The government will no longer require tourists visiting Langkawi to undergo Covid-19 testing before departing for the island.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said his ministry has reviewed the pre-departure testing requirement in the wake of interstate travel and tourism being allowed since Oct 11 and decided the requirement is no longer necessary.
He pointed out that up to Oct 10, 54,341 travellers have undergone pre-departure testing as part of the Langkawi travel bubble program, of which only 216 (0.4 percent) of travellers tested positive.
In addition, only one tourist experienced symptoms while in Langkawi and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
Investigations found the source of infection was elsewhere, and no Covid-19 cluster has originated from the travel bubble programme.
“Taking into account the extremely low percentage of tourists testing positive during screening, the Health Ministry has decided to stop requiring Covid-19 test results (for travel to Langkawi).
“The cessation of requiring travellers to Langkawi to undergo Covid-19 testing comes into effect on Oct 12.
“However, as a personal public health measure, tourists are encouraged to undergo Covid-19 self-testing before beginning their journey to Langkawi to reduce the risk of infecting other tourists,” he said in a statement today.
The requirement for all adult travellers to be fully vaccinated remains in place.
The minister also reiterated this plea for interstate travellers to take Covid-19 self-tests before beginning their journey to prevent spreading the disease.
The Langkawi travel bubble opened on Sept 16, allowing fully vaccinated travellers to visit the island as long as they clear a Covid-19 test within 48 hours before their travel.
Beginning Oct 11, however, Malaysia has lifted interstate travel restrictions for fully vaccinated people, as 90 percent of the country’s adults have been fully vaccinated.
Despite the lifting of restrictions, the government is still urging members of the public to remain vigilant in preventing the spread of the disease, including by encouraging people to take a Covid-19 self-test before returning to their hometowns. - Mkini
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