Singapore tightens rules on household visits ahead of Chinese New Year

Singapore

SINGAPORE has tightened its rules on household visits ahead of Chinese New Year as a "pre-emptive move", even as the national vaccination drive continues despite a shipment delay.

From Jan 26, households will be restricted to eight visitors a day - stricter than the current rule, which allows eight guests at any one time. Individuals have also been advised to call on no more than two households a day "as much as possible".

Education Minister Lawrence Wong, co-chair of the multi-ministry Covid-19 taskforce, said on Friday: "We had many clusters linked to Chinese New Year gatherings - this was last year. We do not want a repeat of that happening. That is why we are making a pre-emptive move now."

The Ministry of Health (MOH), believing that transmission risks in the community will rise during the festive period - also ordered diners to toss their seasonal yusheng in masked silence, on pain of "strict enforcement actions".

Meanwhile, community vaccinations begin on Jan 27, the day after the household visitor cap kicks in. Senior citizens living in Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar will be the first to get their shots; seniors elsewhere are slated to get theirs from mid-February.

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Singapore will ramp up its vaccination programme "while maintaining the highest standards of safety", Health Minister Gan Kim Yong pledged, even though a scheduled shipment has been held up by upgrading at a Pfizer manufacturing plant.

More than 60,000 people have taken the first of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine so far, up from 6,200 last week.

The Pfizer shipment snafu has not derailed the government's target of securing enough vaccines for all long-term residents by the third quarter. "We will continue to monitor our supplies closely to meet our target... but we will need to calibrate our roll-out in tandem with our suppliers," said Mr Gan, the taskforce's other co-chair; he expects more delays amid urgent need in countries with major outbreaks or potential production and logistics hold-ups.

"We have made advance purchases from diverse sources... Our vaccination programme is planned based on the arrival schedule, and of course, we have some buffer," he said. "But we must expect disruptions from time to time, and therefore, we would urge Singaporeans: When your turn comes for the vaccine, please do make an appointment early."

Singapore has also inked vaccine purchase deals with American pharmaceutical firm Moderna and China's Sinovac, Mr Gan has previously disclosed. Without specifying the vaccines in question, national director of medical services Kenneth Mak said on Friday that Singapore is close to a decision on a second candidate and in talks with a third "to get all the information necessary for evaluation".

Separately, the MOH will offer tests to stallholders, shop owners, F&B staff and food-delivery workers in Chinatown on Feb 8 and 9, as these groups are expected to interact more with the public during Chinese New Year.

Singapore will also bear the cost of Covid-19 rostered routine testing (RRT) for higher-risk workers until Sept 30, past the original March 31 date.

With rapid tests mandatory for cargo drivers at land checkpoints since Friday, Mr Wong said "we are taking no chances at our borders and we are continuing to keep them tight in terms of the control measures".

Daily imported cases have been in the double digits all through January, which he called "a reflection of the increase in the infection rate around us because of the higher prevalence". He appealed for the public's co-operation with all Covid-19 safety measures "so that we can get through this hump without having to impose any additional drastic measures".

READ MORE: No CNY gatherings for firms as current measures against Covid-19 remain in place