BUSINESS NEWS
Stringent border controls hit tourism but Singapore’s Professor Teo says
‘they do allow the rest of the economy to recover if the infection is contained’
Scientists question plans to open borders to travel
‘It’s not time for tourism’, quarantine experts tell MPs. Ian Taylor reports
Leading scientific advisors in countries ahead of the UK in cutting Covid-19 infection rates have warned against relaxing border restrictions to allow mass-market travel. Advisors to the governments of
Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand told Parliament’s home affairs select committee last week that it was “premature for any kind of mass-market holidays” and “not too late” to impose quarantine measures. All three states have strict quarantine
32 18 JUNE 2020
restrictions in place on arrivals. Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the
School of Public Health at Singapore’s National University, was asked if it was “a good idea” for people in the UK “to be able to take holidays”. He told MPs: “No, it does not
sound a good idea. Infection rates in many countries of Asia are less, but governments are not looking at tourism. They are looking at green lane arrangements for business travellers, not mass-market travel. “It does not matter whether it
[the infection rate] is getting better. Worldwide it isn’t. Until the rest of the world has the situation contained, we won’t risk relaxing travel restrictions to allow mass-market travel.” Professor Gabriel Leung, dean of
medicine at the University of Hong Kong, agreed saying: “It would be premature for any kind of mass-market holidays.” New Zealand removed internal
Continued on page30
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