Wuhan Virus
KUALA LUMPUR: After barring incoming travellers from coronavirus-hit Wuhan and Hubei province, Malaysia has extended the ban to travellers from the Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces in China with immediate effect.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said this follows China imposing lock-down on five cities in Zhejiang and two in Jiangsu.
“In line with a decision taken on Jan 27, travel restriction will be imposed according to provinces that come under lock-down by the Chinese government. So, the ban on travellers from Hubei province is extended to these two provinces as well with immediate effect,” she said.
She told this to reporters after attending the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA) Chinese New Year celebration at a shopping mall here today.
Also present was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof.
On Jan 27, Malaysia imposed a temporary ban on travellers from Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak and Hubei province. Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) chairman, urged the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) to tighten screening procedures to ensure all tourists irrespective of nationality who have visited the three provinces do not enter Malaysia for the next 14 days.
However, she stressed that the government did not plan to impose a blanket ban on travelling to or from China.
“The Health Ministry, JIM and other agencies at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) in Johor Bahru (which are the land entry points to Malaysia from Singapore) must also tighten control aspects.
“Staff on duty must provide appropriate advice to the public who come through these entry points,” she said. – Bernama
