No more MCO, just stricter control at borders - Hishammuddin

Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said taking into account the latest development involving the Omicron variant, the control measures will be improved, including by adding more countries to the high-risk list.

"So far, 245 cases of Omicron variant were confirmed in Malaysia. The majority of the cases still involved those returning from overseas.

"We will implement stricter control, but full-scale MCO will not be implemented again," he told a press conference after the COVID-19 quartet ministers' meeting here today.

Also present were Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong and National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Saddique.

Hishammuddin said the government's focus right now is on the efforts to transition into the endemic phase which had been hampered by several issues before.

He said the government was also monitoring closely the current status of the Malaysia-Singapore Vaccinated Travel Line (VTL) initiative by looking into possibilities to implement it with other countries, including Indonesia and Thailand.

"However, this depends on the COVID-19 situation, not only in those countries but also in ours," he said.

Meanwhile, on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Thaipusam and Chinese New Year celebrations, Hishammuddin said the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders were in the midst of finalising the SOPs.

He said it would be announced soon by the relevant ministries.