Malaysia’s Langkawi Islands in the state of Kedah will re-open to locals under a travel bubble, mirroring Thailand’s tourism-reopening plan based on a pilot project in the popular resort island of Phuket. Other destinations will be allowed to operate when the locality’s vaccination rate hits 80%.

The country plans to reopen the tourist haven of Langkawi islands as it renews efforts to rebuild parts of the economy worst hit by the pandemic. Langkawi, in the state of Kedah, will open to locals under a travel bubble plan from next week on 16 September, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said. Other destinations will be allowed to operate when the locality’s vaccination rate hits 80%, he said.

Malaysia is preparing for life with Covid even as daily cases remain elevated, mirroring Thailand’s tourism-reopening plan based on a pilot project in the popular resort island of Phuket. Covid-19 will be treated as endemic and it is time for Malaysians to learn to live with the virus, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.