Singapore is looking to allow quarantine-free travel by September
Singapore is planning to open its borders for international tourism later this year. The country said on Monday that it's hoping to allow a quarantine-free travel option for fully vaccinated travelers as of September 2021.
By September, the government hopes that 80% of the city-state's population will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
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However, it doesn't seem as though the nation will open up to all fully vaccinated tourists from September. The government said that instead, it will establish travel corridors with countries or regions where it deems COVID-19 is under control, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said.
Related: Are you fully vaccinated? Here's what travel looks like for you right now
Wong said that the nation will review a final decision on whether it will loosen travel policies in early August.
"The easing will be differentiated and extended to only vaccinated persons, because they are much better protected against the effects of the virus," Wong said. "If you want to go out to dine in the restaurant or workout in the gym, you have to be fully vaccinated."
According to Reuters, nearly 75% of Singapore's residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Last week, the city-state instituted new coronavirus-related restrictions amidst a rise in cases around the island. As part of the measures, the government reintroduced a ban on indoor dining and limited the maximum number of people allowed to gather from five to two.
For the duration of the pandemic, Singapore has largely kept its borders locked down to tourism. At multiple points, there were rumblings that the city-state would open a travel bubble with Hong Kong. However, rises in cases of COVID-19 in Singapore and Hong Kong at multiple points have pushed those plans back.
Travelers may want to hold off on booking a trip to Singapore straight away. While Monday's announcement is promising news for the future of tourism in the country, it remains unclear if fully vaccinated Americans will be among those allowed in for quarantine-free travel if the September plans go ahead.
And, like with most travel restrictions during the pandemic, it's likely that policies may change at a moment's notice.
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