Coronavirus: Malaysia and Indonesia plan to open travel lane; four Asiatic lions infected in Singapore
- Fully-vaccinated would be able to fly between the two nations next year
- Libraries, museums and zoos in New Zealand’s biggest city were also allowed to receive visitors amid a pickup in vaccination rates
Malaysia and Indonesia plan to allow fully-vaccinated travellers to fly between the two nations, just days after a similar agreement was struck in one of the world’s busiest air routes.
The Southeast Asian neighbours may start vaccinated travel lanes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Jakarta and Bali, according to a joint briefing by Malaysia Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo on November 10. The two countries aim to finalise and implement the plan early next year.
“Reopening borders safely is important in balancing between the need to open up and revive the economy and take care of the safety and control aspects of public health,” Ismail said in a statement after the briefing. The arrangement will prioritise fully-vaccinated people travelling for official, business, medical or humanitarian reasons, he said.
The initiative would mark Indonesia’s first vaccinated travel lane, and Malaysia’s second, as the Southeast Asian neighbours move to ease Covid-induced border curbs. Malaysia is also in discussions with Brunei and Thailand to provide more quarantine-free travel options, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Twitter.
Malaysia and Singapore this week agreed to start a vaccinated travel lane from November 29. Malaysia’s rapid vaccination progress has allowed it to lift a ban on interstate trips for fully inoculated citizens, and the country is set to reopen the tourist haven of Langkawi islands to overseas visitors next week under a pilot project.
Singapore lions isolate
