FINALLY: Malaysia SCRAPS outdoor mask mandate, COVID tests for travelers

Malaysia have relaxed Covid restrictions including mask mandates and testing at airports as they continue their adjustment to living with Covid.

They ae scrapping mandatory virus tests on all incoming vaccinated travelers beginning May 1st.  Initially only Singapore have benefited from the relaxed restrictions.

KK Malaysia tweeted; “Mask-wearing is still mandatory indoors from 1 May 2022. However, it is optional outdoors. It is still encouraged when in crowded places and for high-risk individuals.”

Last Thursday they dropped mandatory quarantine for Covid-19 close contacts, and earlier this month began allowing the unvaccinated to travel across states.

Cases are continuing to fall, despite Malaysia relaxing back two years’ worth of virus restrictions. Daily infections have remained below 5,000 in the past two weeks, levels not seen since January. The number of active cases has been on a downward trend since mid-March, with just 2.5% of them hospitalised as of Tuesday, according to official data.

The National Security Council’s negative list of banned activities is no longer applicable from 15 May onwards. This includes nightclubs, which were not allowed to operate since March 2020, and are the only remaining premises on the negative list.