Couple
months ago, Aussie media were saying the Morrison government was
working on an ambitious plan that would establish Singapore as a
quarantine gateway, holiday destination and potential vaccination hub
for returning Australians, international students and business
travellers.
The deal would help clear the log jam of
approximately 40,000 Australians stranded overseas, boost tourism to
Australia from Singaporean nationals – and third countries down the
track – and kick-start the multibillion-dollar market for international
students at Australian universities, which has been smashed by border
closures.
Multiple Morrison government sources, who asked not to
be named so they could discuss details of the proposal, told The
Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age Trade Minister Dan Tehan and Government
Services Minister Stuart Robert were driving the plan and leading
behind-the-scenes policy work.
Under the plan, Singaporean
nationals who have had their vaccination would be able to travel to
Australia for work, study or holidays without having to complete two
weeks’ hotel quarantine.
It could also be possible for people
from third countries to enter Australia via Singapore after completing
two weeks’ quarantine in the city-state.
The use of Singapore to
bring Australians home and to restart tourism and business travel would
significantly ease pressure on the states’ hotel quarantine systems and
the federal government’s Howard Springs facility.
For Singapore,
the proposal would bring in revenue for its hotel operators and the
broader tourism sector, as well as ensuring it maintained its status as
regional hub for flights.
Anonymous
PS. The above concept is not the same as air bubble where citizens of both countries can travel to the other country under a quid pro quo arrangement. The planned concept is to turn Singapore into a leper quarantine colony. Every leper, covid infected person, can come here and get quarantined before certified free to proceed to Australia. If more covid infected persons are here, all the way from the airlines, airport, buses/taxis they took to the quarantine centres, plus the air, would be infected with Covid virus.
Is this what we want? Is this safe? Is Singapore going to risk the island being infected for a few dollars?
Anonymous