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V.K. SANTOSH KUMAR
Mr Rajesh Kumar G is expecting to fly back to Singapore on May 4.
The Singapore permanent resident will take the Air India Express flight from Kochi.
"I have already made the booking," said the IT professional who has been in Chengannur, Kerala, since April 13 to tend to his father who was hospitalised.
"I hope everything will be all right."
Amid the surge in Covid-19 infections in India, Singapore banned all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with recent travel history to India from April 24.
This includes visitors who transit in India and all who had obtained approval for entry into Singapore.
Only Singaporeans and permanent residents are allowed to return.
But even for them the mandatory quarantine has been extended from 14 days to 21 days.
"The stricter measures are necessary because Singapore must keep itself safe," said Mr Kumar. "But there should not have been a total ban on long-term pass holders.
"Some will lose jobs and some will refrain from going to India for emergencies and to meet close relatives. The 21-day quarantine rule could have been extended to them too.
"The new strains of the virus are powerful but they can be detected with 21 days of the quarantine."
Mrs Nupur Yagnik, a dependant's pass holder working with Zee TV in Singapore, is concerned about the spread of the virus in India but feels long-term pass holders should be allowed to return to Singapore.
"Some are desperate to come back because their jobs are on the line. They also have to pay rent and take care of other expenses," she said.
"I suggest that they should be allowed back but put in a longer quarantine."
Singaporean Sharmila Nagarajan is worried about her elderly parents, who live in Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu, as the Covid-19 cases rise in India.
"My mother is wheelchair-bound but is adamant about going to the temple every day," said the chairman of Singapore company Velli Ventures.
"Similarly, people in Pudukottai are moving about without any care or consideration for others. Nobody is scared or bothered."
Nevertheless, she believes that only two weeks' quarantine is necessary for travellers arriving from India.
"A test within two weeks will show if they have the virus or not," she said.
"Staying in an enclosed room in a hotel is a pain, it's like a punishment. How many Zoom calls can they do? People will go crazy."
Singaporean theatre personality Subin Subaiah feels the Singapore Government "has to do what is best for society".
"Why should any society import danger?" he asked.
"Unless the trade-off is very significant, there is no need to ease the restrictions.
"The Covid-19 volumes are going up in India and Singapore has to be careful. What Singapore has done is 'nothing personal, it's business', as they say in mafia language."
