KOTA KINABALU: Sabah government has expanded the travel restriction to all points of entry by air, sea or land with immediate effect starting today.
Sabah State Secretary Datuk Safar Untong said this is in order to contain the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) even though Sabah is, to date, free of any person who tested positive for the epidemic.
He said the travel restriction will involve all foreigners as well as Malaysian citizens (non-residents of Sabah) with recent travel history to mainland China within the last 14 days, who will not be allowed to enter the state.
“Any Sabahan, permanent resident of Sabah and resident of Sabah under work pass, students pass, long-term social visit pass or any exemption order, returning from mainland China is subject to a compulsory 14 days’ home quarantine,” he said in a statement here, yesterday.
Safar added that the travel restriction also applies to all transit passengers originating from or travelling through mainland China as they will not be allowed entry into Sabah.
“China nationals who are still in Sabah are advised to depart or return before expiry of their visa. Should the visa be expiring, only one visa extension, to a maximum of seven days, may be granted,” he said.
The travel restriction is a temporary prohibition order of the state government’s stand in view of the current 2019-nCoV outbreak, he added. — Bernama
