Singapore to further relax Covid restrictions as number of cases decline

Singapore will further relax its Covid-19 restrictions as the number of infected cases has declined, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday.

"Our fight against Covid-19 has reached a major turning point and we will be making a decisive move towards living with Covid-19," Xinhua news agency quoted Lee as saying in a live address to the nation.

According to the Prime Minister, the new safe management measures, which will take effect from March 29, include doubling group size to 10 persons from the current five, and increasing the capacity limit for larger events and settings.

Up to 75 per cent of employees will be allowed to return to workplaces. Wearing masks outdoors will be made optional.

As the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is "well under control," Singapore will "substantially" ease up cross-border travelling by streamlining testing and quarantine requirements and lifting "most of the restrictions for fully-vaccinated visitors entering Singapore", said Lee.

These changes will give a boost to businesses, particularly the tourism sector, and also help Singapore reclaim its position as a business and aviation hub, he added.

However, to avoid the infection number from rising again, the Prime Minister said Singapore will continue its measured approach that has been in place for over two years, and further relaxation on restrictions will be considered if the epidemic situation keeps stabilising.

--IANS

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