Endemic phase transition: Unvaccinated travellers to M'sia must undergo five-day quarantine - Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR: Beginning April 1, travellers entering Malaysia who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 must undergo quarantine for five days, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said that once they have completed their quarantine, the individuals must comply with the stipulated COVID-19 regulations.

"For example, they are not allowed to dine-in at restaurants until they are fully vaccinated," he told a media conference at the Parliament Building today.

As for travellers who are exempted from being vaccinated due to health reasons, Khairy said they would be required to upload proof of the exemption given by health officers on their MySejahtera application.

Meanwhile, Khairy said children and teenagers aged 17 and below travelling to Malaysia need not have to undergo quarantine, irrespective of their vaccination status and, instead, only need to undergo COVID-19 RTk (Ag) test within 24 hours of arriving here.

He said the quarantine period for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Malaysia before April was still subject to the protocols stipulated previously.

"If a traveller begins undergoing quarantine on March 29, (there is) no need for a week. The quarantine order for that individual will still expire on April 1 (once the date for transition to endemic phase takes effect).

At the media conference, Khairy also launched the https://covidprotocol.moh.gov.my/ portal, which contains the current protocols for individuals regarding COVID-19.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia would enter the 'Transition to Endemic' phase and reopen its borders starting April 1.

Ismail Sabri said fully vaccinated individuals would no longer need to undergo quarantine and only need to undergo a COVID-19 RT-PCR test two days before departure and an RTK-Ag (professional) test within 24 hours upon arrival.

The prime minister said these were compulsory procedures that Malaysians and travellers entering the country have to adhere to, taking into consideration the COVID-19 situation, especially the Omicron wave that the nation and many other countries worldwide are facing.

Meanwhile, Khairy said they would monitor the supply of Antigen Rapid Test Kits (RTK Antigen) in the market as the equipment was an important requirement after the country enters the 'Transition to Endemic' phase starting April 1.

For that, he said, the Ministry of Health (MOH) was in discussions with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) to set the ceiling price for the Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test.

"We should no longer rely on RT-PCR (because) it should be used by travellers or in clinical 'setting' only and that's why we have changed the conditions for travellers entering the country... (whereby) an RTK-Ag (professional) test is sufficient," he said.

On the reopening of nightclubs, Khairy said such premises were still listed on the negative list although the country would transition to the endemic phase from April 1.

"From April 1, only one type of premises is on the negative list, namely nightclubs, because of the nature of nightclubs, which is considered high-risk," he said.

-- BERNAMA