• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Tuesday 24 May 2022
  • 中文中文
  • 日本語日本語
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Consulting
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Consulting
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Singapore’s ambitious COVID strategy leaves Hong Kong hesitant on travel bubble resumption

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Wed 7 Jul 2021 at 05:27
Hong Kong Chief Executive expects travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore to proceed from November
66
SHARES
1.7k
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Singapore’s plan to transition to a new normal and open its borders to tourists by September could further delay a long-awaited travel bubble with Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said at a press briefing on Tuesday that Singapore remains the SAR’s “priority candidate” with which to resume international travel but expressed hesitation when asked when such an arrangement might get underway.

“We need to understand more about that new strategy and whether it will have any impact on the arrangements that we have devised,” Lam said. “The situation is very stable on both sides, so this is something that we will be working very closely on.”

Hong Kong and Singapore had originally planned to launch a travel bubble on 22 November 2020, with one charter flight carrying a maximum of 200 passengers to depart each day initially, rising to two flights per day from 7 December. The plan was postponed due to rising COVID-19 case numbers in Hong Kong, then again in May 2021 as cases rose in Singapore.

Case numbers have now declined to low single digits in both jurisdictions, however Singapore’s impressive vaccination program – the government is targeting to have two-thirds of the population fully vaccinated by 9 August – has seen it announce new plans to open its borders in September, with Australia, China, New Zealand and Taiwan flagged as being among the first to be welcomed. Authorities are also planning to cease daily COVID-19 case updates.

That contrasts sharply with Hong Kong, where only around 22% of the population is vaccinated.

“Now that Singapore also has a very high vaccination rate, another factor that we need to consider on top of what we have agreed previously is whether both sides should require vaccination as a condition for participating in the air travel bubble,” Lam said.

“On facilitating travel on a bilateral basis that is between Hong Kong and other places, I would say that Singapore is still our priority candidate for consideration.”

There are also hopes that a travel bubble arrangement between Hong Kong and Macau can get underway in the coming weeks after officials revealed plans for a “blue health code” system that would allow vaccinated arrivals from Hong Kong to enter Macau without having to enter hotel quarantine.

The Medical Director of Macau’s Conde de São Januário Hospital, Tai Wa Hou, said this week that more time was needed to finalize a start date due to uncertainty around a possible local case of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong officials have since classified that case, involving a cleaner at a designated quarantine hotel, as being linked to an imported case. As a result, Hong Kong has now reached 28 days without a locally acquired case of COVID-19.

Macau officials had previously outlined 28 days as the point at which a reopening of borders with Hong Kong could be considered.

RelatedPosts

Seoul casinos ordered closed as rising COVID cases force renewed restrictions

South Korea to resume issuing tourist visas from 1 June

Mon 23 May 2022 at 04:58
Legislative Assembly passes bill widening application of Macau’s tourism tax

Macau visitor arrivals up 15.2% month-on-month in April

Mon 23 May 2022 at 00:07
Macau to open borders to Portuguese nationals from 27 May

Macau to open borders to Portuguese nationals from 27 May

Mon 23 May 2022 at 00:04
Melco “promoting economic diversification” with launch of new family attraction at Macau’s Studio City

Melco “promoting economic diversification” with launch of new family attraction at Macau’s Studio City

Fri 20 May 2022 at 06:13
Load More
Tags: Carrie Lamcovid-19Hong KongMacauSingaporeTravel bubble
Share26Share5
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

Oz Casinos: What now?

Editorial: Does the foreigner-only casino model work?

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Apr 2022 at 15:28

The COVID-19 pandemic, along with the international border closures it forced, is one of a number of recent headwinds to...

Oz Casinos: What now?

Oz Casinos: What now?

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Apr 2022 at 15:14

With three inquiries into Crown Resorts completed, a review into Star Entertainment Group underway and a litany of damning findings...

Off Track: AUSTRAC’s AML Failures

Off Track: AUSTRAC’s AML Failures

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Apr 2022 at 13:16

Australia’s anti-money laundering watchdog has launched civil proceedings against Crown Resorts in what appears to be a reaction to its...

Locals Game

Locals Game

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 28 Apr 2022 at 13:05

IAG recently spoke with Shaun McCamley, former President at integrated resort The Grand Ho Tram Strip on Vietnam’s south-east coast,...

Related Posts

Class action launched against Star Entertainment Group

Star Entertainment Group names interim Chairman and CEO following latest boardroom casualty

by Ben Blaschke
Mon 23 May 2022 at 11:27

Australia’s Star Entertainment Group has named director Ben Heap as interim Chairman and Group Executive – Operations Geoff Hogg as interim CEO after Executive Chairman John O’Neill announced last week that he was stepping down. Both will take on their...

New problem gambling self-help app launched in Victoria

New problem gambling self-help app launched in Victoria

by Newsdesk
Mon 23 May 2022 at 11:21

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation has unveiled a new app aimed at providing those experiencing gambling harm access to self-help. According to information released Monday, the “Reset” app – funded by a AU$200,000 (US$142,000) grant from the Victorian state government...

69 year-old food supplier in apparent suicide at Venetian Hotel resort loading dock

69 year-old food supplier in apparent suicide at Venetian Hotel resort loading dock

by Pierce Chan
Mon 23 May 2022 at 11:11

On Saturday afternoon (May 21), a suspected suicide was discovered in Macau's Cotai district. A 69-year-old man surnamed Lam was found hanged in the Venetian Hotel near the loading dock. Police have advised that the man was the owner of...

2021: Japan IR – Crunch time

Japan Casino Regulatory Commission taking public comments on licensing criteria

by Shintaro Kamimura
Mon 23 May 2022 at 05:48

The Japan Casino Regulatory Commission opened public comments on 19 May regarding screening standards for proceedings such as casino licensing based on the 2016 Act on Promotion of Development of Specified Complex Tourist Facilities Areas. Current screening criteria for casino...


Simple Play

IAG

© 2005-2022
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • Contributors
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文
  • 日本語

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • 日本語
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Consulting
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • 中文
  • 日本語

© 2005-2022
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.