Let's Go?
a firsthand experience of a trip between singapore and the Us during the pandemic Written by Meg Sine
Travel in the Time of COVID and Quarantine As I write this column in early December 2020, welcome news of COVID vaccine deployment is generating an optimistic buzz in both the United States and Singapore. By the New Year, Americans on both sides of the globe hopefully will be celebrating the light at the end of this gloomy, global pandemic tunnel. Despite the success of Singapore’s Circuit Breaker and the imminent availability of a vaccine, restrictions on travel to and from the United States may continue to leave AWA members’ 2021 travel plans in limbo.
Meg with her daughter Kimberly who got married in October
In early 2020 after the global pandemic was declared, new phrases, such as “return approval” and “mandatory quarantine,” suddenly created a cloud of confusion and uncertainty. What about trips home for graduations, weddings, other milestone events or routine home leave? For my husband and me, our daughter’s planned October 2020 wedding in Washington, DC loomed large. We knew an October trip to the United States was risky, but we also felt confident we could make it happen for a young couple determined to tie the knot. Here is my story of negotiating the requirements, the travel and the quarantine. -- 18 --
Travel Requirements Last July, Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) began guaranteeing return approval on trips lasting 30 days or less. While most employers continued an official policy of encouraging employees to defer travel abroad, the 30-day return pre-approval process eliminated a significant risk. I found helpful information on Facebook pages such as Traveling In and Out of Singapore, Getting Back home to SG and Singapore Hotel Quarantine Information and Experience. By September, MOM’s 30-day return pre-approval (filed by one’s employer) was a routine process that could be completed in two days or less. My husband left Singapore with a 30-day return pre-approval. I planned to stay away longer than 30 days, so I waited until I was in the United States and within 30 days of my return date to obtain my return approval. Unexpectedly, right before my planned return to Singapore in November, Singapore added another requirement for those seeking to return from the United States –a negative PCR test (nasal swab) taken within 72 hours of departure, in addition to an online Health Declaration. AWA Magazine - Jan/Feb 2021
