Fewer travellers from India to be allowed into Singapore due to Covid-19

The entry approvals are being reduced in response to the worsening Covid-19 situation in India.The Straits Times Entry approvals for non-Singapore citizens and non-permanent residents are being reduced with immediate effect, in response to the worsening Covid-19 situation in India and the emergence of new virus variants, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday (April 20). From...

Crowded Ramadan bazaars in Malaysia leave many fearing a rise in Covid-19 cases

Visitors at the Kampung Pandan bazaar in Kuala Lumpur on April 17, 2021.ST PHOTO: SHANNON TEOH Visuals of packed Ramadan bazaars in Malaysia making the rounds on social media and messaging apps have stoked concerns of a surge in Covid-19 cases due to low compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs). Checks by The Straits Times at several...

Malaysia’s AirAsia looks to delivery services as ticket out of aviation woes

With air travel crippled by the Covid-19 pandemic, AirAsia led by its founder Tony Fernandes – often touted as the “Richard Branson of Asia” – has been vigorously stepping up the budget carrier’s year-long diversification plan. As the pandemic’s true extent became apparent last May, the Malaysia-based regional budget carrier launched a food delivery business in Kuala Lumpur that gained...

‘Hunger Games-style’ fight for flights for Hongkongers stranded by coronavirus travel ban to get home from Britain

  Travellers walk through Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport, amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak on Feb 14, 2021.Reuters Hundreds of seats on two special flights intended to bring stranded Hongkongers home from Britain after the end of a coronavirus travel ban were snapped up in two hours on Thursday, in a process marred by a crashed...

South Korea orders closure of nightclubs, karaoke bars amid concern over fourth Covid-19 wave

People walk past closed pubs and restaurants as tougher social distancing rules to prevent the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) that have been announced on the last Friday (April 2) continue, in Seoul, South Korea, Aug 31, 2020.Reuters South Korea will reimpose a ban on nightclubs, karaoke bars and other nightly entertainment facilities, authorities said on Friday (April...

North Korea says it won’t join Tokyo Olympics due to Covid-19 concerns

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto looks on as actor Satomi Ishihara and Paralympian Aki Taguchi light the celebration cauldron on the first day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay in Naraha, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, March 25, 2021Reuters North Korea's sports ministry said on Tuesday (April 6) that it will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics...

Singapore to accept Covid-19 digital travel pass from May

Singapore will next month accept visitors who use a mobile travel pass containing digital certificates for Covid-19 tests and vaccines, its aviation regulator said on Monday (April 5), becoming one of the first countries to adopt the initiative. Singapore will accept the International Air Transport Association (IATA) mobile travel pass for pre-departure checks, where travellers can...

Johor to roll out Covid-19 vaccination app for 100,000 people in Malaysia who commute to Singapore

Overall, about seven million people in Malaysia have registered for vaccination.Reuters The Johor state government will roll out a Covid-19 vaccination app aimed at Malaysians who commute between Malaysia and Singapore. Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad said in a Facebook post on Sunday (April 4) that for a start, 100,000 people are recommended to register for their vaccination...

Authorities Distribute Photos Of Nur Sajat To Border Crossing Points

The hunt for controversial trans figure Nur Sajat is still ongoing. Up until this day, the authorities have been focusing on tracking her down in order to bring her to justice. Most recently, the General Operations Force (PGA) Battallion 3 has distributed pictures of Sajat (full name Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruzzaman) at border control posts in an effort to...

Pfizer begins early-stage study of oral Covid-19 drug

The Pfizer candidate is a protease inhibitor that prevents the virus from replicating in cells.Reuters Pfizer has started an early-stage US trial of an oral Covid-19 antiviral therapy that could be prescribed to patients at the first sign of infection, the company said on Tuesday (March 23). The drugmaker, which developed the first authorised Covid-19 vaccine in...