Covid, with quarantine obligation, no Christmas at home for 4 thousand Italians in Singapore

The dream of returning home for Christmas for 4 thousand Italians living in Singapore fades, just as the many Singaporeans who had planned them in view of the upcoming holidays will have to give up their holidays in the Belpaese. With yesterday’s ordinance of the Ministry of Health, in fact, the list of countries from which one can arrive in Italy without quarantine has been modified. The measure aims to counter the new Omicron variant, but also risks penalizing the Asian city-state, which sees only a dozen Omicron cases, all imported and isolated at the airport, the RT among the lowest in the world and 96% of the vaccinated population, perhaps leaving the doors open to those coming from countries such as the United Kingdom (about 5000 cases of Omicron) who can enter Italy without quarantine. The Italian Ambassador: “A mistake” – The decision of Rome has created discontent among the Italians residing in the City-State. On the other hand, it is noted, Italy is the only European country to apply these restrictive measures against Singaporean tourists. No other EU country has an interest in doing so, also because the equivalence of vaccination certificates has been approved for weeks by the European Union and Singapore. “I want to believe that Singapore’s absence from list D cited in the ordinance is the result of a clerical error or a typo”, says, when asked by the Adnkronos, the Italian Ambassador to Singapore Mario Vattani. Who underlines: “Singapore has a very low number of infections, here Omicron is practically absent, and the population is almost 100% vaccinated. As far as I know, no other European country is applying these restrictions ”. Concerns also in the business world – “We have been informed, as the Italian Chamber of Commerce, of the obligation of quarantine for those who go from Singapore to Italy – explains to Adnkronos Alberto Maria Martinelli, president of ICCS, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Singapore – We are very perplexed. It is a decision that we do not welcome in a positive way: first of all because the numbers in Singapore do not justify it in terms of deaths and infections, considerably lower, and vaccines, which have higher percentages, including the booster. Also because Singapore has deliberately opened a Vtl (Vaccinated travel line) with Italy and other countries, because it recognizes its position as a logistic, financial and legal hub. That is to say that not only Singapore citizens are returning to Italy to make holidays but also entrepreneurs. And that doesn’t help “. Martinelli recalls: “There are 4,000 Italians who would like to return for their holidays and the Singaporeans who come to vacation around the world spend 48 billion Singapore dollars a year (pre-Covid data). It is a beautiful tourism that spends”. Comites: “Short notice, Italy will think about it” – “The decision to quarantine in Italy for those coming from Singapore takes us by surprise. It is inexplicable – comments Andrea Monni, from today the new president of Comites in Singapore – Here the cases are in decrease and the very low numbers do not justify such a measure. In addition, those arriving from Italy in Singapore do not need quarantine, so we are doubly surprised by this measure that cancels reciprocity “. Monni adds:” The short notice puts both people and companies: the Italians who are leaving with their families these days and risk ruining their holidays, the tourists who from Singapore would have liked to travel to Italy but will cancel with consequent damage to the image for the country and economic damage for the operators. that Singapore does not know how to manage the pandemic while up to now it has shown the exact opposite. We ask for a review of the restrictive measure for Singapore “.