Well, our worst fears have come true.
When the Omicron reared its particularly hideous head and countries started re-imposing border curbs, we were worried that all the progress we had made in making travel arrangements with other countries would be undone.
But nothing happened at first, and people here were allowed to travel under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme as long as they were fully vaccinated.
But now that the number of Omicron cases here and abroad are climbing, the authorities have decided it’s time to tighten measures once again.
Ticket Sales for All VTL Flights & Buses Into S’pore to be Suspended from 23 Dec 21 to 20 Jan 22 to Stop Omicron
The sale of VTL flight tickets into Singapore from all VTL countries will be temporarily paused from 11:59pm tomorrow (23 Dec) until 20 Jan next year due to the rise in Omicron cases.
Bus tickets for travel into Singapore or Malaysia via the VTL (Land) will also be unavailable during this period.
From 21 Jan onwards, total ticket sales for both VTL flights and buses will be halved.
Fortunately, those who already hold VTL tickets and meet the requirements under the scheme will still be allowed to travel to Singapore.
Transport Minister: Some Might Be Disappointed, But It’s a Prudent Measure
In a Facebook post today (22 Dec), Transport Minister S Iswaran explained that the authorities have been closely watching the global developments regarding the Omicron variant, and decided on the freeze on ticket sales due to the rise in Omicron cases.
“I understand that some might be disappointed by these changes to the VTL scheme, but it is an essential and prudent measure to protect public health,” he said.
“As part of our careful and calibrated approach to border reopening, it is crucial that we tighten our safeguards when warranted by the public health risk assessment, to protect the health and safety of our fellow Singaporeans, frontline aviation workers and travellers.”
The COVID-19 task force echoed his sentiments, saying that it’s “a matter of time” before the Omicron variant spreads to our community.
“Our border measures will help to buy us time to study and understand the Omicron variant, and to strengthen our defences, including enhancing our healthcare capacity, and getting more people vaccinated and boosted,” it said in a statement..
At the moment, 34% of the population have got their booster shots. Vaccinations for children aged five to 11 will begin next week on 27 Dec, beginning with Primary 4 to 6 students. Some 120,000 SMS invitations will be sent today to their parents to book
appointments.
This, along with the drive to get more people fully vaccinated, will drive our vaccination and booster rates even higher.
Read Also:
- Thailand Suspends Quarantine-Free Entry Due to Omicron Until 4 Jan
- Lee Jinglei Came Out to Clarify That Blackie Chen & Christine Fan Aren’t Wang Leehom’s FWB
- Teen Apologises After Posting TikTok Video That Said S’porean Girls Don’t Look Presentable
Featured Image: Sing Studio / Shutterstock.com