FULLY vaccinated travellers entering the country via Johor will have to apply to the state health department for home quarantine at least seven days before their arrival, said Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today. 

The director-general of health said this is because the ministry has received a high number of applications for home quarantine. 

The applications can be sent to [email protected].

“Travellers must also undergo a confirmation Covid-19 screening using the RT-PCR Covid-19 test kits three days before departure,” he said in a statement today.

Noor Hisham said health authorities will conduct a risk assessment on incoming travellers and their requests for home quarantine will be permitted should they fulfil the requirements.

This, he said, is open to Malaysians and non-citizens, including permanent residents, Malaysia as My Second Home residents and those with work permits. 

Those who have received the double-dose Pfizer, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Spikevax (Moderna) and Covilo (Sinopharm) vaccines are only permitted to enter Malaysia at least 14 days after the second dose. 

Those who have had the single-dose Johnson & Johnson) and Convidecia (CanSino) vaccines will have to exceed at least 28 days. 

He said travellers will have to undergo health assessment and another RT-PCR Covid-19 test upon arrival in Johor. 

He said a traveller who tests positive and is mildly symptomatic will be allowed to quarantine at home pending the results of the confirmation PCR test. 

However, those who have moderate to severe symptoms will be referred to health authorities for further action. 

The mandatory quarantine period for travellers from all countries is 14 days. However, this can be extended to 21 days if there is a need, based on risk assessment. 

The Malaysian Insight reported today that vaccinated Malaysians in Singapore have hit out at ministries in Malaysia for their slow response in approving their applications for home quarantine so that they can be with their families. 

They said they had applied to return since the government’s announcement on August 8 that vaccinated Malaysians can quarantine at home upon returning from Singapore. 

Previously, they only had the option to quarantine in a hotel for two weeks, which discouraged many from crossing the border because they would get to spend little or no time with loved ones. 

However, despite the announcement, some, including a mother-to-be, said they are still waiting for a response. – August 28, 2021.