The Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble (ATB) will be launched as scheduled on November 22, while the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced on Saturday that all arriving passengers from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Area will now be needed to take on-arrival COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests at Changi Airport.

The new criterion is introduced according to the CAAS, COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong have been surging over the past few days.

Hong Kong ATB travelers will only be expected to take a COVID-19 PCR pre-departure test and obtain a negative test result before departing for Singapore on the basis of the previous regulations.

Despite the spike in Hong Kong coronavirus cases, the launch of the ATB will proceed as scheduled on Sunday, the CAAS said in a media release on November 21, adding that health authorities on both sides are in close touch and tracking the situation of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

The CAAS also reported that the newly added on-arrival COVID-19 PCR test would cost per traveler 196 Singapore dollars (approximately $145.89), but Singapore would exclude travelers arriving in the first week from paying for the test in order to allow travelers time to adapt to this adjustment under the ATB.

Travelers will have to isolate themselves in their place of residence after the exam, whether it is a hotel or a home while waiting for the results, which will take about six to eight hours, the aviation authority said.

They will also be expected to take private transportation from the airport to their declared place of accommodation, by taxi or private rental car.