KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba today announced that another state would be joining five others, by entering into the second phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

However, Dr Adham stopped short of revealing which state, saying that this would be announced by Senior Minister (Security Cluster) and Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob later today.

"However, we want to congratulate the states which have entered the second phase of the NRP, that is Perlis, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang as they have achieved the indicator threshold value which we have set, that is average daily cases, the situation of those who are ill in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as well as vaccination rate exceeding the set percentage.

"And today, there is another state which has achieved the three threshold values, which qualify it to migrate into the second phase, but I was informed that it would be announced by the senior defence minister later this evening,” Dr Adham said, during the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) press conference with Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin.

On Saturday, Ismail Sabri announced that Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis, Perak, and Terengganu have met the required thresholds to transition into Phase Two of the NRP.

The said five states are allowed to restore more economic and social activities such as hairdressers and barbers as well as individual sports

Essential services will also be allowed to run with up to 80 per cent capacity in these five states.

The announcement follows the federal government’s decision to allow individual states to transition into the NRP’s four phases negating the need for the entire country to be held under the same NRP exit strategy despite green zones in several states.

In explaining the relaxed regulations, Ismail stressed that inter-district and interstate travel is still barred under Phase Two, with exemptions granted to long-distance couples, and teachers and students required to attend examinations.

He also said other activities that are prohibited during Phase Two include night, weekly and tamu markets.