Malaysia and Brunei have been added to the United Kingdom’s safe list, nearly four months after the UK shut its borders to outsiders in May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two neighboring Southeast Asian nations were added to the safe list after the UK’s Joint Biosecurity Centre confirmed that both Malaysia and Brunei posed a lower COVID-19 infection risk.
Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Hussein wrote on Twitter today that this decision by the UK signifies the strength of bilateral relations between both countries.
“The UK’s decision to include Malaysia in their Safe Travel Corridors list signifies the strong & friendly bilateral relations between both countries,” the tweet said.
The 🇬🇧 UK's decision to include Malaysia in their Safe Travel Corridors list signifies the strong & friendly bilateral relations between both countries. This new arrangement allows Msians to be exempted from 14-days self-isolation upon entering the UK, starting from 11 Aug 2020. pic.twitter.com/FvysfdI5WI
— Hishammuddin Hussein 🇲🇾 (@HishammuddinH2O) August 11, 2020
From 4am local time (11am Malaysia time), travelers arriving directly from Malaysia and Brunei will no longer have to undergo the mandatory two-week self-quarantine unless they transit in non-exempt countries.
According to the UK government website, the safe list is under constant review and is subject to change depending on the infection rates of the countries on the list.
Other East Asian countries on the list include Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan.
Malaysia recorded nine new infections today, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 9,103. The death toll stands at 125.
Brunei reported zero cases today. The country’s total number of cases remains at 142 and its death toll at 3.
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