Family and friends separated by the border between Singapore and Malaysia can soon unite without quarantine.
Singapore and Malaysia’s vaccinated travel lane (VTL) will be launched from Nov 29.
Both country’s Prime Ministers announced in a joint statement today (Nov 8) that the VTL will be between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The reopening, however, only covers air travel. It does not include land travel via the Causeway or Second Link.
“The Prime Ministers also look forward to restoring travel across the land links between both countries in the near future,” the statement read.
In a Facebook Post, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted the good progress in each country’s efforts to vaccinate their population and manage the pandemic.
“So we agreed that it is timely to progressively resume cross-border travel between both countries. This will help revive our economies, restore people-to-people ties, and strengthen our bilateral partnership,” Mr Lee said.
Both Prime Ministers noted that there are ongoing detailed discussions on a similar vaccinated travel scheme and to reopen travel across the Causeway and the Second Link, while taking into account the public health situations in Johor and Singapore.
So far, Singapore has VTLs with more than 10 other countries, including South Korea, Australia, and the United States.
All travellers entering Singapore under the VTL scheme do not have to serve a stay-home notice, but will only need to take a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test before departure and upon arrival.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur air route was among the busiest in the world.
On land, about half a million people made daily trips between Singapore and Johor before borders were shut in March last year.
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Featured Image Credit: Changi Airport, Klook
