SDMC: Quarantine no longer required for Malaysians entering Sarawak from 1 September

Sarawak Disaster Management Committee has announced that all Malaysians entering Sarawak from Peninsular, Sabah and Labuan are no longer required to undergo quarantine effective from 1st September 2020. However, they are still required to fill in the eHealth Declaration Form (eHDF) before entering the state.

The SDMC also said that all flights including in-bound and out-bound to Sarawak are allowed to resume operations as normal starting from 1st September 2020. Random COVID-19 tests will still be conducted at all entry points including air, land and sea.

Quarantine still required for those coming from overseas

For those arriving from overseas, the mandatory 14-day quarantine at designated quarantine stations will still apply. COVID-19 tests will be conducted on the 2nd and 10th day of the quarantine.

The cost of quarantine and COVID-19 tests for Sarawakians will be borne by the state government. However, non-Sarawakians including foreigners and residents of West Malaysia, Sabah and Labuan would have to pay for their own quarantine cost and COVID-19 tests.

In late July, the Sarawak state government had imposed a mandatory quarantine on all incoming Malaysians to the state as a new measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. It was introduced after Kuching became a red zone with more than 40 active cases. Initially, the mandatory quarantine was imposed for two weeks from 1st to 14th August, but it was later extended until the 31st of August 2020.

The situation in Sarawak appears to be under control with 16 active cases remaining receiving treatment at hospitals and there are no cases in ICU. There’s one new case reported in Sarawak today which is an imported case from the Philippines.

At the moment, all districts in Sarawak are green except for Kuching which has 4 active cases and Bintulu with 2 active cases. In case you missed it, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced that RMCO has been extended until the 31st December 2020. While interstate movement is permitted, international travel is still not allowed until further notice.

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