Malaysia to ease restrictions for the unvaccinated, ditch outdoor mask mandate

From next month, Malaysia will no longer require people to wear face masks outdoors, although a mask mandate on public transport and for indoor activities will remain. The country will also lift restrictions on the unvaccinated, allowing everyone to enter public premises, whether inoculated or not. But the unvaccinated will still need a pre-travel negative PCR test.

According to a Reuters report, the country has endured some of the worst Covid-19 waves in Southeast Asia, but outbreaks have now subsided, thanks to an accelerated vaccine rollout. Malaysia’s health minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, says both vaccinated and unvaccinated people will be able to enter public places from May, with the exception of anyone who has tested positive for the virus or unvaccinated travellers in quarantine.

In addition, Malaysia will lift the requirement for pre-travel testing and testing on arrival for vaccinated international visitors and those who can show proof of recent recovery from Covid-19.

At the peak of the Omicron wave last month, Malaysia was reporting over 30,000 daily cases, but the daily infection rate has now dropped to around 3,300, as reported yesterday. Nearly 82% of the country’s 32 million residents are now fully vaccinated and around half have received a booster vaccine dose.

SOURCE: Reuters