Filipinos in Malaysia warned vs rising COVID-19 cases

Filipinos in Malaysia have been advised to take precautionary measures amid the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country.

In an advisory, the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia urged Filipinos there to observe social distancing, practice good hygiene, wear face masks indoors or in crowded spaces, and get booster shots.

The embassy noted that Malaysia has enough stock of vaccines including booster shots to cater to all,  especially for those in the high-risk categories. 

It also said that there are no reports of new variants in Malaysia except for Omicron and its subvariants.

"The predominant Omicron sub-variants in Malaysia are the XBB.1.16, XBB.1.5, and EG.5.5, which are known to be highly transmissible, but generally do not result in severe cases," the embassy said.

It added that despite the "sudden increase" in COVID-19, the Malaysian government is capable of handling any surge in the number of cases.

As of December 1, 2023, the Malaysian government is implementing the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) requirement for all foreign nationals prior to arrival in Malaysia. —KBK, GMA Integrated News