Singapore bans visitors; Taiwan bars transits

More countries tightened international and domestic travel as the coronavirus spread showed little signs of easing.
Singapore is barring short-term visitors from entering or transiting through the city-state to reduce the risk of imported cases of the coronavirus.
The government will also limit the entry of work permit holders to those in essential sectors such as health-care and transport, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs a ministerial task force to tackle the virus. Holders of various visas or passes, which allow them to work and live in Singapore, risk not being allowed back in soon should they decide to leave the island now, Wong said.
Taiwan also further tightened travel controls on Sunday to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, suspending the transit of airline passengers through Taiwan from March 24 until April 7, as it announced 16 new cases bringing the total to 169. Taiwan has already stopped all foreigners apart from residence permit holders from coming to the island and is quarantining for 14 days everyone arriving on the island. Separately, Vietnam said it will temporarily suspend entry to all foreigners who already have travel visas to the country, except for those visiting the country for diplomat or official purposes. Foreigners who are deemed experts, business managers or highly skilled workers will still be allowed to enter the country but must have certificates indicating they have tested negative for the virus, must fill out health declarations and will be ordered into quarantine upon arrival, the government said in a statement on Sunday.