Yes, it seems like it’s finally happening.
Slowly, inch by inch, leisure travel is resuming.
Last month, the US lifted travel restrictions for most countries, Singapore announced last Saturday (9 Oct) that we’re launching Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with 8 other countries, and Australia announced its plans to lift bans on international travel next month.
Now, we have this:
M’sia Resumes Interstate & International Travel from 11 Oct
Good news for vaccinated adults in Malaysia: interstate and international travel is back.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced yesterday that restrictions on travel will be lifted from today (11 Oct).
This means that Malaysians who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel domestically across the country. Fortunately for them (or unfortunately), they can take their children along with them.
Malaysians who want to travel abroad may do so as well, but anyone entering the country must serve a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Self-testing will not be mandatory, but travellers are encouraged to test themselves before travelling.
Okay, now for the bad news.
No Foreign Visitors Allowed Yet For Leisure Travel
This piece of good news, at least right now, is only for people in Malaysia, specifically vaccinated adults and their children.
Malaysia is keeping its borders closed to international tourists, so no, we can’t cross the border yet. Those visiting from abroad can only do so for emergencies, business, and official purposes, PM Ismail Sabri said.
He did say, though, that Malaysia’s health ministry is assessing which nations to open its borders to, based on factors such as the number of infections they have, their mortality rate, and their level of recovery.
Vaccination Rate in Malaysia
At the moment, 90% of adults in Malaysia have been fully vaccinated. 65% of the entire population has completed its vaccination regimen.
Just like Singapore, a resident in Malaysia is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they complete their second dose.
Last month, Malaysia extended its vaccination programme to children aged 12 to 17.
PM Ismail: We Will Not Reimpose Curbs Even if Cases Spike
In what must have been a welcome statement to many Malaysians whose jobs and businesses have been affected by lockdown measures, PM Ismail Sabri promised that the gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions will not be reversed even if there are spikes in infections.
“I want to assure everyone that businesses and livelihood will continue normally. Even if cases rise, we will only focus (restrictions) on specific areas. The reopening will continue even if there is a surge, but we can ensure there are no closures at all if we abide by the SOPs,” he said.
The torrent of new COVID-19 infections that hit the country in late August seems to have subsided, as just 7,373 new cases were reported yesterday.
We’re certainly happy for Malaysia, and hope that we can soon form a VTL with our friends across the border.
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Featured Image: Patrick Foto / Shutterstock.com
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