FIVE Covid-19 positive cases were detected in Langkawi as the resort island opens under a tourism bubble pilot project beginning today.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said all five cases were under category one, which means they are asymptomatic.

“These cases were given home surveillance and observation orders to be isolated for a period of 10 days,” he said in a statement.

The five were all travellers to the island.

Noor Hisham said that as of 12pm today, a total of 2,546 people were screened at the air and sea entries to the island.

This, he said, involved a total of 1,250 people who were screened at four airport entrances and 1,296 people via ferry in Kuala Perlis.

“A total of 2,528 people underwent the RTK-Ag test and, out of this number, a total of five positive cases were detected.

“A total of six people also underwent their own RT-PCR tests prior going to the airport, and all results were negative. Twelve children under six did not undergo the test and were allowed to leave with their families.”

Earlier, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture said that it was targeting about 200,000 domestic tourist arrivals to Langkawi between this month and December.

Its minister Nancy Shukri said about 30,000 tourists are expected to visit the resort island this month following its reopening under a tourism bubble pilot project beginning today.

She said the number of tourist arrivals today might be the best indication for Langkawi’s performance in the project.

Noor Hisham said that the success of the Langkawi pilot project was crucial in determining the direction of the opening of the next domestic tourism bubble destination.

“This pilot project needs to be implemented carefully to ensure that it runs smoothly and does not cause an increase in cases and new clusters.

“For that reason, the government needs to ensure that every tourist going on holiday to Langkawi has received a complete vaccination, is not positive, and not a close contact to a positive case.”

He added that the success of bringing the country out of this pandemic crisis cannot only depend on the efforts and strategies of the government alone, but must be supported through joint efforts by all parties and levels of society. – September 16, 2021.