Malaysia launches “test and release” for vaccinated travellers from Thailand, Cambodia

Travellers from Thailand and Cambodia, who are vaccinated against Covid-19, can now enter Malaysia by air without undergoing a lengthy quarantine through the country’s Vaccinated Travel Lane, or VTL, scheme, which was first launched with Singapore. Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob recently announced that the country will fully reopen borders to vaccinated travellers on April 1.

Similar to Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme, Malaysia’s VTL scheme requires those travelling from Thailand, Singapore, and Cambodia to self-isolate at their accommodation while they wait for results from an on-arrival Covid-19 test to come back.

Under Malaysia’s so-called “test and release” policy, travellers will undergo a Covid-19 swab test upon arrival and will then need to self-isolate at their respective accommodations while they wait for test results to come back, which can take up to a day. Travellers need to apply for a “Home Surveillance Order” in the MySejahtera, which is a digital system for travellers returning to or visiting Malaysia during the ongoing Covid-19 situation.

Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong released a statement yesterday saying the arrival health protocols for Thailand, Singapore, and Cambodia will be “uniform” and all abide by the test and release measures. VTL travellers from Singapore have needed to wait in the airport terminal until their on-arrival test results are back, which can take three hours, and then go through immigration if their results are negative. Starting tomorrow, the travellers will be able to isolate themselves at their accommodation until their tests come back negative.

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Travellers will be free to end their self-isolation if the results come back negative, but will be required to follow the Health Ministry’s existing health standards if the results are positive for Covid-19.

SOURCE: Channel News Asia