Government to look into tightening border controls

 

SHAH ALAM: The government will scrutinise its decision whether to tighten border controls, including on the entry of foreign tourists under the tourism bubble.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said several preventive measures and solutions are being considered, following concerns over the spread of the new Covid-19 variant; Omicron.

He stressed that the government will also refine the current standard operating procedures (SOP), especially with quarantine guidelines involving tourists from high-risk countries.

I will discuss the matter with DG (Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah). There are several options for us to consider including tightening national border controls.

"So far, there is no decision yet. Let us discuss first, and not only on the tourism bubble in Langkawi, but also the quarantine procedures.

"We have to scrutinise quarantine procedures, whether in hotels or at homes, especially involving countries categorised as high risk," he told a press conference after the National Institute of Health (NIH)-Health Ministry Covid-19 Frontliners Appreciation Ceremony here today.

Present were Dr Noor Hisham and deputy health director-general (Research and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Hishamshah Mohd Ibrahim.

Khairy said negotiations on Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTLs) with several countries such as Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia would continue.

"But, it will include the implementation of appropriate preventive measures due to the risk of transmission of other variants."

Asked whether a Movement Control Order (MCO) would be implemented, should Omicron being detected in Malaysia, he said; "It is too early to mention about MCO. The people will be angry because there are many things that we do not know yet."

-nst online.