Malaysia Looking at Lifting Border Control, Travel Ban: Star

(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia is considering reopening the country’s borders amid expectations that it will lift a ban on interstate travel next month, the Star reported, citing National Recovery Council chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.

Ministers this week will discuss whether to allow fully vaccinated Malaysians to travel abroad, and to let tourists and business travelers into the country, said Muhyiddin after chairing a meeting with the council on Monday. The matter would be brought to the prime minister and an announcement would be made soon, he added.

The council was informed by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin that 90% of the adult population would be inoculated as soon as early October, said Muhyiddin at the press conference. This would pave the way for interstate travel to resume by mid-October. 

As of Monday, 84.4% of adults have been fully vaccinated. The country added 10,959 infections that same day, the fewest in more than two months. 

“The National Recovery Council is satisfied with the briefing on the Covid-19 case updates and rate of ICU bed utilization by Khairy Jamaluddin which are showing a reduction,” wrote Muhyiddin on Facebook late Monday.

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