By Siti Solehah
KUALA LUMPUR, 1 January 2022: Umrah trips to Saudi Arabia would be postponed until a later date beginning 8 January, Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin announced today.
He said the government took the action in response to an increase in COVID-19 positive cases, particularly among returnees from the country who carry the more transmissible Omicron variant.
Khairy further said that booking of new umrah flight tickets had been postponed starting from 1 January 2022.
Umrah pilgrims who return to the nation after 3 January will be subjected to mandatory quarantine at quarantine stations or hotels designated by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).
“For pilgrims who will depart for the Holy Land from 1 January to 7 January, they are allowed to continue with their journey.
“However, they have to undergo quarantine at a quarantine station or hotel that has been identified as a quarantine station by NADMA when they arrive in Malaysia,” he said during a press conference.
According to Khairy, the Health Ministry discovered 2,763 COVID-19 positive cases among travellers / returnees arriving at the international gateway from 1 January to 30 December of last year.
Of that number, he said 1,446 COVID-19 positive cases were detected among those arriving from Saudi Arabia, followed by Singapore (322 cases), Indonesia (264 cases), and the United Kingdom (217 cases).
“Non-compliance with the Home Surveillance Order (HSO) has also exposed housemates, family members living in the same house as well as neighbours and relatives who come to visit, to COVID-19 infection.” ***
Source: New Straits Times