Stay-home notice period reduces to 14 days for travellers from high-risk countries, but compulsory to take additional COVID-19 tests

Starting from today (23 June), all new travellers arriving from high-risk countries and regions will be required to only serve 14-day stay-home notice (SHN), instead of 21 days, at dedicated facilities.

But, it is mandatory for these travellers to take an antigen rapid test using self-testing kits on the third, seventh and eleventh day after arriving in Singapore.

In a statement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) released on Wednesday, it said that in late-April this year, there were very little information known about the emerging variant of concern, including its incubation period.

As such, it has forced the authorities to make is mandatory for travellers with recent travel history to higher risk countries and regions to serve a 21-day SHN.

However, although there is increased transmissibility with the new variant of concern, MOH stated that there is no evidence – from both overseas and local data – that these variants come with longer incubation periods.

It added that since the 21-day SHN period for travellers with recent travel history to high-risk countries or regions was introduced from 8 May, there were 270 imported cases among such travellers as at Tuesday (22 June).

“All of them had incubation periods well within the 14-day window. As such, we will reduce the SHN period from 21 days back to 14 days,” said MOH.

But, to identify potential infection cases early and provide infected travellers with the necessary medical care as soon as possible, travellers will be required to tests themselves “regularly” using an antigen rapid test (ART) self-test kits on day three, seven and 11 on their arrival in Singapore, while serving their SHN.

“This is on top of the COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests they have to take on arrival in Singapore, and on Day 14 of their arrival, before they exit SHN,” added the Ministry.