Only the Health Ministry can decide whether to shorten the duration of the quarantine for M’s residents returning from S’pore, says Ismail Sabri



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PUTRAJAYA: Any plan to reduce the number of quarantine days for Malaysians returning from Singapore can only be decided by the Ministry of Health, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The defense minister said this is a health-related issue over which only the ministry has jurisdiction.

“We cannot decide on this, the matter will have to be investigated by the health authorities. But I will send this question to the ministry and they will decide if this is possible, ”he said on Tuesday (October 20).

The minister was asked if Malaysia plans to reduce the number of days for Malaysians entering from Singapore to be quarantined.

Last month, Singapore shortened the length of the stay-at-home notice to seven days from 14 days for travelers from low-risk countries in the region, including Malaysia.

The other five countries are Australia, excluding the state of Victoria, Macao, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Ismail Sabri said Malaysians returning from Singapore and feeling burdened by the cost of quarantine and smear tests can apply to the Ministry of Health for a lower fee.

However, he said the cost is the same for Malaysians returning from abroad, where quarantine charges are RM150 per person per day.

“We already have some categories exempted from paying quarantine charges, including those in group B40 and people with disabilities.

“If they feel burdened by the cost, they can appeal to the Interior Ministry for lesser charges,” he said in response to a question.



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