Singapore will suspend ticket sales for Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) flights and buses from December 23 due to Omicron COVID-19 variant concerns.

Travelers arrive at the departure hall of Changi International Airport in Singapore on August 19. (Photo: AFP)

Under the programme, Singapore allows quarantine-free entry for fully vaccinated travellers arriving from certain countries on designated flights or buses. The travellers have to undergo regular testing.

About two dozen countries are listed in the programme including Australia, India, Malaysia, Britain and the United States.

The Singapore government said it would also reduce the VTL quotas and ticket sales for travel after January 20. For flights, the total number of VTL tickets would be capped at 50 percent of the previously allocated quota.

"Our border measures will help to buy us time to study and understand the Omicron variant, and to strengthen our defences, including enhancing our healthcare capacity, and getting more people vaccinated and boosted," the country’s health ministry said in a statement.
        
Last month, Singapore and Malaysia reopened their shared land borders, allowing vaccinated travellers to cross after nearly two years of being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As many as 300,000 Malaysians commuted daily to Singapore before the pandemic. The sudden closing of the border in March 2020 left tens of thousands stranded on both sides, separated from families and fearing for their jobs.

Source: VNA