The Health Ministry has launched a new website called Covidprotocol, providing comprehensive guidelines for individuals on the current Covid-19 protocols in the country.
This includes rules for travellers, close and casual contacts as well as those who are Covid-19 positive.
Fully vaccinated travellers with valid travel documents are no longer required to quarantine but would be subjected to a professional RTK-antigen test 24 hours upon arrival.
Other protocols for travellers announced today are as follows:
• Visitors undergoing quarantine before April 1, will be released on that date.
• Children aged 17 years and below are not required to quarantine, no matter their vaccination status. However, they are subjected to RTK-Antigen testing.
• Adults who are not fully vaccinated or are unvaccinated are required to quarantine for five days upon arrival in the country. They are not allowed to dine-in at restaurants.
• Visitors who have been exempted from the Covid-19 vaccine for medical reasons are required to upload evidence on the MySejahtera application.
The website was launched after yesterday’s announcement of Malaysia’s “transition to endemic” phase, starting April 1.
The transition includes relaxations in local standard operating procedures (SOPs) and the reopening of the country's borders.
Speaking at a broadcast press conference, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that the transitionary phase was necessary as an exit strategy to allow the return of an almost-normal way of living.
He added that it was also to move the burden of handling the Covid-19 from government intervention, via standard operating procedures (SOPs) and laws, to community solidarity and individual responsibility.
However, he said the government will continue to take precautionary measures in the handling of the pandemic.
"The government will continue to provide means of protection through continuous vaccination programmes especially booster doses and the vaccination of children.
"The government will also increase treatment options for those who have been infected with Covid-19 with new medication, including the Paxlovid (Pfizer's antiviral pill) which will arrive by the end of the month," he said.
Positive Covid-19 patients that are quarantined at home will continue to be monitored.
Meanwhile, Khairy said despite the increase in daily cases and hospital admissions, the situation was still under control and does not interfere with the capacity and bed usage of non-Covid cases.
He said the bed usage of non-critical cases, including Covid-19 and non-Covid cases, is at 70 percent whereas the use of ICU beds is only at 59 percent.
Only 38 percent of daily hospital admissions are in categories 3 to 5.
"This is due to the 'decoupling' effect that was mentioned earlier when comparing the situation of the Omicron variant, between February and March 2022, with the peak of the Delta variant in August 2021.
"The sharp increase in daily Covid-19 cases is not followed by a sudden increase in hospitalisation, ICU admissions, the use of breathing aids or death cases," he said.
Khairy said it was this evidence that led to the decision of transitioning to endemicity.
"These are the indicators that led to the Health Ministry deciding it is an appropriate time to transition to the endemic phase.
"However the ministry will continue to increase surveillance, especially for new variants and epidemiology cases in Malaysia for proportionate, calibrated, focused and targeted developments" he added. - Mkini
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