News – Singapore , Hong Kong , Macao

Singapore plans first quarantine-free travel program

Singapore will launch its first quarantine-free travel program for vaccinated people arriving from Germany and Brunei, and ease restrictions for visitors from Hong Kong and Macao as it seeks to reopen its borders after fully vaccinating over 75 % of its population, the government said .

“As the global COVID-19 situation evolves, we will continue to adjust our border measures with the appropriate safeguards to ensure public health and safety,” the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said.

Previously, only Singapore residents and those with employment or student passes were allowed to enter the country.

From Sept. 8, visitors from Germany and Brunei can apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass to enter Singapore, regardless of their reason for traveling. They must take multiple coronavirus tests, including pre-departure, on arrival, and post-arrival, in lieu of a quarantine.

Travelers must also have stayed in their country of departure, either Germany or Brunei, or in Singapore before that, for at least 21 consecutive days before departing for Singapore. Other requirements include insurance that covers COVID-19 medical treatment.

Separately, tourists from Hong Kong and Macao who have spent three consecutive weeks in those cities can apply to enter Singapore from Aug. 26. They also will not need to quarantine if they test negative on arrival and isolate themselves until the test results are available.

However, transport minister S. Iswaran said there are no more plans to establish a Singapore-Hong Kong travel bubble. The planned air travel bubble had earlier been aborted twice because of spikes in virus cases. – AFP

Hong Kong:  HKIA staffs to be vaccinated

Targeted Groups of workers at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), including airline staff, will be required to be vaccinated, with no option of producing negative results in place of vaccination or medical exemption from vaccination.

The new requirement is being implemented on top of the rules introduced by the Airport Authority Hong Kong since 1 August that all staff entering the airport restricted area must be fully vaccinated, or be able to produce a negative test result.

The Targeted Groups subject to the new requirement include those handling high-risk cargo or having unavoidable close-range contact with arrival and transfer/transit passengers and crew within 1.5-metre without partition or barrier, such as airline and ground agent staff, ramp coordinator, inflight catering coordinator, cargo loading staff, as well as cabin and lavatory cleaners.

Airport operators including airlines must only deploy vaccinated staff to perform the relevant duties. Over 80 per cent of the staff in the targeted groups have received the first dose of vaccination so far.

Macao’s visitor expenditure up 

Macao – The total spending of visitors to Macao excluding gaming expenses grew by 15.9 percent quarter to quarter to 7.16 billion patacas (892.9 million U.S. dollars) in the second quarter of 2021, the special administrative region’s (SAR) statistic department said.

The latest report from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) showed that the result was attributable to a 25.9-percent increase in visitor arrivals.

Total spending of overnight visitors and same-day visitors rose by 14.1 percent and 32.0 percent quarter to quarter to 6.38 billion patacas and 777 million patacas respectively, showed the report.

In the first half of 2021, the total spending of visitors amounted to 13.34 billion patacas. The per-capita spending of visitors was 3,271 patacas in the second quarter, a drop of 8.0 percent quarter to quarter.

Visitors spent primarily on shopping, food and beverage and accommodation in the second quarter. Per-capita shopping spending of visitors reduced by 6.7 percent quarter to quarter to 2,127 patacas, of which spending on clothing and local food products declined by 29.9 percent and 22.6 percent to 281 patacas and 242 patacas respectively. (1 pataca equals 0.1247 U.S. dollar) – Xinhua  23 August 2021

Unruly passenger fines in U.S. top $1 million

Washington – Rowdy airline passengers have now racked up a record $1 million in potential fines this year, a toll of the tumult in the sky as travelers have returned after most were grounded by the pandemic in 2020.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced the latest cases , involving 34 travelers who flew between January and May. Their offenses ranged from refusing to wear a face mask, as required by a federal rule, to punching a flight attendant in the nose.

Those are just the latest among dozens of enforcement cases that the FAA called part of its crackdown against passengers who interfere with airline crews.

Airlines have reported about 3,900 incidents of unruly passengers this year, and three-fourths involve refusal to wear a mask, according to the FAA.

Alcohol is another common factor. American Airlines on Thursday extended its ban on alcohol sales in the main cabin through Jan. 18, matching the timing of the federal mask mandate. American still sells alcohol to passengers in business and first-class sections.

An FAA spokeswoman confirmed that $1 million is a single-year record for proposed fines against passengers, who can appeal. The FAA has started investigations against 682 travelers this year, smashing the previous high of 310 in 2004.

The latest round of cases includes two fines that could top $40,000.

On a JetBlue flight in May, a man threw his carry-on bag at other passengers, grabbed a flight attendant by the ankles and put his head up her skirt before he was restrained with plastic ties. The FAA wants to fine him $45,000.

The FAA is seeking a $42,000 fine against a man who refused to wear a mask on another JetBlue flight in May and threatened other passengers, including making stabbing gestures toward some. Crew members confiscated a bag containing a substance the man was snorting, then armed themselves with ice mallets before police took him off the plane.

The FAA did not identify any of the passengers, including a man who allegedly punched a flight attendant in the nose during a third JetBlue flight. Although police were called in several cases, it was not clear how many of the passengers called out by FAA face criminal charges.

This month, the head of the FAA asked airport officials around the country to work with local law enforcement to prosecute more cases. The FAA does not have authority to file criminal charges.

Air travel in the U.S. has returned to nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels, but airlines have cut the number of flights by a similar amount, resulting in crowded planes.

Bad weather and lack of crews after airlines cut staff last year have contributed to tens of thousands of canceled and delayed flights this summer, according to figures from tracking service FlightAware, making travel even more stressful than before. – AP   Aug. 23, 2021