Singapore is considering requiring its residents to get a booster shot to qualify as fully vaccinated against Covid-19, its health minister said on Tuesday, as it seeks to protect its population from the Omicron variant.

The city-state of 5.5 million people currently allows only those counted as fully vaccinated - or recipients of two shots - to enter malls or dine in at restaurants or hawker stalls.

From Jan 1 it will bar unvaccinated employees from entering workplaces unless they undergo tests each time.