Reports by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA / Image : Colombo's international airport. Many Indians transit to Singapore via Colombo.
News (1)
Indian passengers enter Singapore via a third country
The pandemic in India has worsened. In addition to extending the quarantine period for Indian entrants to 21 days, Singapore also prohibits entry of non-citizens or permanent residents who have been to India in the past 14 days.
It is not possible to fly directly from India to Singapore via commercial flights. Many Indian Employment Pass holders have found another way to enter Singapore. In the past few months, many have flown from India to Singapore via Colombo, Dubai, Kathmandu, etc.
On the chat application Telegram, there have been at least three chat groups specifically discussing how to enter Singapore from India through a third country.
It is understood that all the permit entry applications previously approved for direct flights from India to Singapore have been cancelled. However, applications for entering Singapore through a third country will not be affected for the time being.
The largest group currently has about 3,800 people, most of whom are Indians. They are all discussing the details of how to enter Singapore through third-party countries such as Sri Lanka, Dubai, and Nepal. After the government announced the tightening of border control measures, chat rooms have become more active.
An employee of an outsourcing company who has a permit application told us that some Indian customers have taken a different approach and successfully used the entry quota from Sri Lanka to come to Singapore.
An employee of an outsourcing company applying for a local permit said, “He also said that if he returns to Singapore from Sri Lanka, he does not need to be quarantined in a hotel, and both himself and his employer can save money.”
News (2)
Entry via Sri Lanka
According to the website of the Ministry of Manpower, entering Singapore from Sri Lanka can apply for a 14-day quarantine in the residence. At present, all persons entering from India must be quarantined at home for another seven days after completing 14 days of quarantine at designated epidemic prevention facilities.
There are also some travel agencies in Sri Lanka that have launched a package of "entry Singapore through Sri Lanka" for Indian pass holders.
The Sri Lanka tour operator said, “We will help arrange air tickets, accommodation, covid testing, airport shuttle services, and meals. About S$3,000 (per person).”
Another Sri Lankan tour operator said, “About 20 people booked the service with me. Most of them will go with their families. Some of the husbands are already in Singapore and only the wives and children will go there.”
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Entry via Nepal
According to the report by the "Nepal Times", Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, which is only one hour and 15 minutes away from Delhi, has become a transit area for Indians to Singapore, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and other areas where entry from India is prohibited.
The number of Indians flying from New Delhi to Kathmandu has doubled in the past two months. In February, only 4,763 Indians flew to Kathmandu. Between 1 and 8 April, there were 8727 outbound passengers, among which 5,250 Indians transit via Kathmandu.
The report pointed out that these Indian employees will stay in hotels in Kathmandu for two weeks, and as many as 400 Indian employees leave Kathmandu every day and fly to Singapore, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and other regions.
As a result, cheap hotels in Kathmandu are full. Sajan Shakya, a spokesperson for the Nepal Hotel Association, said, "The number of cheap hotels has increased, and even the occupancy rate of two-star and three-star hotels has also increased... For passengers, this is a good thing for them."
Not only hotels, but the daily airfare between Nepal and India has also increased several times. The report pointed out that the fare from Kathmandu to Delhi this week was 9,000 rupees (approximately S$159), while the airfare from Delhi to Kathmandu was fired up to 45,000 rupees (approximately S$796).
Nepal Airlines executive director Dim Prasad Poudel confirmed, “Yes, as more Indians go to Kathmandu and the demand for air tickets has increased, it is impossible to sell air tickets at a lower price.”
Nepal Airlines originally requested the Civil Aviation Administration of India to resume flights to Mumbai and Bangalore but as the pandemic intensified, Nepal Airlines spokesperson Raj Kumar Chhetri said, "Now even the number of flights to Delhi may have to be reduced."
News (4)
750 attendees of live performances must be tested for covid beforehand
From now on, the number of attendance at live performances held under the epidemic can be increased to 750. However, all attendees, including children, must be tested for covid beforehand. Only spectators who completed two doses of vaccination two weeks before the event and recovered patients whose infection date was less than nine months do not need to be tested. The price of testing costs ranges from S$20 to S$200. The Singapore government will not subsidize the cost of pre-event testing.
According to the pre-event testing guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, the event organizer has the right to prohibit the audience from entering the venue if the audience attending a live performance event with more than 250 people cannot produce a negative test certificate or other exemption certificate.
The authorities recommend that the public check with the event organizer about the required certification documents and refund matters before purchasing tickets. If parents can foresee that their children will not cooperate with the test, it is recommended not to bring children to attend.
News (5)
More than 250 large-scale performances to be held in June
It is understood that the SING·Lang concert to be held in the indoor gymnasium in June 2021 is the first large-scale live performance of more than 250 people after Singapore's unblocking. The organizer, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, stated that the visitor center of the Sports City will set up a temporary testing station at that time, and audiences can make an appointment when buying tickets and arrive at the venue for testing in advance.
Li Yiwen, Director of Programs at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, said, "One to three hours before the concert, we will divide it into different time slots for the audience to come in for testing. The testing report will come out in about 30 minutes. In terms of personnel transfer Maybe add 10%."
If the organizer of the event can ensure that all safety distance measures are in place, including the audience wearing masks and not walking around randomly, there is no need to implement zoning arrangements.
Ticketing agent SISTIC embeds SafeEntry visitor registration in the e-ticket to facilitate the public to register and enter the venue. Event organizers can also monitor the flow of people entering the venue in real time through the dashboard.
SISTIC Commercial Customer Service Director Cai Meihui said, "The ticket purchase system also has "bubble purchasing" technology, which allows you to buy tickets without sitting with neighboring customers in order to maintain a safe distance."
Singapore Sports City Deputy Director of Business and Marketing Chen Peifen said, "The event organizers are particularly optimistic about the second half of 2021. From sports events to concerts, etc., they are all projects and performances of interest to Singaporeans. We feel that the market demand absolutely exists."
News (6)
Debris of submarine in the nearby waters of Bali
The Indonesian navy’s submarine Nangola lost contact for more than 72 hours. The military held a press conference in the afternoon and stated that it had found debris that was supposed to be the wreckage of a submarine in the nearby waters. The submarine has sunk and then the target will be turned to salvage the wrecked submarine ashore.
The Indonesian Navy held a press conference in the afternoon to announce that near the last known location of the submarine, debris believed to be the wreckage of the submarine had been found. The detection equipment was also at a depth of about 850 metres and detected the position of the submarine. Therefore, it is believed that there is sufficient evidence to show that the submarine has sunk.
Indonesian Navy Chief Yudo Magono said that in the past few days, some debris and objects were found in the area where the missing submarine may be located. If there is no external pressure or the torpedo launcher is not damaged, these objects are unlikely to be outside the submarine.
The authorities also said that when the submarine is at a depth of more than 700 metres, it will not be able to withstand the water pressure and shatter.
The Indonesian navy dispatched a number of warships and helicopters this morning to search for the last known location of the submarine.
The U.S. Department of Defense also stated that it has dispatched air force support. However, according to calculations, the oxygen supply on the submarine should have been exhausted, and the hope of saving the 53 crew members is getting slimmer.
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