The Malaysian Insight

INTERNATIONAL travel will likely reopen with Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and “green bubble” nations who have reciprocal procedures to deal with Covid-19, said Dr Noor Hisham.

The health director-general said the government will monitor the coronavirus situation until August 31, but said today’s figure of just two new infections nationwide was encouraging.

“If we can see improvements, like we are seeing today, then we are considering whether we can ease the border control,” he said.

“We can look at green bubble countries, which have reciprocal SOPs. We also will look at neighbours, such Singapore, Brunei and Thailand,” he said.

The Health Ministry will be also guided by the The Global Covid-19 Index (GCI), which ranks 184 countries on how well they are coping with the pandemic.

“Green bubble” travel lanes involve two or more countries where domestic Covid-19 infections are very low or non-existent.

Singapore is currently in talks with Australia, China and South Korea to establish such travel lanes.

Noor Hisham said yesterday that international travel may be allowed if figures remain low or reach zero new cases by August 31, the end of the recovery movement control order (RMCO) period.

During the movement control order (MCO), initiated on March 18, domestic air travel was restricted only from airports within Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah or Sarawak. Travel from Kuala Lumpur to Sabah and Sarawak was allowed only for those returning to their home states.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced over the weekend that interstate travel be allowed from June 10 under the RMCO. – June 10, 2020.