Singapore had reopened its doors to foreigners from 19 countries with low COVID-19 cases, including Indonesia, to prevent new cases of infections, according to Ambassador of Indonesia to Singapore Suryopratomo.

At a webinar as seen from Jakarta on Tuesday, Suryopratomo noted that the Singaporean government was gradually opening its borders to people from countries with low cases of COVID-19, starting from Brunei Darussalam to Germany.

“Why? Because Brunei has relatively very low number of cases and also the population is low, vaccination (rate) is high, and the country is able to vaccinate all its citizens. Germany is an example of the most disciplined country in Europe, so they see Germany as a prototype,” the ambassador stated.

The Singaporean government deems these two countries as having a very low likelihood of their residents spreading the COVID-19 virus in Singapore that has expanded its list of countries for people allowed to visit. It is currently limited at 19 countries, including Indonesia, while the figure was earlier capped at 14.

Indonesian people are considered to have a low likelihood of transmitting COVID-19 to Singaporean residents, given the declining cases since the last month. The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has always been below one thousand, or ranging from 400 to 700 cases since October 15, 2021.

Suryopratomo noted that Singapore is strict in allowing people to enter its territory as was apparent from its enactment of a daily quota of foreigners who can enter, capping a limit to as many as 300 to 400 people every day. Every foreigner, who enters, must have been vaccinated.

The figure is also adjusted to the officers who conduct PCR tests at the airport as well as the availability of beds in hospitals as a precautionary measure for treatment of sick people due to COVID-19.

Foreigners are required to take a direct flight to Singapore, so no transit stops during the way. The aircraft is allowed to only carry crew and passengers that have been vaccinated.

With the very strict entry policy, the number of cases of COVID-19 from abroad is very low, Suryopratomo stated.

“You can say it is one thousand to one. Hence, if one thousand people come, then it is only one positive case,” he concluded.

Source: Antara News