Travel ban loophole? Packages offering access to Singapore from India via third country spark Covid-19 concerns

On any other day, a travel package offering people in India a trip to Singapore via Sri Lanka might not warrant a second look. But in the face of the recent travel ban that bars entry to those who have been in India in the past 14 days, these packages have become a cause of concern for locals.

A photo of a travel agency offering packages that connected India to Singapore via Sri Lanka was posted onto HardwareZone on Sunday night (April 25), immediately causing netizens to wonder if such a package was legal. 

Meanwhile, a screenshot of an Indian national being offered assistance in entering Singapore via Sri Lanka was uploaded onto Facebook last Friday. The man was told that as long as he obtained a visa and stayed in Sri Lanka for two weeks, he would be allowed into Singapore. Another user was seen suggesting Nepal as another intermediary country.

Former NMP Calvin Cheng similarly suggested taking a trip to the US and spending two weeks there as they do not have a mandatory quarantine, before flying to Singapore and serving a 14-day quarantine in a dedicated facility.

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These posts sparked a discussion that a "loophole" was being exploited.

"All these people who exploit the loophole to enter the country should be banned permanently," an angry netizen wrote.

Others lambasted Cheng for "undermining the measures" put in place by the government and tagged several government bodies, such as the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Health, for feedback.

In response to media queries regarding Indian nationals using the aforementioned methods to get past the border restrictions, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the travel ban is not based on nationality.

"I think, as a matter of general infection control knowledge, regardless of your nationality, if you stay in a place long enough, you assume the risk profile of that place," he explained.

"You may be from another country, but once you stay in a new country for a while, you assume a new risk profile."

He added that by moving from a high-risk country to a lower-risk country and remaining Covid-negative before coming to Singapore, these people have already taken measures to lower the risk of virus transmission.

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As of last Saturday, all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have been to India within the last 14 days have been barred entry into Singapore. This includes visitors who transit in India, even if they had obtained prior approval for entry into Singapore.

This travel ban follows a massive surge in coronavirus cases in India that has seen hospitals across the country running out of beds and oxygen.

Noting that many arrivals from India work in the construction, marine and process sectors and live in dormitories, Lawrence Wong, the co-chair of the Covid-19 multi-ministry task force, said a new strain may get leaked into the dormitories, resulting in new clusters emerging again, hence the decision.

The "temporary freeze" on arrivals from India will give Singapore time to monitor the situation and better understand the "new variants that are there".

rainercheung@asiaone.com