Month: September 2022

non-fully vaccinated travelers don’t need quarantine from Monday

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People sit outside a bar at Emily Hill in Singapore, on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022.

Ore Huiying | Bloomberg | Getty Images

SINGAPORE — Singapore is set to allow non-fully vaccinated travelers to skip quarantine on arrival starting Monday, authorities announced Wednesday.

The country is also set to remove indoor mask requirements from Aug. 29, as it seeks to take another step toward living with Covid.

While the further easing of safety and border measures is a “significant milestone,” the country must still “be mentally prepared for any sudden change because we don’t know how this virus will mutate and what the next variant will look like,” said Singapore’s deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong, who is also co-chair of the Covid task force in Singapore.

Visitors who are not fully vaccinated will still be required to test negative for Covid within 2 days prior to their departure for Singapore. But

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Japan eases covid test rule, but strict travel restrictions remain

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TOKYO — Japan said Wednesday it would end a requirement for vaccinated travelers to have a coronavirus test to enter the country, a gradual step toward reviving a hard-hit tourism industry but that comes as other restrictions continue to deter visitors.

After enacting some of the strictest border measures during the pandemic, Japan has been gradually allowing nonresidents to visit. But tourists are still not allowed in unless they are a part of an authorized tour group, their every move watched closely by a licensed guide.

Many Asian countries continue to impose quarantine or testing rules for international arrivals, but Japan’s restrictions were out of step with others in the Group of Seven major economies. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that Japan would continue to ease border control measures in phases, “to enable smooth entry into Japan in a similar manner to other G-7

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