total of 523.
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