[UPDATED] 3 test positive for Covid-19 before boarding Langkawi-bound flight

LANGKAWI – Three tourists tested positive for Covid-19 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport earlier today prior to boarding their flight to Langkawi.

A tourism official who confirmed this said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri has been notified of the matter.

A total of 19 flights were scheduled to land here as part of the resort island’s reopening today.

The three were among hundreds of passengers who were booked today on the national carrier Malaysia Airlines, its sister carrier Firefly, budget airlines AirAsia, as well as Malindo Air, which are now flying from the Klang Valley, Penang, and Ipoh to Langkawi.

Nancy was reported to have been busy inspecting Langkawi’s places of interest and she is expected to address the issue later today.

At the Kuala Perlis ferry terminal, there were some delays as passengers were subjected to testing and screening.

It is learnt that about a hundred tourists here cancelled their plans to visit Langkawi due to the need to undergo mandatory screening for Covid-19.

The other ferry terminals at Kuala Kedah and Penang are closed due to lockdowns there.

Meanwhile, Langkawi district health officer Dr Mansor Ismail told The Vibes that the authorities are concerned about lack of space at the airport and ferry terminal for tests to be conducted.

“At the airport, we noticed overcrowding at the luggage collection area, whereas the ferry terminals can get crammed if tests are to be done at the same time for many.”

Mansor said that the Langkawi tourism bubble task force, which he is a member of, has suggested that test results from private clinics and hospitals be accepted by the authorities as a prerequisite to be allowed into the island resort.

He added that the authorities are closely monitoring the inflow of tourists.

It has been ruled that tourists visiting Langkawi need to undergo a Covid-19 test within 48 hours of their scheduled date of departure.

“We hope no positive cases will be detected throughout the tourism bubble,” he said.

Mansor also said that there are now around 70 active cases on the holiday island with no clusters, while the average baseline cases are left at 40 cases daily, which are mostly sporadic.

The task force has also identified hotspots in Langkawi where many tourists will gather.

Police have been deployed to such areas to ensure that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) are fully complied with by the operators and tourists alike.

He urged tourists to be even more careful with the SOPs as Langkawi now has a range of visitors from many parts of the country, who travelled to the Klang Valley before they either flew in or drove before boarding the ferries to get here. – The Vibes, September 16, 2021