Vaccinated-differentiated measures to be extended to IHLs, hotels, indoor sports facilities from Feb 1, 2022

Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) will be extended from Feb 1, 2022 as Singapore aims to combat the spread of the Omicron variant locally. 

Currently, there are 16 cases linked to the Omicron variant, of which 14 are imported and two are locally transmitted. 

Co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Taskforce for COVID-19 on Tuesday (Dec 14) said that it is “only a matter of time” before the Omicron variant starts spreading in Singapore. As part of the measures to mitigate the impact of the variant, VDS will be implemented from February next year at all indoor sports facilities, Institutes of Higher Learning, and hotels, hostels and serviced apartments that receive leisure guests. 

This means that unvaccinated individuals cannot enter these places, although an exemption will be given to students in IHLs who are completing their full-time NITEC/Higher NITEC, diploma or degree programmes at their respectives IHLs. 

VDS are measures that ensure only select people can enter events. These include fully vaccinated individuals, children under 12 years old and those who have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 270 days – which will be shortened to 180 days on Jan 1, 2022 due to the unpredictability of the Omicron variant and its higher risk of infection. 

Currently, those who produce a negative ART or PCR test within 24 hours of the event are also precluded from VDS. However, from Jan 1, 2022, the concession for the unvaccinated to perform a pre-event test (PET) in lieu of being fully vaccinated would be removed as well.