THE Covid-19 movement restrictions have driven some to distraction while others have adapted.

The launch of the travel bubble with the opening of Langkawi is good news for some in need of a breather.

As more states move towards phase 3 of the national recovery plan, more businesses such as beauty salons, barbers and cinemas are allowed to reopen.

Workers are going back to their workplace, especially in the Klang Valley, where shopping malls, commuter trains and parks are up and running once more.

Nothing could have been more welcome that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement that interstate travel would be allowed for 90% of the country’s adult population who are fully vaccinated. 

The signs indicate that we are returning to “normal life” with freedom of movement in sight. It’s great news, especially for the tourism industry. 

Almost two years into the pandemic, the tourism industry has been greatly affected.

It is crucial to have the tourism industry bounce back.  Last month, Langkawi was reopened for local tourism. Langkawi is in phase 4 of the national recovery plan, having reached a fully vaccinated rate of 88% of islanders over the age of 18.

According to Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Nancy Shukri, Langkawi is the perfect destination to pilot a travel bubble, having a small population and only one air and sea entry point.

If the pilot programme is successful, it will serve as a model for other tourist islands waiting to reopen.

A standard operating procedure (SOP) to prevent infection is a crucial part of the economic recovery process.

Like the tourism and hospitality service providers, travellers are also required to obey the SOP.

The travel bubble programme is limited to domestic travellers who have completed the full doses of vaccine save for those from areas under an enhanced movement control order.

Travellers have to undergo a Covid-19 test within 48 hours prior to departure or at the designated checkpoints at airports and ferry terminals.

This double gate-keeping practice is undoubtedly important to ensure that the public can travel with peace of mind and less risk of infection.

The SOP for Covid-19 prevention must be regularly reviewed and adapted as the situation develops to remain effective.

People must not become complacent and lax about compliance.

It was reported that at the start of the Langkawi travel bubble, 10 travellers had tested positive for coronavirus at the entry point and five were close contacts. This validates the necessity for a strict SOP at the entry points. 

A trial run in Langkawi will help tourism companies to learn and adapt to the new normal and it is up to the industry to figure out how to do business dafely.

The opening of Langkawi was followed by the emergence of the Dah Teluk Nibung cluster. Yet initial investigations found that it began as a community infection before spreading to the workplace due to non-compliance with the SOP.

This has also revealed the human tendencies towards negligence, carelessness, and complacence, which are unavoidable in a large population. 

Some people are excited over the prospect of going back to their normal life, the life they had before the pandemic, one without masks and social distancing. But are we really ready to return to the old normal or must we accept the new reality?

In their public communications, the authorities have switched from using harsh phrases such as “movement control order” and “lockdowns” to softer terms like “national recovery”.

Most states and territories are making progress and moving up the phases, resulting in fewer movement restrictions. The people are expecting a return to familiar routines while the virus is kept at bay.

But how we define “normal life”? Does a return to normalcy mean the same as before the pandemic: no movement restrictions, no masks? 

To the authorities, a “return to normal” might differ from public expectations.

As mentioned by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Covid-19 is expected to move from the pandemic to the endemic phase in Malaysia where the people will have to learn to live with the virus.

In short, people will still have to adhere to the SOP and wear masks in public areas.

Self-control and discipline are expected of the people if they want to see more economic and social sectors reopen.

Washing hands regularly, social distancing, masking, and avoiding crowded and confined and poorly ventilated environments are the only way to “return to normal”.

Since it is no longer practical to aim for eradication of the disease, it is only wise to make Covid-19 prevention measures a part of life.

After all, people need to move on and overcome the impacts of the pandemic. It is up to us to define what constitutes normalcy.

What is called “normal” is a snapshot representation of what most people do and not the standard for what people should do.

When the Covid-19 prevention SOP becomes part of life, it will become woven into everyday culture, so much so that it will become abnormal not to wear a mask.

In any case, regardless of one’s preference, it may not be possible to return to one’s way of life before the pandemic. One will have to get used to the new normal. – October 11, 2021.

* Esther Sinirisan Chong is a member of Agora Society. She was born and raised in the Land Below the Wind. Her research interest lies in education and government policies, and the history and heritage of East Malaysia.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.