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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s announcement that it was exploring travel bubble deals with other countries to revive the tourism industry has sparked cautious optimism from experts, who say the government must first reduce coronavirus infections in the community, that recently have increased about 2,000 new cases daily.
“We need to work harder to reduce the number to a manageable level first. This is to ensure that the ‘bubble’ does not deflate soon after implementation,” said Dr. Sazaly Abu Bakar, Professor and Director of Infectious Diseases Research. Tropical and Education Center at Universiti Malaya, he told The Straits Times.
Professor Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud, an epidemiologist at the Universiti Malaya, said many factors must be carefully considered, including economic benefits, the feasibility of such travel bubbles, health risks and plans to mitigate the risks.
The number of new cases reported in the countries concerned, as well as the number of new daily infections per capita, the tests per capita, the positivity rate, the severity of the infection in those countries and the rate of increase should also be taken into account. or decrease. in cases.
“Malaysia and whatever country it is negotiating with will definitely need to agree on criteria for a reasonably safe environment before such a travel bubble can be agreed,” said Datuk Dr. Awang Bulgiba.
“It must be remembered that the pandemic situation can rapidly worsen in countries. This could affect such agreements. Therefore, a travel bubble of this type must take that possibility into account and take appropriate measures to improve the situation when and it happens. “
The policy should be implemented only after all risks have been properly assessed, said Dr. Malina Osman, associate professor, epidemiologist, and biostatistician at Universiti Putra Malaysia, noting that many of the cases in Malaysia come from groups in shelters in workers.
“In a month or two, we expect the availability of vaccines … the outlook is promising. For any anticipation problems, recommended standard solutions should be documented and followed. As we are already almost a year in front of this pandemic, we have to learn to live with the situation. “
Chief Minister in Charge of Security Ismail Sabri said on December 12 that the nation’s borders cannot remain closed for long and that “Covid-19 will always be around us like dengue.”
Malaysia suffered a 78.6 percent drop in tourist arrivals between January and September this year compared to the corresponding period last year.
According to Tourism Malaysia, Singapore was Malaysia’s top source of tourists in 2019, with Indonesia in second place and China in third place.
Currently, the foreigners authorized to enter the country are mostly spouses or children of citizens, permanent residents and holders of long-term passes.
Malaysia reopened its border with Singapore for essential travel on August 17, but with restrictions on crossings.
In August, Singapore had allowed Malaysians with Singapore work passes to file a seven-day stay-at-home notice (SHN) at their own residence, as Covid-19 prevalence rates in Malaysia were similar to those. from Singapore at the time.
But as of November 22, following an increase in Malaysia’s Covid-19 numbers, all travelers entering Singapore with a history of travel to Malaysia in the previous 14 days are required to complete a 14-day SHN in a dedicated facility and undergo a swab test.
Malaysia, on the other hand, shortened its quarantine period for inbound travelers to 10 days from 14 days, starting on Monday (December 14).
The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Nancy Shukri, does not deny that there are obstacles to the green bubble plan.
“As many countries previously designated as green zones have experienced resurgence of the virus, it remains a challenge to get general tourism and country-to-country travel up and running,” Datuk Seri Nancy told ST.
But Malaysia continues with “extensive discussions” at the regional and international level “for when the situation around Covid-19 improves and when countries are ready to host international leisure travelers in the future.”
A meeting of the World Tourism Organization on December 9 had discussed common travel safety protocols, he said.
Programs the ministry is exploring for visitors include golf, diving, bird watching, hiking and caving, with itineraries pre-planned through registered tour operators.
“This segment of tourism is considered low risk due to the nature of its activities, which normally involve a small number of tourists and minimize interaction with the general public,” he said, adding that such plans would be subject to strict health regulations. and security. measurements.
In August, he said Malaysia would likely remain closed to tourists until the second quarter of 2021.
Malaysia recorded 1,295 more cases on Wednesday (December 16), bringing the total infections to 87,913. Another seven deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 429.
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