KUALA LUMPUR: The government plans to increase the daily quota for Malaysian and Singapore citizens travelling through the Vaccinated Travel Lane-Land (VTL-Land) facility to 2,100 people each way according to the development in the Covid-19 situation.

       International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (pic) said so far, no quarantine was required due to the high vaccination rate in both countries.

       However, he said the government was constantly monitoring the current health situation, adding that the Health Ministry would provide appropriate advice if there are any indications related to Covid-19.

       "That is why we are opening the border carefully and not abruptly and the daily quota remains at 1,440 travellers each way. On Dec 20, if the situation permits, we will increase the quota to 2,100 travellers per day.

       "This proves that we are still monitoring the health situation so that the opening of the border will not burden any quarter in terms of health,” he said during the question and answer session in the Dewan Negara here on Thursday (Dec 16).

       He was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Datuk Jefridin Atan on whether the government plans to consider imposing quarantine order on VTL-Land travellers as a precautionary measure to prevent the entry of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

       On Dec 14, the International Trade and Industry Ministry announced that all categories of travellers who are Malaysian and Singapore citizens will be able to enter both countries via the VTL-Land facility effective Dec 20 due to increased public demand.- Bernama