Covid-19 is endemic in humanity, which means it s not ever going to go away completely, Balakrishnan told CNBC s Squawk Box Asia on Monday. And the reason it s not going to go away completely is because it s been widespread throughout the world, it s sufficient critical mass, the rate of mutations and new variants will keep going, and the level of human immunity will also wax and wane, he said.
The minister, who was a medical doctor before entering politics, also warned that now may be a more dangerous period for vaccinated people who may be complacent as well as those who are unvaccinated and lack protection against Covid.
SINGAPORE - Applications for travel on compassionate grounds between Singapore and Malaysia are now open, a week before the formal system of allowing such movement launches.
From Monday (May 10), people from either country can apply for cross-border travel to visit family members for emergency reasons such as death or critical illness.
Only two visitors per case are allowed, said the Department of Immigration of Malaysia and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore.
Approved travellers to Singapore will be required to abide by the stipulated health measures for entry, including stay-home notice and Covid-19 tests. Our officers will facilitate arrangements for the travellers to make short and safe visits to the medical facility and/or funeral, subject to the prevailing health policies governing such visits, said the ICA on its website.
Alleged links to Myanmar s military
The Change.org petition has garnered slightly more than 2,230 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon, May 5, which is a few hundred signatures away from its target of 2,500.
The group pointed out that Kuok, who is the niece of Malaysia s richest man Robert Kuok, is the director of Traders Square, the developer of Myanmar s Sule Square mall and office tower.
Petition calling on @yalenus to remove Kay Kuok Oon Kwong from Yale-NUS Board unless she ends biz w/ Myanmar army up to 1,000 signatures! ✊ Retweet, share, sign. Tell Yale-NUS to take immediate action! https://t.co/uTVfMYcSMD#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar#Apr23Coup#Myanmar Justice For Myanmar (@JusticeMyanmar) April 23, 2021
0 Engagements
Plans for Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to visit Singapore and meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have been postponed because of the escalating Covid-19 situation in both countries.
Announcing this yesterday, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, said the meeting between the two leaders, which was planned for today, was about the gradual resumption of cross-border travel.
The current situation in both countries, however, does not provide the right environment to discuss this, they noted.
Singapore has tightened measures due to a spike in cases in the community and the emergence of new clusters over the past week, while Malaysia has similarly announced it will review its Covid-19 protocols following a jump in cases over the past two weeks.
Singapore is hosting an official visit by Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein this weekend, during which he is expected to discuss post-Covid-19 cooperation between the two countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement yesterday that Datuk Seri Hishammuddin will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, and meet Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan during his trip.
This is Mr Hishammuddin s first official visit to Singapore in his capacity as Foreign Minister, said Malaysia s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a statement, it said the two foreign ministers will discuss issues of common interest, including initiatives to further develop mutually beneficial collaboration, focusing on post-pandemic cooperation.