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“Both Singapore and Hong Kong depend heavily on the success of airlines and airports for their economies,” said Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics.
Officials from Hong Kong and Singapore said on Oct.15 that the quarantine would be replaced by coronavirus tests and that the two cities hoped to start it in November. Travelers must have been in Hong Kong or Singapore for 14 days prior to departure and must take and pass mutually recognized virus tests.
On November 3, Hong Kong announced new rules stipulating that arrivals from anywhere other than mainland China should remain quarantined in a hotel for 14 days. But Singapore visitors will be exempt from this travel bubble deal.
Singapore already allows people from five countries to travel in general without having to serve quarantine, although they still have to isolate themselves when they return home. The city-state is also evaluating the risk that travelers pose based on where they come from. The priority is to have effective testing to replace the quarantine requirements that dissuade people from flying abroad.
“Affordable testing will be the key to reviving travel,” said Mayur Patel, OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd.’s regional sales director for Japan and Asia Pacific. “If the cost of testing is too high, it won’t drive demand.”
“We are obviously very keen to make the travel bubble a success,” said Lee Lik Hsin, executive vice president of Singapore Airlines’ commercial division, on Monday. “Obviously we must take into account the various considerations that the government, the regulators will have in approving such a bubble and being experimental, a certain level of conservatism can be expected.”
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