Covid19 Update : 1-2-3 Protocol, Unvaccinated Restrictions , Booster Shots, Home Recovery programme and more.

A slew of Covid-19 measures are announced on 9 Oct.

This is a summary of what will change.

Unvaccinated individuals will no longer be able to dine in, go to shopping malls or visit attractions from next Wednesday (Oct 13)

• Exceptions: Children under the age of 12, recovered individuals, and unvaccinated people with a valid pre-event test (PET) 
• Does not apply to standalone supermarkets.

1-2-3 Protocol

Current COVID-19 quarantine orders to be scrapped. New rules from Oct 11. 3 new sets of rules will apply to 3 different groups of people. Antigen Rapid Test (ART) will replace polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for most cases.

Group 1: People who have symptoms and tested positive

• People with symptoms should see a doctor for ART. Thereafter stay home and wait for instructions from home recovery buddy (Health Ministry) 
• Vaccinated individual - Can return to normal life after 10 days if fully vaccinated or 14 days if not. Children under 12 (not vaccinated) can be discharged after 10 days.
• Everyone will get an electronic discharge memo at the end of the isolation period.

 Group 2: No symptoms and tested positive 

• Only need to self-isolate for 72 hours. If test negative thereafter, resume daily activities. If positive, test every day until negative result. 
• No need to see a doctor unless having symptoms such as high fever or breathlessness. 
• Positive but no assumptions can continue working from home. If that is not possible, employees should treat absence as paid outpatient sick leave or hospitalisation leave even with no MC. 
• Can return to work after 72 hours.

Group 3: Close Contacts of Covid19 cases

• No more Quarantine orders or leave of absence. They will get Health risk warning and can collect ART kits from vending machines and monitor own health for 7 days.
• Compulsory ART test on Day 1 . Results to upload into the online portals. If negative can resume daily activities. Repeat tested for the next six days. If positive, go to Group 2 guidelines if no symptoms and Group 1 guidelines if there are symptoms.
• If negative after day 7, it is back to normal life.

Home Recovery Programme (HRP ) will be the default care arrangement for everyone

Only certain groups are excluded

1 Partially or unvaccinated individuals age 50 and older.

2 Vaccinated People Age 80  and older

3 Children below 1-year-old, and those aged 1 to 4 years who have been assessed to be clinically unsuitable for home recovery.

Covid10 booster shots for healthcare workers, front-line workers and those 30 and above.

Currently, booster shots are for those aged 50 and above. This will be expanded. From Saturday, this group will receive a text message with a  personalised booking link on the mobile number they had earlier registered to the first 2 doses. 

A booster dose can be done at any vaccination centre of participating Public Health Preparedness Clinic. 

For moderately and severely immunocompromised, 3rd dose of the mRNA vaccine can be taken 2 months after the second dose.

• -Transplant patients on immunosuppressive therapy, including solid organ and allogenic stem cell transplants
• Cancer patients on active treatment with chemotherapy and immunosuppressive therapy
• Blood cancers, such as lymphoma and leukaemia
• Immunosuppressive treatment for non-cancer conditions
• End-stage kidney disease
• Advanced or untreated HIV

Quarantine free travel to 9 more countries under Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL)

From Oct 19, vaccinated travellers can fly to

• Canada
• Denmark
• France
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Spain
• Britain
• United States
• South Korea ( Nov 15)

Under VTL, only 2 Covid19 swab tests are needed. Pre-departure and on arrival PCR tests. The existing VTL with Brunei and Germany will continue.

10 ART Kits will be sent to each household.

They will be distributed by Singpost from Oct 22 to Dec 7. In the meantime, those with health risk warnings will be able to retrieve 6 aRT kits each from veninding machines.