Singapore (VNA) – Singapore and Indonesia have decided to ease more COVID-19 safety measures as part of recent moves to safely live with the coronavirus disease.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on March 24 that in the latest move, the administration decided to lift most restrictions for vaccinated arrivals, along with the outdoor mask mandate.
Singapore is one of the first countries to shift from a containment strategy to new COVID-19 normal, but had to slow some of its easing plans due to subsequent outbreaks.
The infection surge caused by the Omicron variant has begun to subside in this city state. Singapore saw the daily record of 26,000 cases when the infection wave peaked in February, but the figure dropped to about 9,000 on March 23.
Most of the new cases show mild or no symptoms. Notably, about 92 percent of the 5.5 million population have been fully vaccinated while 71 percent given one booster shot.
In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo said as the COVID-19 situation continues to improve, the government decided to relax some restriction measures, including a ban on domestic travel during the Muslim holiday season of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr in April and May.
Muslims in this archipelago nation can resume traditional practices during the month which have been restricted over the last two years in the face of the pandemic.
Besides, foreign travellers with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result are also now exempted from quarantine.
Earlier, Indonesia expanded the visa on arrival programme to international travellers from 42 countries arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali province./.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on March 24 that in the latest move, the administration decided to lift most restrictions for vaccinated arrivals, along with the outdoor mask mandate.
Singapore is one of the first countries to shift from a containment strategy to new COVID-19 normal, but had to slow some of its easing plans due to subsequent outbreaks.
The infection surge caused by the Omicron variant has begun to subside in this city state. Singapore saw the daily record of 26,000 cases when the infection wave peaked in February, but the figure dropped to about 9,000 on March 23.
Most of the new cases show mild or no symptoms. Notably, about 92 percent of the 5.5 million population have been fully vaccinated while 71 percent given one booster shot.
In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo said as the COVID-19 situation continues to improve, the government decided to relax some restriction measures, including a ban on domestic travel during the Muslim holiday season of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr in April and May.
Muslims in this archipelago nation can resume traditional practices during the month which have been restricted over the last two years in the face of the pandemic.
Besides, foreign travellers with a negative COVID-19 PCR test result are also now exempted from quarantine.
Earlier, Indonesia expanded the visa on arrival programme to international travellers from 42 countries arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali province./.
VNA
