IN FOCUS: Singapore-Malaysia VTLs a comfort for families seeking reunion but Omicron has other plans in store

One other traveller who benefitted from the VTL was Malaysian Alice Peoh. The 33-year-old was in a position to make use of the air VTL to attend her brother’s wedding ceremony in Singapore on Nov 30.

Ms Peoh and her two aged dad and mom have been on the primary VTL flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on Nov 29.

“If there was no VTL, we’d have missed the marriage. It wouldn’t have been doable with the quarantine (restrictions in place),” she stated.

Nonetheless, some travellers have voiced considerations over the prices of the  required COVID-19 exams.

For a spherical journey on the air VTL, a person traveller would want to fork out round between S$300 and S$650 on swab exams.

In the meantime for the land VTL, a person traveller would want to spend between round S$120 and S$170 for a two-way journey.

Ms Peoh stated the price of swab exams for her journey to Singapore was round S$400 per particular person.

“My dad and mom had by no means finished a swab take a look at earlier than, so to do 4 in a single week was fairly painful for them,” stated Ms Peoh, who was in Singapore for one week to attend the marriage.

“Whereas the worth of air tickets was comparatively reasonably priced, the PCR exams elevated the bills. It harm each our noses and my (pockets),” she added.

Singaporean Hamzah Hassan echoed comparable sentiments.

In December, the 54-year-old travelled through the air VTL along with his spouse and daughter to see his in-laws who reside in Shah Alam, Selangor.

He expressed hope that the swab protocols for the VTL may be loosened barely, mentioning how he spent S$450 every for every member of the family simply on COVID-19 testing procedures alone.

“These sorts of prices will deter individuals from travelling,” stated Mr Hamzah, who works as a supervisor within the aviation sector. 

Responding to CNA’s queries, a spokesperson from Singapore’s Ministry of Commerce and Trade stated that as of Dec 31, round 30,000 individuals have entered Singapore from Malaysia through land VTL. 

Then again, 30,489 travellers entered Singapore from Malaysia underneath the air VTL as of Dec 31 at 11.59pm, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’s (CAAS) Director (Airport Operations Regulation and Aviation Safety) Margaret Tan advised CNA. 

The travellers comprised 14,356 Singapore Residents and Singapore Everlasting Residents and 14,036 Vaccinated Journey Cross holders, of whom 10,081 are short-term guests and three,955 are long-term cross holders. There have been 2,097 youngsters aged 12 years and beneath, Ms Tan stated. 

When requested what number of travellers who entered Singapore through the VTL with Malaysia had examined constructive for COVID-19 on the entry factors, Singapore’s Ministry of Well being advised CNA that there have been 42 imported circumstances from Nov 29 to Dec 31.

Of this, 26 circumstances have been detected via on-arrival exams and the remaining have been detected subsequently via Singapore’s enhanced testing regime, stated the ministry. Of those 42 circumstances, 4 individuals from Malaysia have been later discovered to have been contaminated with the Omicron variant, it additionally stated.