Fear and joy on the front line as travel ban ends

 

Fully-vaccinated adults will be able to travel freely across the country from today.

PETALING JAYA: With borders being reopened and interstate travel allowed for fully vaccinated adults from Monday, there is a sense of relief as well as wariness among some on the medical front line.

A Sungai Buloh Hospital doctor who only wants to be known as Ahmad said that while he feared the threat of a new Covid-19 wave, he believed Malaysians must learn to live with the virus.

“I’m conflicted (about the end of travel restrictions) because if not now, then when? On the other hand, the fear and hesitancy are understandable. Just like how we have learned to live with other infectious diseases, we should learn to live with Covid-19 too,” he said.

The government should now focus on improving health services in the near future, before any rise in Covid-19 cases takes place again.

“There’s no point worrying about another Covid-19 wave while we’re still ill-equipped with our ‘life jackets and boats’. Learn from our previous mistakes,” he said.

Ahmad said the country had celebrated too soon when case numbers dropped last year at the end of the first wave. “Now the government must stop being reactive and start being proactive.”

Another frontliner, Syamimi (not her real name) who works at a hospital in the Klang Valley, said she welcomed the easing of restrictions and reopening of borders but was worried about another possible wave due to the complacent attitude of the public.

“Remember the last time we were allowed to travel? We had to go into another lockdown immediately afterwards.

“Yes, this time we have been vaccinated but we should not rule out the possibility of another wave. Let’s not forget the fact that the virus can mutate,” she told FMT.

She urged the public not to be complacent and continue to follow the SOPs. “Sanitise, wear face masks and please get screened before travelling,” she added.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced yesterday that state borders would be reopened, and fully-vaccinated adults could travel across the country without requiring police permission. Malaysians could also go abroad but will face quarantine on return.

Malaysia banned foreign travel except in special cases when the pandemic began in March 2020. Interstate travel was banned in January when a state of emergency was declared following a spike in the number of cases. - FMT