Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble: differing Covid-19 tactics dashed hopes of striking a deal on quarantine-free travel, officials say
- Contrasting tactics for dealing with the coronavirus crisis were the downfall of plans for bilateral quarantine-free travel, Hong Kong government says
- Senior figures in city tourism say concept of such deals set to be eclipsed in favour of other approaches
But the city state will begin admitting short-term visitors from Hong Kong and Macau without requiring them to quarantine starting on August 26, despite the measure not being reciprocated.
Singapore citizens, permanent residents and holders of work visas and other long-term passes arriving from those two cities will have earlier access to the scheme, launching on Saturday.
But Singapore in May said it wanted to transition towards a policy of “living with the virus”, in contrast to Hong Kong sticking with its “zero infections” target.
“With Singapore currently moving towards a new strategy of building a ‘Covid-resilient’ nation, the basic premises that underpin the [bubble] have changed,” a Hong Kong government spokesman said.
“Take for instance the seven-day moving average of unlinked local cases, which is the criterion for suspending and resuming the ATB [air travel bubble] as per the agreed framework. The figure may not be kept consistently at the required level in Singapore as a result of its new strategy.”
