Selangor Menteri Besar, Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari call for Federal Ministers to refine the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the entry of Chinese tourists to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
He explained the move was since Selangor is the country’s main gateway through Kuala Lumpur International Airport and KLIA 2 in Sepang the main port of entry, State would need to protect itself from a possible flare-out. “Since Selangor is the main gateway to the country where KLIA and KLIA 2 are located, I will discuss with the health minister and the home minister to refine the SOP. “(SOP) the entry of visitors from China so as not to have a negative impact on the number of Covid-19 cases and the people in Selangor,” he said on Facebook last night.
Amirudin’s statement follows concerns about the spread of Covid-19 in the large industrial region of Zhejiang near Shanghai, China which is struggling with a million new cases every day. The provincial government on Monday also expected the number of infections to double in the next few days, including asymptomatic cases. Before this, the Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM) urged the public, especially frontline workers, to get a booster dose vaccine to get optimal protection.
The call comes amidst the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions in China prompting many nations to heighten their rules for the entry of Chinese tourists in fear of a new wave. Countries like the US, India, Japan, and Italy have added new policies for China nationals entering their borders with more nations likely to follow suit.
In Malaysia, so far the MATA has asked the government to suspend entry of visitors from China for the time being.
