Travellers arriving in Malaysia who wish to undergo home quarantine can now apply online at a new portal set up by the Health Ministry that will simplify the entire process.

The Home Quarantine Application (HQA) Portal can be accessed at https://ecovid19.moh.gov.my/outbreak-portal-hqa from September 21, 2021.

The Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who announced this, said that previously those who wished to apply for home quarantine would have had to make a request to the ministry via email.

However, since the government allowed travellers who have completed their vaccination to undergo home quarantine upon arrival, the number of requests had increased.

Khairy described the email method as slow and outdated which has resulted in a backlog of 6,000 applications sent via email.

When using the new portal, returnees need to apply seven to 10 days before their arrival date in Malaysia and among the requirements for those  who wish to do home quarantine is that their residence must be considered suitable for isolation.

By allowing more travellers to undergo home quarantine, Khairy said the country could gradually move away from the current practice of isolating individuals at hotels.

With this method, there is no need to use quarantine centres and travellers do not need to spend money on their hotel stay.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE