Malaysia will reopen its borders on April 1, after two years, and lift coronavirus-related restrictions still on businesses in its bid to restore normalcy, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced on Tuesday.
The decision, according to the president, is the result of the high vaccination rate in the country, the low use of hospital beds by COVID-19 patients and the small percentage of serious cases.
The move allows us all to return to almost normal life after nearly two years of battling COVID-19, he said on a national broadcast. The most important thing is that Malaysia is now an open destination.
Malaysia closed its borders in March 2020. Since then, 99% of adult Malaysian citizens have received two doses of the vaccine, and 64% have also received a booster shot.
Adolescent vaccination has also reached a high level, and the government recently began vaccinating children between the ages of 5 and 11.
Daily new cases have risen sharply to more than 25,000 in recent weeks due to the omicron variant, but less than 1% of these infections are considered serious.
Ismail said the wearing of masks remains mandatory in public places and foreigners must download and use a government mobile app.
As of April 1, travelers with a full vaccination schedule will not be required to quarantine upon entering Malaysia, but will be required to undergo diagnostic tests two days before travel and within 24 hours of arrival.
All restrictions on hours and capacity of shops, places of worship and events involving large crowds will also be lifted, Ismail added.
Australia, Singapore and Thailand have also recently eased entry restrictions.
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