Malaysia is set to open its borders next month and while the upcoming protocols are relatively convenient for tourists and other travellers, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin admitted that getting a PCR test daily is impractical for regular commuters. With this, the Ministry of Health (MoH) will announce SOPs for land border entries next week, with separate rules for travellers and periodic commuters.
When the country enters the endemic transition phase on 1 April, those flying into the country will no longer be required to quarantine as long as they take a PCR test two days before departure. Obviously, this would be incredibly tedious and expensive for those who commute several times a week for work to neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei.
As such, Khairy said that he is currently negotiating with neighbouring countries, as well as the states that share land borders with said countries, to reach an agreement that would maintain public safety while also making it easier for periodic commuters to travel between those borders regularly.
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Additionally, all the COVID-19 protocols that will be implemented can be conveniently found on a new website called COVIDProtocol, which will be updated from time to time. Apart from quarantine-free travels, the transition phase will also see restrictions on operating hours for businesses lifted, though nightclubs will still be prohibited from operating.
(Source: Ministry of Health/Facebook)
