GEORGE TOWN: Love, as it turns out, can be pragmatic too.

       With the easing of travel restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated, long-distance married couples are looking forward to seeing each other soon.

       But they are not throwing caution to the wind.

       “I will ask her to use the Covid-19 RTK-Antigen self-test kit to make sure she tests negative before she comes back,” said content creator Hafiz Zulkeflli, 36, who has not seen his wife Nor Fazilah Ramli for months.

       Nor Fazilah, 34, works as a customer service administrator in Kuala Lumpur where Covid-19 cases are very high.

       “For the time being, it is not safe for me to travel there,” he said.

       But Hafiz is thrilled about reuniting with her again.

       “I am so excited to finally be able to see my lovely wife and give her a big hug.”

       He was fully vaccinated on July 21 while his wife got her second jab on July 26.

       For now, he is planning to go for a staycation in Penang with her.

       Cheong and her husband Chia Cheng Kok (right) say they will wait a little longer until Cheong is fully inoculated.

       “And she has been craving for local hawker food, so we will definitely eat that.”

       Quality assurance executive Cheong Sin Loo, 26, is also looking forward to being with her husband, a musician in Kuala Lumpur whom she last saw in December last year.

       “But we may need to stay put and not meet each other yet for the time being as cases in Kuala Lumpur are high.

       “Although I miss my husband very much, I’m not keen for any of us to travel at the moment,” she said.

       Furthermore, she got her first dose only on July 31.

       “My husband was fully vaccinated on July 21. When I am fully vaccinated, then we will decide, depending on the Covid-19 situation then,” she added.

       On Sunday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that Covid-19 restrictions would be eased starting Tuesday for those who are fully vaccinated.

       Long-distance couples who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel across districts and states to meet each other.

       Applications must be made with copies of MyKad, digital Covid-19 vaccination certificates and the marriage certificate.

       Individuals would be considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose of Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines, and 28 days after being jabbed with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson or CanSino vaccines.