COVID-19: All travellers entering Singapore to be placed on 14-day Stay-Home Notice

Effective 2359 hours on 20 March 2020, all Singaporeans, Permanent Residents (PRs), long-term pass holders and short-term visitors entering Singapore will be issued a 14-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN).

These travellers will have to provide proof of the place where they will serve the 14-day SHN, for example a hotel booking covering the entire period, or a place of residence they or their family members own, the Ministry of Health announced yesterday.

As previously announced, short-term visitors with recent travel history to mainland China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Republic of Korea and Spain, are not allowed to enter or transit in Singapore.

At the same time, with effect from the same time and date as the above, Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will require all new and existing work pass holders and their dependents, planning to enter/return to Singapore from any country, to obtain the Ministry's approval before commencing their journey.

This applies to existing work pass holders currently out of Singapore, and In-Principle Approval holders who have yet to enter Singapore. Upon arrival in Singapore, these work pass holders will be placed on a mandatory 14-day SHN.

All employers applying for entry approval will be required to declare to MOM that they have arranged for suitable accommodation for these entering/returning employees, during the period of their SHN.

Employers should also note the following:

• It is a requirement to apply for entry approval using the online facility provided by MOM, and employers should inform the affected employees to not make travel plans to Singapore until MOM has approved the application.
• Upon approval, employers should share MOM's approval letter with the employees, who will then present to the airline staff upon check-in and at the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority's checkpoint upon arrival in Singapore.
• The entry approval requirements previously put in place for work pass holders with travel history to mainland China, Iran, will remain unchanged, while those recently implemented for Spain, France and Germany, for ASEAN countries, Japan, the United Kingdom and Switzerland will stay in effect.

MOM extends Leave of Absence Support Programme to those on SHN

The MOM has also extended the Leave of Absence Support Programme (LOASP) to businesses and self-employed persons affected by the SHN requirements due to COVID-19 effective 2359 hours, 18 February 2020, 2359 hours.

Under the LOASP, eligible employers will be able to apply for S$100 daily per affected worker for the required duration of SHN.

Affected workers include: Singapore citizens, PRs, and Work Pass holders who were placed on SHN upon their return to Singapore. Eligible employers will also qualify for levy waiver for affected foreign workers for the SHN period.

Businesses and self-employed Singaporeans and PRs will not be eligible for the LOASP if work was performed remotely during their SHN, and will only be eligible if the affected persons or workers were placed on leave-of-absence or SHN upon their return to Singapore after any of the below:

• Travelling to mainland China on or before 31 January 2020;
• Travelling to Daegu city or Cheongdo county in South Korea on or before 26 February 2020;
• Travelling to South Korea, Northern Italy, or Iran on or before 4 March 2020;
• Travelling to Italy, Spain, France or Germany on or before 15 March 2020;
• Travelling to ASEAN countries, Japan, Switzerland or the United Kingdom on or before 16 March 2020; or
• Travelling to all other countries on or before 15 March 2020.

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Lead image / Ministry of Health