Key Information for Travelers to Malaysia.
Dear Friends of Malaysia,
Malaysia is currently imposing a two-week total nationwide lockdown for all social and economic sectors from 1 June to 14 June 2021 to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, the government has decided to allow only essential economic and service sectors to operate in the first phase of this lockdown.
These sectors include food and beverage businesses, healthcare, utilities, transport, banking, communications, including media, telecommunications and postal services. Factories under 12 economic sectors such as food and beverage production as well as components for medical devices are allowed to operate at 60 per cent capacity, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
According to our Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, if the lockdown succeeds in reducing the number of new COVID-19 cases, a second phase lasting four weeks will be carried out with more sectors to be reopened, provided these activities do not involve large gatherings.
In the third phase, almost all economic sectors can resume with adherence to standard operating procedure (SOP), while social activities will still be barred. However, the decision to shift from one phase to the next will subject to a risk assessment by the Health Ministry, based on the development of COVID-19 daily cases and the hospital capacity nationwide.
During the current lockdown, people are limited to travelling within a 10-kilometre radius of their home, with only two people per household are allowed to buy groceries or daily essentials. All shopping malls are ordered to close except for essential items retails, while takeaways or food deliveries are permitted only from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
E-hailing services and cab services are allowed and limited to two-person in a car, including the driver, while public transport can continue to operate at 50 per cent capacity. However, hotels can operate only for quarantine purposes. Even though no curfew is imposed, the public is advised to stay at homes after 8 p.m.
All civil servants are working from home with a capacity of 20 per cent allowed to be in the office (excluding health frontline workers, security and defence personnel). For private sectors of essential services, which includes operations and management, an attendance capacity of 60 per cent is allowed.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian government has also announced an additional RM40 billion financial aid package dubbed as Pemerkasa Plus, including an RM5 billion fiscal injection to mitigate the impact of total lockdown by setting clear objectives to increase public healthcare capacity, continuing people’s welfare, and supporting business continuity.
The financial aid, among others, include special one-off assistance of RM500 to 17,000 registered tour guides, 4,000 registered tour buses, taxi drivers, rental cars, school buses, and e-hailing totalling RM68 million.
According to the latest figures from Malaysia’s Special Committee On COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV), more than 3.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered as of 1 June 2021, with a total of 2,002,345 people have received their first doses while 1,104,873 had both doses.
As of 2 June 2021, another 5,777 COVID-19 patients have recovered so far in Malaysia, and the overall COVID-19 recovery rate is at 85.48%. At the same time, Malaysia also recorded 7,703 new cases, totalling 587,165 cases nationwide. The total number of deaths is 2,993 cases or representing 0.51% of the confirmed cases.
