Malaysia drops indoor mask requirements; masks only required on public transport and in medical facilities

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has dropped its mask mandate for indoor settings with immediate effect except on public transport and in medical facilities as it continues to progress towards Covid-19 endemicity.

Since May, face masks were only required indoors and on public transport.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Wednesday that face masks are also required for those who have tested positive for the disease and encouraged the public to continue wearing them given their proven efficacy in breaking transmission.

"We leave it to premise owners. If they make the decision to impose it, then people must abide and they can bar those who refuse from entering," he said.

With a vaccination rate of 84.2 per cent and nearly half the population boosted, daily deaths from the coronavirus have slowed to a seven-day average of just five, with only 2,067 infections reported on Tuesday.

Only a fifth of hospital beds and intensive care wards reserved for Covid-19 patients are currently being utilised.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.