Malaysian cargo drivers may use vaccination card, TraceTogether token or app to skip Causeway COVID-19 test

SINGAPORE: Malaysian cargo drivers who have been vaccinated in Singapore may use vaccination cards issued to them, along with the TraceTogether (TT) token or app, as verification for their vaccination status at the Causeway.

These will allow them to skip on-arrival testing, said Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Friday (Apr 16).

Responding to CNA's queries, a spokesperson from MTI said that cargo drivers and accompanying personnel who have been vaccinated in Singapore will be exempted from on-arrival COVID-19 tests 14 days after their second dose.

"They are issued with vaccination cards and are advised to carry them, along with their TT token or app, when entering Singapore," said the spokesperson. 

"The TT token and app contain the vaccination status of the cargo drivers and accompanying personnel and will act as an added layer of verification. These individuals may continue to be subjected to testing at the checkpoints from time to time."

READ: Malaysia cargo drivers to receive certificate after COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore, exempted from daily on-arrival tests

In January, some drivers complained that they were experiencing delays at the land entry checkpoints after the Singapore Government announced that COVID-19 antigen rapid testing would be progressively rolled out for Malaysia cargo drivers delivering essential goods to Singapore.  

Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) announced in March that selected cargo drivers and accompanying personnel who enter the country from Malaysia on a regular basis will be offered vaccinations. 

MTI later said that drivers and accompanying personnel who have received both doses will receive an immunisation certificate and be exempted from daily on-arrival tests 14 days after the second dose. 

"POSITIVE" RESPONSE RATE FROM DRIVERS: MTI 

In its statement on Friday, MTI added that the response rate among the drivers contacted for vaccination has been "positive". 

"We will continue to reach out to those who have been selected and schedule them for vaccination accordingly," it said. 

It said that drivers who have not been vaccinated in Singapore will still be allowed to enter the country, but they will be subjected to prevailing border health measures such as on-arrival testing. 

MTI added that cargo drivers and accompanying personnel entering Singapore, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to adhere to existing safe management measures in the course of their work, such as limiting movement only to delivery points, ensuring that SafeEntry and temperature checks are done before entering the delivery site, and observing safe distancing at all times, including during the unloading and delivery of cargo.

READ: Malaysian cargo drivers welcome Singapore's COVID-19 vaccination offer, hope congestion at Causeway can be eased

One driver who has received both doses in Singapore was Mr K Sasikumar, a driver with SRGS Transport Agency who regularly transports fruits and vegetables from Johor to Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre in Singapore. 

He told CNA that he received his second dose on Apr 11 and is looking forward to skipping the on-arrival testing at the Causeway from Apr 25 onwards. 

"It will make the journey smoother, and allow us to deliver everything on time," said Mr Sasikumar. 

"I also feel safer now with the vaccine. I can work in peace with less fear of being infected," he added. 

Mr Sasikumar has been issued the vaccination card indicating that he has been administered both doses, and also downloaded TT on his phone for verification.

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