Oral Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung to Parliamentary Question on Air Travel Bubble Arrangements with Hong Kong and Other Regions

Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Transport whether he can provide more details on the digital vaccine passport system between Singapore and Australia and travel bubble arrangements with countries that have the COVID-19 pandemic under control. 

Reply by Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung:

1.     We are exploring with several countries and regions, including Australia, on the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates. The certificates can be physical or digital, and we will need them to be secure, tamper-proof and verifiable.

2.     However, vaccinations are only one aspect of pandemic control. Social distancing, contact tracing, quarantine and testing are also very important aspects which countries and regions have used to control the spread of COVID-19 virus even as vaccines become available.

3.     Together with MOH and other agencies, Singapore will continue to holistically evaluate the COVID-19 situation in various countries and regions, and explore the possibility of restoring air travel when it is safe to do so. We have been proactively doing so given the importance of our global connections.