Consider opening borders to vaccinated tourists, business travelers

By TIN Media | Tourism Malaysia Published 3 years ago on 2 March 2021
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MALAYSIA:

Bukit Gasing Assemblyman, Rajiv Rishyakaran, said that the government should consider opening its borders to tourists and business travellers who received the Covid-19 vaccine.

He suggested that Malaysia should be the first Asian country to follow suit, referring to a report allowing vaccinated travellers to enter several countries including Iceland, Poland, and Romania.

“Malaysia could revive and rejuvenate its tourism and airline industries if we capitalise on this opportunity,” he said in a statement.

“With the Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector allowed to reopen, this is also an opportunity to attract business travellers and revitalise the country’s international trade.”

In addition, Rajiv has noted that there have been over 200 million vaccines worldwide so far, which are likely to increase and "the country should never hesitate to move forward."

He said that reopening borders could specify a vaccination passport and a negative PCR test 72 hours before arrival.

“All we need to do is emulate, and maybe refine, the strategies and safety measures implemented by other countries who have opened their borders. This needs to be done immediately to boost our country’s economy.”

Over the weekend, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Health Director General, said that it had been early enough to say whether the Covid 19 vaccination would form a "immunity passport" for travel.

Noor Hisham said that before the government could decide any further, it had still to monitor the results of the vaccine effectiveness and safety.

For the beginning, however, he stated that the government could consider easing Covid-19 restrictions, but only if the national programme of immunisation has worked well.


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