Beginning May 1, Malaysia will remove most COVID-19 restrictions, including the requirement to wear a mask when outdoors and the requirement for fully vaccinated travellers to be tested for the coronavirus.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that wearing of masks is still required indoors, including in shopping malls and on public transportation.
“The wearing of masks outdoors is optional, but is still encouraged,” he said during a press conference on Apr 27. The minister said that people are also encouraged to wear masks outdoors in crowded places such as at Ramadan bazaars, stadiums and night markets.
Khairy also announced that all testing protocols for travellers into the country – pre-departure and on-arrival tests – will be dropped for those who are fully vaccinated, those who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection six to 60 days before their date of departure, as well as travellers aged 12 and below.
However, those who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 still must undergo these tests and observe a five-day mandatory quarantine, said Khairy.
Travel insurance will no longer be a prerequisite for foreigners entering the country. “You do not need to have traveller’s insurance anymore to come to Malaysia,” he said.
Khairy also said that check-ins via contact tracing app MySejahtera will no longer be required and that people who are not fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter premises as well.
Only those who have tested positive for the virus and have been issued a home surveillance order will not be allowed in.
The minister explained during the press conference that the MySejahtera app is still needed. “I encourage all to activate the MySJ Trace function for the purpose of contact tracing,” he said.
People can still use the app to report their COVID-19 test results and submit their health assessment when they are under quarantine, he added.
Meanwhile, those who test positive COVID-19 may also be released from quarantine earlier, the minister said, provided that their professionally supervised RTK-Ag test on the fourth day is negative.
The current rules mandate a seven-day quarantine for positive cases.
Malaysia fully opened its borders on Apr 1, more than two years after restricting exit and entry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Malaysia reported 3,361 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, an increase compared to the 2,478 cases on Monday.
The number of cases has been trending down in Malaysia over the past few weeks, with five-figure daily cases last reported on Apr 13.
A peak of more than 30,000 daily cases was recorded back in March.
As of Tuesday, more than 16 million or 68.1 per cent of the adult population have received their booster dose, while 97.6 per cent have completed their vaccination.
According to the ministry’s COVIDNOW website, more than 81.5 per cent of the total population have been fully vaccinated.
Since the start of the pandemic, Malaysia has reported more than 4.4 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 35,500 deaths.
Source: CNA
