Putrajaya today announced further relaxations in Covid-19 protocols, including the reopening of the country’s borders from April 1 onwards.
Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the decision was made based on the latest data on Covid-19, compared to the border reopening of other countries, and sought to not complicate the journey of travellers.
"Malaysian citizens with valid travel documents can now exit and reenter the country as normal, to go to any country with open borders.
"At the same time, foreign nationals with valid travel documents can also enter and exit Malaysia without having to apply for MyTravelPass which will be abolished.
"Instead, they may download and activate their MySejahtera application and fill in the pre-departure forms via the 'Traveller' function on the app," he said.
He added that while fully vaccinated visitors were not required to undergo quarantine upon arriving in the country, they would need to conduct an RT-PCR test two days before departure and be subjected to a professional RTK-antigen test 24 hours upon arrival.
Travellers who wish to visit countries that have not opened their borders, such as Singapore, may do so under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme.
The government is set to announce VTLs between Malaysia and Thailand, Brunei, and Indonesia in the near future.
Rules for visitors who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 - such as those who cannot do so due to existing health reasons - will be announced tomorrow by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Easing of local restrictions
Ismail Sabri also announced the easing of restrictions within the country, which will be implemented from April 1 onwards.
They are as follows:
Eateries are allowed to operate past midnight, based on their permits.
Social distancing requirements for religious events dropped.
50 percent capacity limit for event venues dropped, however, social distancing is mandatory.
Vaccination is no longer a requirement for inter-state travel or for determining maximum capacity at workplaces.
However, Ismail Sabri said state governments would have the final say on social distancing for Islamic affairs, such as Friday prayers.
"The implementation and final standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the mosques and surau is dependent on the state's religious authorities.
"Non-Muslim houses of worship are subject to the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor)," he said.
These rule changes were made during the Quartet Ministers Meeting today.
Ismail Sabri explained although the number of Covid-19 cases was currently high, hospitalisation rates remain under control, and Malaysia has a high rate of vaccination.
"After considering various factors, risks assessments, views from the Health Ministry, and recommendations from the Quartet Ministers, today I wish to announce that Malaysia will enter the 'transition to endemic phase' on April 1," he said.
However, Malaysians are still required to don a mask outside their homes and use the MySejahtera application's check-in function.
Previously, the quartet's chairperson Hishammuddin Hussein had said Malaysia is preparing to enter the 'transition to endemic' phase.
Only the World Health Organization - which declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in 2020 due to Covid-19 - can declare that the disease has become endemic, the minister said. - Mkini
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