A travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong will begin on November 22, announcement was made on Wednesday by the two tourist cities as they resume overseas travel and lifting the burden of quarantine procedures for foreign visitors.
Singapore and Hong Kong ministers said the scheme would begin with one flight per day, with a limit of 200 travellers per flight. And starting December 7, it will increase to two flights per day into both cities.
But if the Covid-19 situation worsens in either city the scheme would be suspended indefinitely, they said.
Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said he believed the travel bubble was the first of its kind in the world allowing both cities to open their borders in a safe and controlled method.
“While we may be starting small, this is an important step forward … It will be a useful reference for other countries and regions that have controlled the epidemic, and are contemplating opening their borders,” says the minister.
“Visitors from both cities must travel on designated flights and must undergo Covid-19 tests. No quarantine would be required in either place and there would be no restrictions on the purpose of travel,” he added.
Original writer: REUTERS
