KOTA KINABALU: Sabah government on Wednesday (Jan 4) announces new Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) for travellers from China visiting Sabah which will take effect this Sunday (Jan 8).

Prior to departure, travellers coming from the Republic are required to have full vaccination based on the criteria of their origin countries, as well as providing a negative RT-PCR or RTK-Ag (professional) test result within 48 hours before their flights.

Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun (pic) said this decision was derived following the state cabinet meeting earlier on Wednesday.

Masidi at the end of December last week, had already hinted about the proposed actions following the anticipation of China tourists’ arrivals as the Republic finally allows travel for its citizens amid rising Covid-19 infections there, as well as emergence of new variants of the virus.

Meanwhile, he said that SOP for all international travellers upon arrival included a thermal scanner to scan temperature, where those with fever will undergo further deliberation.

“Those with Covid-19 symptoms are required to take RTK-Ag test,” he said in a statement.