Malaysia to relax Covid-19 testing rules for certain travellers
Malaysia will relax Covid-19 testing requirements for some travellers beginning March 3, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced today.
The changes will affect travellers arriving in Malaysia through the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Malaysia and Singapore, the Langkawi Travel Bubble (LITB), and the One-Stop Centre (OSC) for short-term business travellers.
All international travellers will still be...
Malaysia will relax Covid-19 testing requirements for some travellers beginning March 3, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced today.
The changes will affect travellers arriving in Malaysia through the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Malaysia and Singapore, the Langkawi Travel Bubble (LITB), and the One-Stop Centre (OSC) for short-term business travellers.
All international travellers will still be required to undergo pre-departure testing within two days of departing for Malaysia, and on-arrival testing once they reach Malaysia.
However, they will not be required to undergo a Covid-19 self-test on Days 2, 4, and 6 after their arrival, and professionally conducted antigen (RTK-Ag) tests on Day 3 and 5.
In addition, LITB travellers do not need to take a professionally conducted test before leaving Langkawi.
Business travellers using the OSC facility no longer need a liaison officer but must still adhere to the controlled itinerary approved by the OSC committee.
“I wish to emphasise that the new procedures are only applicable to travellers entering Malaysia through the VTL, LITB, and OSC programs. For travellers who enter Malaysia outside of these three programs, the existing protocols and procedures are still applicable,” the minister said in a statement today.
He also announced that travellers arriving from the UK are no longer required to perform daily Covid-19 self-tests throughout their quarantine period upon arriving from Malaysia.
Latest changes
The changes are just the latest in a slew of relaxed Covid-19 restrictions announced in recent weeks.
Beginning tomorrow, new rules announced last week would mean that close contacts of Covid-19 patients who have already received the booster shots and show no symptoms will no longer be required to undergo quarantine, though they must perform a Covid-19 self-test on Day 1 and Day 3 after the exposure.
The changes come as the ongoing Omicron wave drives case numbers to record highs, but Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths remain relatively low, especially compared to last year’s Delta wave – a feat the Khairy credited to Malaysia’s high vaccination rate.
Khairy had also said last week that the government already has a date for reopening Malaysia’s international borders that will be announced by the prime minister.
He had previously indicated that the date will likely fall on the second quarter of this year, in contrast to National Recovery Council’s proposal for a full reopening “as early as March 1”.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
This action cannot be undone.