KOTA KINABALU, June 2 — Sabah is opening its doors again to air, land and sea routes to all Malaysians by doing away with the mandatory 14-day quarantine required of anyone entering the state to combat the spread of Covid-19. 

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal announced the lifting of travel restrictions today, saying that all civil servants, private sector workers and Malaysian citizens could now enter the state provided they present a letter from the Health Ministry declaring them Covid-19 free within the last three days. 

"Today, the state government has decided to allow all incoming air, land and sea entries from civil servants, private sector workers and Malaysians including Sabahans from the peninsula, Sarawak and Labuan,” said Shafie in a statement. 

The state welcomes travellers to patronise hotels which have been operational since May 10.

However, non-Sabahans and non-Malaysians must still have valid work permits or other relevant passes when arriving in the state.

The state has had 347 cases of Covid-19 since the outbreak began with five deaths overall. The most recent new case was yesterday, from Putatan, but was detected at the Likas Women and Children’s Hospital.

The state is currently treating 10 patients across the state in designated hospitals.

State Health and Public Well Being Minister Datuk Frankie Poon said despite the low numbers, the public must remain vigilant in complying with the SOPs and new norms by practising good personal hygiene and social distancing.

The state will also be embarking on a campaign to dispose of contaminated masks properly on June 5 in order to create awareness and educate the public on the health risks of improper disposal.