Malaysia, Singapore resume cross-border travel

Cross-border travel between Malaysia and Singapore resumed on August 17 after being shut since March to stem the coronavirus outbreak.

Illustrative image (Photo: Straitstimes)
Illustrative image (Photo: Straitstimes)
However, the reopening of one of the world's busiest land crossing was tightly controlled with only a maximum of about 2,060 people allowed to cross daily on both sides.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, that led to Malaysia shutting the border on March 18, more than 300,000 people travelled between the two countries daily via the two bridges connecting Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
Out of these were some 100,000 Malaysians who commute to and from Singapore for work or study, and now many are stranded.
Malaysia and Singapore jointly formulated two sets of COVID-19 travel protocols: "Reciprocal Green Lane" and "Periodic Commuting Arrangement."
Under RGL, only 400 people are allowed per week, while for PCA, quota is 2,000 a day.
The two countries have declared the coronavirus outbreak in their respective countries as under control.
Malaysia has to date recorded over 9,200 with 125 fatalities, and Singapore has reported more than 55,000 cases and 27 deaths.

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