All short-term visitors from anywhere in the world will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore.
This will take effect from 23 March 2020 at 11.59pm.
The update was given by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong at a doorstop on Sunday, 22 March 2020. Mr Wong co-chairs the multi-ministry taskforce handling the Covid-19 situation.
Additionally, the Manpower Ministry (MOM) will only allow entry for returning work pass holders who provide essential services such as healthcare and transport. This will include their dependants.
MOM will work with other ministries to decide if a work pass holder applying to return to Singapore is one that provides an essential service.
“Certainly, for work pass holders, any work pass holder, if they were to leave at this time, the consequence is that they will likely not be able to come back [to Singapore] because we are already controlling that,” said Mr Wong.
On foreign domestic workers, Mr Wong said: "We will consider domestic helpers. Particularly if there is a real need for them to look after our children or our elderly, then yes, we will allow them in. That's also within our scope of allowing returning work pass holders to come in, as long as they provide essential services for Singaporeans."
Mr Wong added that there is a need to control the numbers of those coming into Singapore.
“For every visitor that comes through or for every work pass holder who comes through, they take up resources for us to enforce the 14-day self isolation. And if they fall sick, they will take up medical resources. During this time, we just have to focus our resources on returning Singaporeans because they are coming back in large numbers,” he added.
As previously announced, all Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning to Singapore will be issued a 14-day Stay Home Notice. These persons must remain at home at all times.
Mr Wong also urged Singaporeans to adhere to the travel advisory and refrain from travelling during this time.
"There are still Singaporeans and permanent residents who are travelling. There are still people leaving even after we raised the travel advisory to the highest level. We do not want to see a third wave of imported cases from returning Singaporeans.
"We are already trying to digest this wave of returning Singaporeans now. I think if we were to experience a third, fourth recurring wave of imported cases, it will be very challenging. We have to keep numbers down and we will be coming up with new measures to deal with this challenge," said Mr Wong.
According to the Health Ministry, the Singapore-Malaysia Special Working Committee has agreed that Malaysians with Singapore work permits who are already in the country will be able to continue to work in Singapore during this period. These workers must have appropriate accommodation arrangements.
"The ones [Malaysian workers] who are here, are already here. We are not getting any new flows [of Malaysian workers] at this time. We are still working out arrangements beyond the ones who are already here ... and whether any new flows can come in. But that is something being discussed separately," said Mr Wong.
He added that if there are new flows of Malaysian workers coming in, Singapore has to make sure that these workers are essential, and that precautions are taken on both sides of the border.
The transport of all types of goods between Malaysia and Singapore will also be facilitated.
Discussions are still ongoing.
