Malaysia reopens to tourists after two-year Covid closure

Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia reopened to all vaccinated tourists on April 1, joining a growing number of countries removing restrictions in an attempt to live with Covid-19 and travel amid it.
The tourism-reliant Southeast Asian country, known for its white-sand beaches and lush rainforests, shut its borders in March 2020. However, it now requires only a negative Covid test to enter.
In media briefing, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri said, "We believe this decision will boost our economy and help revive our ailing tourism sector."
The reopening comes despite Malaysia reporting more than 25,000 infections a day in recent weeks, though most cases have been mild.
Its decision mirrors those of neighbouring nations including Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines that are progressively easing entry rules to lure back tourists.
Malaysia's economy contracted 5.6 per cent in 2020 as Covid hit but rebounded slightly to grow 3.1 per cent last year.
Vaccinated travellers will not be subject to quarantine but will need to produce a negative PCR test two days before arrival and take an antigen test in the 24 hours after entry.
Previously only travellers from Singapore were allowed quarantine-free entry.
Malaysia has recorded more than 3.6 million Covid cases to date with more than 33,000 deaths.
About 80 per cent of the country's 32 million population have been fully vaccinated.