Singapore — People who remain unvaccinated by choice may have to face stricter access curbs, starting early next year.
At present, the unvaccinated cannot dine in at hawker centres and restaurants, nor are they allowed to enter shopping malls, cinemas, and libraries. Starting from Feb 1, 2022, vaccination-differentiated safe management restrictions (VDS) will be expanded to more events and venues. This includes all institutes of higher learning and indoor sports facilities.
Unvaccinated guests will also no longer be allowed to visit hotels, hostels, and serviced apartments for leisure.
VDS measures will be required at media conferences, work-related events, and funerary memorial events starting from Feb 1, although funerals, wakes, or funeral processions that are held prior to burial or cremation do not fall under VDS measures, and no more than 30 people at any time may still participate in these activities.
These precautionary changes are being considered in view of a possible huge wave in Covid-19 infections by the Omicron variant projected to be much more transmissible than the Delta variant that currently dominates cases in Singapore.
Before Wednesday, last week, the new variant hadn’t made an appearance here. Then came two imported cases, both from South Africa.
Barely a week later, there are already 16 cases in Singapore linked to the new Omicron variant, and on Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that this variant had already been detected in at least 77 countries.
This is not stopping Singapore from continuing to open up cautiously, and subjecting those who choose to remain unvaccinated to tighter measures would also protect people who are more vulnerable.
People who have recovered from the virus, are medically ineligible for the vaccines, and children who are 12 or younger are exempt from VDS requirements.
At the press conference on Tuesday, the multi-ministry task force MTF in overall charge of Covid-19 issues gave no firm timeline for the implementation of stricter curbs for the unvaccinated.
MTF co-chair Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said it was “only a matter of time before this happens,” he said, adding, “We must therefore prepare ourselves for such a scenario.”
There could be a “potentially big wave” of Omicron infections, said co-chair Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. Even if Singapore is to close its borders down fully, it would not be realistic to believe this would be enough to keep the country free from the new variant.
“We have to learn to live with Omicron as we have with Delta,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Health, even smaller events could ignite the spread of infections, especially in the light of recent discoveries about the Omicron variant.
Starting from Feb 1, all events of any size will be required to implement VDS, not only those with over 50 participants. /TISG