SINGAPORE, Oct 21 — With immediate effect, Singaporeans, permanent residents (PR) and long-term pass holders travelling overseas will be allowed to tap on government subsidies and insurance to cover their medical bills if they experience an onset of Covid-19 within 14 days of their return to Singapore.
The Ministry of Health announced the change in a press release yester, which the ministry said was “in line with the progressive move to reopen (Singapore’s) borders.”
Currently, Singaporeans, PRs and long-term pass holders who leave Singapore from March 27 onwards are responsible for their own inpatient medical bills if they have onset of such symptoms.
They are also unable to access government subsidies or insurance coverage such as MediShield Life, Integrated Shield Plans or private insurance if they travel for reasons not approved by the government.
The MOH said that it is also not possible for Singapore to keep its borders closed indefinitely as the country’s economic survival depends heavily on being open to the world and being a key international and travel hub.
As a way to open up the borders in a safe manner to more travellers, the government is allowing travellers from low-risk countries and regions, or those which have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and displayed successful control over the spread of Covid-19, to enter Singapore after having a Covid-19 test and without needing to serve a stay-home notice (SHN).
For travellers from higher-risk countries and regions, the current approach is to subject them to an SHN to be served at home or at dedicated SHN facilities, it said.
MOH added that its exploring ways to deploy more frequent testing, coupled with other safeguards, to enable more travellers to enter Singapore without a need to serve an SHN while minimising the risk of transmission to the community. — TODAY
