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| A water salute welcomes Malaysia Airlines aircraft Boeing 738 after its landing in Langkawi from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Sep 16, 2021. (File photo by=AFP/Mohd Rasfan) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] KUALA LUMPUR: The resort island of Langkawi in Kedah will reopen to fully vaccinated international tourists under a pilot travel bubble project. In a statement on Friday (Oct 22), Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Special Committee for the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic has agreed to the tourism ministry’s proposed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for an international travel bubble to Langkawi, CNA reported.
The pilot project targeted fully vaccinated, high-yield individuals, while children under the age of 18 have to be accompanied by their parents or guardians, he said. “The list of approved countries is subject to the Malaysian Immigration Department, Health Ministry, and Foreign Affairs Ministry,” Mr. Ismail Sabri said.While tourists of this Langkawi international travel bubble would not be subject to any quarantine period, their stay would have to last at least three days, according to the prime minister's statement. They have to take a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test 72 hours prior to their departure to Langkawi.
These travelers are required to be insured for a minimum of US$80,000 (RM332,000).
Mr. Ismail Sabri said later in a Facebook post that this international travel bubble will kick off on Nov 15. Meanwhile, on Friday, Malaysia added 6,630 new COVID-19 cases to its tally, which is now 2.42 million.
