The new and highly transmissible subvariants of the Covid-19 virus detected in several countries are causing much concern in Malaysia with the expected influx of tourists from China which opened its borders on Jan 8.
Mainland China is now facing a surge in infections caused by the BA.5.2 and BF.7 variants and according to media reports, nearly 90 percent of the people in Henan province – the country's third most densely populated region – are currently down with Covid-19.
The United States and European countries are also seeing a hike in cases following the transmission of the Omicron XBB.1.5 strain known as Kraken which has the potential to trigger bigger waves of Covid-19 infections.
In Malaysia, various groups have urged the government to impose stricter Standard Operating Procedures on tourist arrivals.
On January 4, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia would impose stricter SOP on all incoming travellers regardless of their country of origin as its priority is the people's health and safety.
On Monday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the prevailing SOP for the entry of foreign tourists at all international entry points will remain and any decision regarding new SOP will only be made based on the latest Covid-19 data.
Public health expert Dr Hanafiah Bashirun, however, feels the government should consider closing the nation's international borders, saying that it is the best possible measure to contain the transmission of any new fast-spreading variant.
He said the government's proposal to tighten Covid-19 screening at the various entry points will not guarantee the safety of the public and that it should heed the lessons learned in early 2020 when the government was forced to impose movement restrictions to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
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