SINGAPORE has banned crew change for crew with recent travel history in several south Asian countries.

A notice from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said seafarers who had been to Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the past 14 days would not be allowed to enter Singapore or transit through the city state.

This new prohibition comes after Singapore instituted a similar ban on seafarers who had been to or transited through India.

On Monday, India reported more than 300,000 new COVID-19 cases for a 12th day in a row, with its total infection tally nearing 20 million.

The Indian Ministry of Health reported 222,408 total deaths in the country from the disease.