The government has set aside more than $1 billion to work with promising vaccine candidates, including Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, and Moderna. Social gatherings will also go up from groups of five to eight people in Phase 3, and capacity limits in public places and places of worship will also increase
After almost six months in Phase 2, Singapore will be entering Phase 3 of its safe reopening on December 28, in two weeks.
In Phase 3, Covid-19 measures will be relaxed further, with restrictions on social gatherings in public increased from five to eight people. Households will also be able to receive up to eight visitors.
“So eight people can dine out together, or visit someone’s home. This will make it easier to hold family get-togethers during the festive period.
- Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, in a televised address to the nation today
As social gathering sizes increase, capacity limits in public spaces such as malls, attractions and places of worship will also be eased further.
International borders will, however, remain largely closed, reopening in a controlled and safe way. As it does so, Mr Lee noted that Singapore will likely see more imported cases and there will be a risk of these cases spreading to the community, citing recent reports of airport staff, as well as a marine worker, who were each suspected to have come into contact with infected cases on the job.
However, as trade and travel are Singapore’s lifeblood, Mr Lee assured that the government would take every precaution to prevent imported cases from triggering another outbreak.