by In light of the situation in Hong Kong, I think its the responsible way to put this back for a while, and then sort of relaunch it at a suitable juncture.
Under the initial agreement, the travel bubble was to be suspended if the number of untraceable local infections in either Singapore or Hong Kong exceeded five on a seven-day moving average.
The current average in Hong Kong is nearly four, prompting Mr Yau and Singapores transport minister, Ong Ye Kung, to postpone the inaugural flight.
On Friday, Hong Kongs top health official said the city had probably entered a new wave of cases. Recent clusters have spanned taxi drivers, a dance studio and hotels.
Hong Kong has confirmed a total of 5561 cases, including 108 deaths. Singapore has reported 58,148 cases, but only 28 fatalities.
Before the postponement, Singapore said travellers arriving from Hong Kong via the bubble would be required to take a coronavirus test on arrival. Originally, only people landing in Hong Kong were to be required to be tested.
Mr Ong said in a Facebook post the postponement was a sober reminder that the COVID-19 virus is still with us”.
I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration of travellers who have planned their trips. But we think it is better to defer from a public health standpoint, he wrote.
AP
