PUTRAJAYA OCT.22: Johor and Terengganu will be shifting to Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) effective October 23, 2021 based on the current risk analysis carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH), National Security Council (NSC) and the Pandemic COVID-19 Management Special Committee.
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the states entering Phase Four is the same as announced before and the SOP updates by NSC will be found at the official website www.mkn.gov.my.
Ismail added, as of 21st Oct.2021 the rate of vaccination for the first dose among adolescents has reached 80.2 per cent or 2,524,158 individuals. This is among the fastest vaccination rates in the world.
“The Special Committee has also agreed that the facility for fully vaccination for the adults to be extended to the adolescents that have been fully vaccinated. This means the fully vaccination term for adolescents aged between 12-17will be notified in all the SOPs.
“The government will standardise the facility relating to the adolescent’s grace period of three weeks or until the middle of November 2021. This period is to ensure about 80 per cent of the adolescents that have received the first dose now have been fully vaccinated,” Ismail said in a statement here today.
The Prime Minister added, the Pandemic Management Special Committee has also agreed on the SOP proposals presented by the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture (MOTAC) relating to the International Langkawi Travel Bubble Pilot Project that will start on 15th November 2021.
Among the SOP agreed include the high yield tourists, individuals that have been fully vaccinated; children below 18 are compulsory to be present with the parents/guardian that have been fully vaccinated; the list of countries allowed depending on the Malaysian Immigration Department, MOH and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ismail added, tourists will have to stay at least three days and there is no quarantine period and this only applies to the International Langkawi Travel Bubble.
The Prime Minister said, this Pilot Project will be implemented for three months for MOH and NSC to evaluate its effectiveness before it is implemented to other tourists’ islands and resort areas.
On another development, the government has also allowed the foreign workers to enter Malaysia specially to fulfil the needs of plantation sectors as presented by the Ministry of Human Resources (MHR).
However, Ismail said, the SOPs will be enforced on all sectors that have been fixed and approved via case-by-case basis by the Foreign Workers Committee that is jointly chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Human Resources.
Ismail added, the Pandemic Management Special Committee today has also approved the SOP for foreign workers’ entry to Malaysia. The quota, date and the entry of foreign workers for other job sectors will depend on the decision of the Joint Meeting of Home Minister and Human Resources Minister. –Malaysia World News
