TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Singapore will lift travel restrictions on visitors from Taiwan starting next Friday (Dec. 18), exempting them from a two-week quarantine provided they test negative for the coronavirus.

“Today, we take another step in opening our borders, this time to travelers from Taiwan,” said Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung on Friday (Dec. 11). "Taiwan has a comprehensive public health surveillance system and has displayed successful control over the spread of the COVID-19 virus," the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in a separate statement.

"Over the past 28 days, Taiwan has zero local COVID-19 cases. The risk of importation from Taiwan is low," the CAAS added. The unilateral measure also applies to Singaporean citizens and those with permanent and long-term residence permits for the city-state.

Visitors arriving from Taiwan should remain in the island country for at least two weeks and must apply for an air travel pass before flying to Singapore. They will be asked to conduct a PCR test upon arrival, and if they test negative, they will be exempt from home quarantine.

Taiwan maintains its travel restrictions on Singapore for now, with social visits still banned. Nevertheless, both countries have designated one another as low-risk, and business travel from Singapore to Taiwan is allowed with a shortened quarantine period.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said via a statement on Friday that it appreciates the decision by the Singaporean government, saying it will contribute to trade exchanges. The step is conducive to future negotiations for a travel bubble between the two countries, stated the ministry, adding that it will continue to work with the Central Epidemic Command Center, which decides Taiwan's coronavirus-related policies.

Since September, Singapore has opened its borders to Australia, Brunei, China, New Zealand, and Vietnam. Approximately 4,000 travelers from the above-mentioned countries have since visited Singapore, and all have tested negative for COVID, said Ong.