Singapore, Hong Kong postpone quarantine free travel deal again

 The start of a quarantine-free travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong has been deferred for a second time as the latter grapples with an uptick in new Coronavirus cases.

Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority said on Tuesday that the postponement is necessary to safeguard public health in Singapore and Hong Kong.

The arrangement between the two Asian finance hubs would see travelers take virus tests before travel and on arrival, instead of having to quarantine.

No revised start date has been given.

Hong Kong authorities said the deferral was needed given the epidemic situation’s severity in Hong Kong and that both sides will review the situation later this month.

The arrangement which was to involve one flight each way carrying up to 200 passengers a day, was already put back for two weeks on the eve of the initial start date of Nov. 22.

Travel has come to a standstill across the Asia-Pacific region since the World Health Organisation declared the Coronavirus crisis a pandemic in March.

Most countries across the region have kept their borders closed, with entry restricted to returning citizens and some foreign workers.

Singapore has a series of deals allowing for business travel, albeit with quarantine and controlled itineraries, with neighbours such as China, Japan and Malaysia.

A similar arrangement with Germany has yet to start after a recent resurgence of Coronavirus case numbers across Europe.

Singapore has also unilaterally allowed tourists from Australia, Brunei, New Zealand and Vietnam to enter in recent months.