HONG KONG-SINGAPORE. The much-anticipated ‘Air Travel Bubble’ between Hong Kong and Singapore, due to be be launched on Sunday, 22 November, is in growing jeopardy following a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong.
The South China Morning Post revealed today that over 50 new confirmed and preliminary cases were registered on Friday. Secretary for Food and Health Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee said there had been 26 positive cases reported today, with 21 of them local transmissions. Nine of those were untraceable (the key indicator for the Air Travel Bubble seven-day moving average, see below).
If the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases is more than five for either Singapore or Hong Kong, the Air Travel Bubble arrangement will be suspended for two weeks
The Minister said the city had “probably entered” a fourth wave of infections which could spiral out of control if left unchecked.
“According to the experts and also the information from the Centre for Health Protection, we have probably entered into a new wave of cases,” Chan told the media title.
What does this spell for the Air Travel Bubble?
The introduction of the Air Travel Bubble was subject to strict controls and to rigorous monitoring of the COVID-19 situation in both locations.
All Air Travel Bubble travellers must have tested negative in mutually recognised tests taken within 72 hours before their departure. They must also have no travel history to any places other than Singapore or Hong Kong in the last 14 days prior to their departure. The travellers must fly on designated flights to minimise risks.
Each designated flight can carry a maximum of 200 Air Travel Bubble passengers. All such travellers must undertake COVID-19 tests again via a designated lane at both Hong Kong International and Changi airports.
Critically, under the scalable mechanism put in place under the Air Travel Bubble arrangement, the scheme can be “instantly and flexibly” adjusted depending on the epidemic situation in both places. If the seven-day moving average of the daily number of unlinked local COVID-19 cases is more than five for either Singapore or Hong Kong, the Air Travel Bubble arrangement will be suspended for two weeks. If the relevant figure reported on the last day of the suspension period does not exceed the specified threshold of five, the Air Travel Bubble arrangement can resume.
