Hong Kong and Singapore announced Saturday (November 21) that the departure of their “air travel bubbles” has been postponed by two weeks in response to the outbreak. The decision to postpone the departure was made less than 24 hours before the first scheduled dedicated flight.
The Hong Kong-Singapore “air travel bubble” will allow passengers who test negative for the new coronavirus prior to departure to avoid a two-week quarantine upon arrival. According to the agreement, if the number of locally confirmed cases in Singapore or Hong Kong exceeds an average of 5 cases per day over a 7-day period, the bubble arrangement is suspended for two weeks; if the number of cases drops back to no more than 5 on the last day of the two-week suspension, the bubble travel arrangement is suspended for two weeks. It can be restarted.
Hong Kong added 43 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Saturday, the most new cases in a single day in more than three months. Of the new cases, 36 were local cases and 13 were of unknown origin. Of the new local cases, 21 involved dance groups with a cumulative total of over 30 people infected in dance groups.
Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau said Saturday that the recent surge in confirmed cases in Hong Kong is expected to keep the epidemic severe in the short term, and that the travel bubble may have to be adjusted in the short term if the first flight is scheduled for the 22nd, and that postponing the departure is an appropriate and responsible way to reduce the impact on travelers. He said that the Hong Kong government and the Singaporean government will continue to closely monitor the development of the epidemic, inform each other, and make another announcement on the departure date early next month.
Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ee Kang said that he made the decision after discussions with Khoo Teng Hwa. He said he fully understands the disappointment and frustration travelers may feel, but both sides agreed that from a public health perspective, postponing the air travel bubble was the best arrangement.
Chang Chuk-kwan, director of the Infectious Diseases Branch of the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection, said Saturday that the epidemic is raging, the number of confirmed cases is rising fast and it is suspected that the dancing group may have a super-spreader. She said there are invisible carriers in many communities and urged people to stay home.
As of Saturday, there were 5,560 confirmed cases in Hong Kong and 108 deaths related to the new coronavirus infection.
Due to the similarities in the control of the outbreak between Hong Kong and Singapore, the Hong Kong government announced an “air travel bubble” with Singapore on the 11th of this month, the first “air travel bubble” between Hong Kong and a foreign country. The Hong Kong government said at the time, this is conducive to the cross-border movement of people between Hong Kong and Singapore, but also the two governments hope that in the protracted war against the epidemic can gradually and orderly restart economic activities.
Recent Comments