KOTA KINABALU: All flights in and out of Sabah have returned to normal after the past few days of erratic schedules due to the eruption of Mount Ruang.

       According to a senior official of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, flights started to resume gradually from Friday afternoon.

       On April 18, all flights into and out of Sabah and Sarawak were cancelled or delayed following the volcanic eruption in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

       Thousands of passengers were stranded, with most of them choosing to wait in airports while those travelling domestically opted to travel by road.

       There were a few resumed flights on that night itself, while others recommenced the next day.

       Meanwhile, state Health Department director Datuk Dr Asits Sanna said Sabah’s air quality was not terribly affected by the Mount Ruang eruption.

       He said after a risk assessment, they found that there is no need to mask up when in public as yet.

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       However, he urged those with respiratory problems and related illnesses to seek medical attention immediately.“The air pollutant index does not show the air quality is affected.

       “The Health Department is also monitoring haze-related illnesses such as breathing problems, asthma and conjunctivitis in some health clinics and sentinel hospitals in the state,” Dr Asits said in a statement yesterday.

       He urged the public to keep tabs on the latest air quality status at https://apims.doe.gov.my/home.html.