KUALA LUMPUR: The Langkawi International Travel Bubble (LITB) is extended until the country's border reopening with an enhanced standard procedure (SOP), effective Feb 16.

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in a statement today announced that this decision was made following the COVID-19 Ministerial Quartet Meeting on Feb 8.

"The SOP for the entry of foreign travellers into Malaysia via the LITB is in line with the decision reached and latest guideline issued by the Ministry of Health that was gazetted on Feb 16, 2022. This SOP will be a benchmark for that for the coming border reopening," it said.

The SOP includes allowing tourists who have received the booster shot to leave Langkawi Island on the fifth day if the COVID-19 real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or RTK antigen test is negative on the fourth and fifth day, respectively.

Children aged 12 years and below can also travel with their vaccinated parents or guardian without the need for proof of vaccination while those aged below two years do not have to undergo COVID-19 screening.

The SOP also stipulates that it is compulsory for foreign tourists to purchase an insurance policy worth US$50,000 for COVID-19 and travelling while Malaysians staying abroad are exempted from this condition.

The ministry also announced that incoming flights through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) for LTIB are allowed, starting Feb 22.

The LITB was introduced on Nov 15, 2021 as a three-month pioneer project to test the readiness and preparedness of the country's tourism ecosystem, particularly the tourism industry players and frontliners in receiving foreign tourists in a gradual and safe manner.

The minister concerned, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri in the same statement said hopefully, the decision would receive good response from foreigners who were keen to come to Malaysia now via the LITB.

-- BERNAMA