All VTL travellers to Malaysia to undergo Covid-19 tests for 6 days
KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia has updated its Covid-19 requirement for international and local travellers arriving in the country under three travel schemes.
Those on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) by air and land, the Langkawi International Travel Bubble (LITB), and the One Stop Centre (OSC) for short-term business visitors will have to undergo Covid-19 test for six days after arriving in Malaysia.
The new requirement will also apply to travellers from Singapore.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the requirement, which would take effect from Thursday (Dec 9), aims to strengthen the Ministry of Health’s existing precautionary and control measures to prevent the transmission and spread of the Omicron variant in the country.
“Travellers under these categories must undergo Covid-19 detection test upon arrival in Malaysia, RTK-Ag test or Rapid Antigen Test (self-test) on the second, fourth and sixth day after arrival," Mr Khairy said.
“They would also need to undergo a professional RTK-Ag test on the third and fifth day after arriving. In addition, LITB travellers must undergo an RT-PCR test at least 48 hours earlier before leaving Langkawi island."
He added: "All test results must be reported through the MySejahtera application."
Mr Khairy said those travellers must also ensure that they are fully vaccinated and must undergo RT-PCR tests at least 48 hours prior to their travel dates, replacing the previous procedure set at 72 hours before departure, according to a report in Bernama news agency.
Meanwhile, the minister said travellers from five countries with reported cases of Omicron in the community, namely Britain, the United States, Australia, France and Norway, will be required to get tested with an RT-PCR swab test 48 hours before departing for Malaysia.
He added that those travellers would also be required to use a digital tracking device on them at all times during their mandatory quarantine period.
Mr Khairy said travellers - including Malaysian citizens and long-term visit pass holders - arriving from the temporary travel ban in eight countries must also use a digital tracking device at the designated isolation centres during their 14-day mandatory quarantine period.
He added that the preventive measures will be reviewed from time to time.
As of Tuesday, 43 countries have reported Omicron-related cases.
The Omicron variant was detected last Thursday in Ipoh, in a 19-year-old South African private university student who had arrived from South Africa via Singapore on Nov 19.
On Nov 27, Malaysia listed eight countries on temporary travel restrictions, namely, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
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