GEIS-新闻详情

Relief and caution as Malaysia eases Covid-19 rules for the vaccinated

2021-08-09 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-亚洲原网页

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's move to ease rules for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19 has been met with mixed reactions, as experts and business owners urge caution in exercising these new freedoms.

Opposition parties have also urged a rethink of the decision ahead of its implementation on Tuesday (Aug 10).

They said more stringent thresholds - such as 60 per cent vaccination coverage and hospital utilisation below 70 per cent - should be met before the nearly nine million people who have completed their shots are issued with "green passes" to travel and dine out.

"A hasty and poorly thought-out reopening would only introduce an additional unpredictable variable into the pandemic equation, further burdening the struggling healthcare system," Pakatan Harapan's health committee said in an immediate response to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement on Sunday.

Local tourism within states or federal territories, non-contact outdoor sports and exercise, as well as dining at eateries will be allowed for the fully vaccinated in areas that have progressed to at least phase two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

The states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Penang and Sabah are at phase two while Perlis, Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan have entered phase three, which already allows certain economic and social activities to resume.

Meanwhile, fully vaccinated spouses, as well as parents and their children younger than 18, are allowed to travel across district or state lines to meet up, regardless which phase the area is in.

Vaccinated people with a residence in the country will be allowed to undergo quarantine at home when returning to Malaysia.

Those who are vaccinated will also be allowed to return to places of worship.

But experts are urging greater caution by the public, as these allowances could cause Covid-19 cases - which breached the 20,000 per day mark last week - to rise further. Malaysia has seen infections surge since April, fuelled by the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus.

"A premature move," said paediatrician Amar Singh, who helped draft the Health Emergency Action Plan, a civil society initiative. "Delta can infect the vaccinated and they can transmit to others."

Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Raj Kumar Maharajah said present restrictions could not be completely lifted, as the virus was still mutating, and suggested the slight easing from Tuesday would give pointers for the next step.

"We cannot let our guard down. I think it's still early to lift restrictions for the fully vaccinated. I propose a wait-and-see approach for the moment," he said.

Mr Muhyiddin has warned the "government will not hesitate to revoke these conveniences if there are breaches of guidelines".