As international borders cautiously reopen to tourists, many of us may already be looking forward to the prospect of traveling once more on the friendly skies. However, in the age of the ‘new-normal’, traveling internationally requires a completely new approach altogether, especially with the advent of vaccine checks and quarantine periods upon landing.
Passengers on board Malaysia Airlines flight seen wearing pink quarantine wristbands
And among these new measures in the age of COVID-19 travel includes quarantine wristbands, used to indicate individuals who are required to undergo isolation. Just recently, Wau Post was informed by a source that a number of passengers aboard a local flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) bound for Penang were seen wearing pink wristbands while sharing a cabin space with other travelers on 16th January 2022.
According to the source, who has requested to remain anonymous, multiple individuals had attempted to raise their concerns with the flight staff on board MH1166 upon noticing that some of the passengers that they were sharing the cabin with were wearing pink quarantine wristbands. For clarification, quarantine wristbands are given to those who have been identified as:
- close contacts
- have returned from abroad
- living in administrative Movement Control Areas
The bracelets are required to display the individual’s date and location of testing, and can only be cut by officers from a district health office after the individual has completed their quarantine notice period.
“When confronted, no immediate actions were taken. One of the flight attendants came to us saying ‘We will go into details and ask them to show the letter from MOH after landing,’.” said the source.
Midway during the flight, the Lead Steward had informed travellers that those seen wearing the pink quarantine wristbands were cleared by the Ministry of Health to fly, and had earlier tested negative after undergoing RT-PCR screening.
Malaysia Airlines says it had followed MOH guidelines
In reaching out to MAS over the matter, Wau Post was informed that international passengers with an onward connection to a domestic station and have obtained a ‘Home Quarantine’ approval from the Ministry of Health are permitted to fly.
“As per the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), Guideline Annex 9 (Guidelines For The Entry Point Screening Of Travellers), the passengers were cleared by MOH to continue their onward journey after being assessed by the Port of Entry Health and Quarantine Office.” they said.
As per Section C point 2.3, ‘Traveller/s transiting from overseas at any POE in Malaysia are allowed to proceed to their domestic destination except those ones who are symptomatic, positive cases and close contact of COVID-19 cases.’ In the case of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan, that would depend on the requirements enforced by the individual states.
However, health officers are first required to ensure that all travellers have obtained a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test not taken more than 72 hours prior to departure, and verify that they have a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate.
Malaysia Airlines continues to reiterate their commitment to passenger safety guided by aviation health procedures placed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), World Health Organization (WHO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Previously, another passenger was also seen with a pink quarantine wristband. on-board a Malaysian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur bound for Kuantan.
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