KUALA LUMPUR – Singapore has announced several new rules effective today, including those involving Covid-19 related healthcare, foreign registered vehicles, retirement age, and reduced smoking spots.
The Singapore Straits Times reported today that subsidies at public health preparedness clinics (PHPCs) and polyclinics for the treatment of respiratory infections have reverted to pre-pandemic rates.
The move sees the removal of the flat S$5 (RM15.75) to S$10 fee for such infections, although its citizens may still obtain other subsidies under different schemes.
Similarly, telemedicine subsidies for people under its Health Ministry’s Protocol 2 definition for Covid-19 recovery have also returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The category refers to those who are mildly symptomatic and recuperating at home, while those under Protocol 1 – individuals who are at high medical risk or have severe symptoms but were discharged to a home setting – will continue to receive fully subsidised telemedicine care.
Emergency department charges for vaccinated citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders infected with Covid-19 will no longer be waived in all cases.
Instead, only those assessed to require admission or treatment will continue to have their charges and inpatient bills fully subsidised.
Additionally, medically vulnerable individuals with specific conditions can declare their health situation to obtain their second Covid-19 vaccination booster shot at any vaccination centre, PHPC, or polyclinic that offers the jab.
The group includes patients aged 18 and above with chronic health backgrounds such as diabetes, heart failure, asthma, liver cirrhosis, stroke, and actively treated cancer, among others.
Besides that, work pass holders living in the republic are no longer allowed to keep and use their foreign-registered vehicles here as the policy has defaulted back to how it was before borders were shut.
They must now ensure that their vehicles are kept or used outside of Singapore for six hours or more every day.
In other news, the retirement age has been raised to 63 while the re-employment age is upped to 68, with the decision being part of a move to progressively increase the ages to 65 and 70 years respectively.
The smoking ban implemented in the nation will also cover more areas, including all public parks and gardens, 10 recreational beaches, as well as sites managed by national water agency PUB under its Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters programme.– The Vibes, July 2, 2022
