PETALING JAYA: Although the surge in Covid-19 cases in China is concerning, there is no need for stringent entry requirements for travellers, stakeholders say.
Malaysian Association of Hotels president Datin Christina Toh said a lot of people are already familiar with Covid-19 and know how to handle it if infected.
She said all hotels and their outlets have been constantly sanitising and disinfecting their premises, including rooms to ensure a safer environment for all guests.
“All hotels also have isolation rooms for guests who test positive, and we have had Japanese guests who informed us about their status and proceeded to self-isolate.
“This does not mean that we are complacent, but we have been observing high standards of sanitisation and hygiene. On top of that, guests always self-declare,” she told The Star yesterday.
Recently, India announced that those arriving from China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand needed to show proof of negative Covid-19 test results.
India has recorded 44.7 million Covid-19 cases, said to be the second highest in the world after the United States.
On inbound Chinese visitors, Toh said the market was not fully opened as current travellers were only students or those on business trips.
“Perhaps they will open after Chinese New Year, but (it depends on) what the Chinese government announces because now we don’t see leisure travellers yet. The Chinese government is also trying to control the spread,” she said.
Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association president Uzaidi Udanis echoed the sentiment, saying China has restrictions for its citizens.
“Technically, you could say China is ‘open,’ but it is hard for its citizens to leave their country because they have to show a lot of documents.
“Chinese nationals who come here are mostly businesspeople, students or expatriates.
“We are concerned about the surge because you have to remember the Chinese market is the biggest, so basic testing is advisable if travelling,” he added.
Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia honorary secretary Dr Shanmuganathan Ganeson suggested selective testing of inbound travellers.
He said that this could be quickly implemented, starting with those from high case-load countries.
“Stricter surveillance of inbound passengers with symptoms at the entry points will be crucial.
“Thermal checks for cough or fever and random testing with RTK would be necessary,” he added.
Malaysia has so far recorded 5,022,910 Covid cases and 38,831 deaths. As at Dec 25, there were 13,997 active cases.
According to the Health Ministry, in the 51st epidemiology week, positive cases monitored by Covid-19 Assessment Centres across the country had declined, and the Rt value was 0.84.
The number of admissions into health facilities per 100,000 population has also decreased by 13%.
