Singapore's Changi Airport this week began full-scale Covid-19 vaccination of airport workers, with plans to have 7,000 employees vaccinated by the end of the week.
Workers are receiving vaccinations at a facility in the airport's Terminal 4, with priority going to the 20,000 frontline workers who come in contact with travellers, baggage and cargo. The facility can vaccinate about 2,000 people daily. Once workers receive the full course of vaccinations, their frequency of required Covid-19 testing also will decrease.
In a memo, Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong said vaccines are voluntary for the carrier's employees, though strongly encouraged. More than 5,200 Singapore Airlines employees have signed up for the vaccine so far, he said.
The vaccinations "will set the SIA Group up for a quicker recovery from this debilitating crisis and provide a platform for us to return to pre-Covid operations," he said.
Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines and Collinson have announced that all passengers flying outbound from Singapore and Indonesia (bound for Singapore) will be able to book pre-departure PCR and serology tests as part of a trial service, with results given within 36 hours.
JoAnn Tan, senior vice president marketing planning for SIA, said: “As more countries demand pre-departure test results for entry, this pilot is a reflection of our ongoing efforts to provide passengers with the support they need to feel safe."
Additional reporting by Mark Frary