Singapore Rules Out Indoor Mask Requirements

It is the first time in more than two years that the Southeast Asian city is not required to wear masks indoors.

Updated on: 29 August 2022 9:59 am

Almost 90 per cent of Singapore residents are vaccinated.

As the covid-19 situation improves in Singapore, Ong Ye Kung, the health minister of Singapore is planning to rule out indoor masks starting on August 29. It is the first time in more than two years that the Southeast Asian city is not required to wear masks indoors.

However, there’s an exception here. It is compulsory for people to wear masks if they are travelling on indoor public transport facilities like boarding areas. They also have to wear a mask while visiting high-risk places like healthcare facilities,?which include?vaccination centres, testing centres, emergency ambulances, medical transport vehicles, and other such places. It is mandatory for civilians to wear a mask while buying food and beverages in common areas within primary private primary and dental clinics.

For unvaccinated travellers, the health minister of Singapore has planned to drop the mandatory 7-day quarantine requirement starting from today.

As per media reports, the health minister in a news conference said that the re-infection rate in Singapore is far 'very low’. The city-state’s 5.5 million population or about 70 per cent, has already contracted covid-19.

Almost 90 per cent of Singapore residents are vaccinated. Notably, it has also recorded the lowest covid-19 mortality rates in the world.

Singapore is a major Asian financial and travel hub. Earlier this year, it lifted most of the covid-19 related rules, including travel restrictions.