The Singapore government has frozen all new airline ticket sales until 20 January under its program for quarantine-free travel into the city-state, citing risk from the fast-spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant.
Singapore has announced that it will be tightening its borders and freezing airline ticket sales until 20 January in response to the latest wave of COVID-19 cases spreading across the world.
Under the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) program, Singapore allows quarantine-free entry to fully vaccinated travellers from 21 countries, including Australia, India, the United Kingdom and the United States on designated flights and land crossings.
The travellers have to undergo regular testing upon arrival.
Although airlines are currently not accepting any new bookings, vaccinated travellers who have already purchased tickets can still proceed with their journey under the special travel lane initiative.
The government said it will also temporarily reduce the VTL quotas and ticket sales for travel after January 20, 2022.
For flights, the total ticket sales will be capped at 50 per cent of the allocated quota.
“Our border measures will help to buy us time to study and understand the Omicron variant, and to strengthen our defences, including enhancing our healthcare capacity, and getting more people vaccinated and boosted,” the health ministry said in a statement.
Singapore reopened its border to fully vaccinated Australians on 1 November.
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Source: AAP