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Malaysia to re-open borders to vaccinated tourists starting April 1
France24 reported, citing the AFP, Malaysian authorities said that the country will re-open to all vaccinated tourists from April 1, joining a growing number of countries removing restrictions in an attempt to live with Covid.
The tourism-reliant Southeast Asian country, known for its white-sand beaches and lush rainforests, shut its borders in March 2020 but will now require only a negative Covid test to enter.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri said in media briefing: "The government has decided to open its borders on April 1, 2022."
"We believe this decision will boost our economy and help revive our ailing tourism sector."
The re-opening comes despite Malaysia reporting more than 25,000 infections a day in recent weeks, though most cases have been mild.
Its decision mirrors those of neighbouring nations including Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines that are progressively easing entry rules to lure back tourists.
Vaccinated travellers will not be subject to quarantine but will need to produce a negative PCR test two days before arrival and take an antigen test in the 24 hours after entry.
Previously only travellers from Singapore were allowed quarantine-free entry.
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Malaysia has recorded more than 3.6 million Covid cases to date with more than 33,000 deaths.
About 80 percent of the country's 32 million population have been fully vaccinated.
Source: france24
