PLEASE do not open the borders for international tourists to come into our country in the near future. Nor should Malaysians be ready to leave the country to visit other places.
We are not yet free from the deadly Covid 19 virus and are still grappling with four-digit infection figures daily. And, many other countries are also struggling due to the pandemic.
Despite the strict standard operating procedures in place, we are facing a monumental battle against the virus. The Covid 19 virus is hell-bent on leaving a deadly mark on human history.
Every country is fighting this invisible enemy but the figures are still escalating. Travelling in and out of the country should definitely be the last thing on the minds of people. Many are without work and struggling to cope with their lives. And, when we are trying to bring the rate of infections down, how can we open up our borders.
No nation is free from the virus, with Laos and Cambodia being the only countries with no deaths reported though there are infections. Many countries are saddled with staggering rates of infections and deaths.
Opening the borders now would make all our efforts be in vain. For instance, New Zealand, which was successful in bringing down the Covid 19 infection to zero for the last two months, suddenly had an infection when a New Zealander came back from Britain after a short holiday. Now the country has closed its borders.
Tourism is an important sector but the health and lives of Malaysians matter more than tourist dollars.
We are on the brink of being vaccinated and by the end of the year most Malaysians would be vaccinated. Once we have achieved “herd immunity” against the virus, of about 80% of the population, we can open our borders safely.
Many countries are considering the use of digital health passports to curb Covid-19. A digital health passport certifies that a person is unlikely to catch or spread an infectious disease because the person has been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from it.
Let us flatten the curve before deciding to open our borders.
Samuel Yesuiah
Seremban
