Our thoughts are with all of you during this crisis and we hope that you are staying safe and healthy. Due to the current situation that is affecting everyone around the world, travel is facing a sudden global halt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and Sticky Rice Travel is of no exception. However, we aim to stay connected to answer all your questions during this unprecedented and often concerning time. Below is the latest update of what is happening on the ground in Sabah, Malaysia.
Keep updated on what’s happening on the ground in Sabah, Malaysia. We provide the latest information and announcements about COVID-19 that you can read to get yourself informed.
The health ministry has reported 2,778 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours and of the new cases 2.2% were Category 3, 4 and 5 cases which are symptomatic and critical.
There are 11 new cases of the Omicron variant, all resulting from overseas travel confirmed by Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Malaysia reported its first case of the Omicron variant, who is a foreign student returning after visiting her family in South Africa.
Malaysia’s Health Ministry reported that 95.4% of the adult population in the country (22,332,571 individuals) have been fully vaccinated.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has launched a National Vaccine Development Roadmap (PPVN) and Malaysian Genome and Vaccine Institute (MGVI) to stimulate vaccine production in Malaysia which include producing two types of COVID-19 vaccines and a therapeutic cancer vaccine for the treatment of head and neck cancer.
The government has ended months-long ban on interstate travel, as Malaysia reached its target of fully vaccinating 90% of the adult population. Fully inoculated people will be allowed to cross state borders from October 11. In addition, citizens who have completed both doses will no longer be required to apply for the MyTravelPass scheme to travel overseas. The rapid vaccine rollout has allowed the government to gradually lift curbs on movements as it aims to reopen all economic and social sectors by the final quarter of the year.
89.1% of Malaysia’s adult population has been fully vaccinated.
A total of 59% of Malaysia’s population had been fully vaccinated, surpassing the United States which at the time reported a total of 54%. As of 25 September, a total of 42,106,397 vaccine doses have been administered in Malaysia.
It is reported by the Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) that 76.2% of Malaysia’s adult population (17,833,355 individuals) had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Following revised recommendations to the Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV), Malaysia will start offering COVID-19 jabs to all children aged between 12 and 17 beginning 15 September 2021.
Several states have entered phase three of the national recovery plan; Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan.
The state of emergency ends as planned.
Parliament meets for the first time since the pandemic hit but was reduced as cases of COVID-19 were detected in the parliament. At this point of time, 25.2 % of the adult population are fully vaccinated as the government ramped up vaccination programs nationwide.
The total number of COVID-19 in Malaysia cases surpasses 1 million.
Several states in Peninsular Malaysia enters phase two of the National Recovery Plan they are Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak, Pahang and Perlis. This means giving autonomy and incentive to each state to continue breaking the chain of infection, increase their vaccinations and allow them to transition into the next phase.
Total COVID-19 deaths crosses 5,000 mark which further prompts the total lockdown to be extended until cases fall below 4,000.
The Prime Minister has announced the first phase total lockdown begins, closing all economic and social sectors. This is scheduled to last from Jun 1 to Jun 14 and only essential economic and service sectors listed by the National Security Council would be allowed to operate during this period. There is also a 4 phase National Recovery Plan announced to mitigate the cases in Malaysia.
Total COVID-19 cases breaches 500,000 mark.
The government announced another nationwide MCO from 12 May to 7 June, a drastic move to prevent the country from slipping into a severe health catastrophe. Under MCO 3.0, all forms of social gatherings including weddings, house visits and banquets were prohibited. However, all economic sectors were allowed to operate during the period.
Cases of COVID-19 have reduced significantly and the state government has agreed to implement the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in line with the National Security Council’s decision to replace the MCO 2.0. This will take effect from 19 February to 4 March 2021.
Malaysia has extended its Movement Control Order (MCO) by four weeks, starting on 26 January up till 18 February 2021. This will apply nationwide except for most districts in the state of Sarawak, which will remain under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
In view of the rising COVID-19 cases in several states in Malaysia, the government has imposed a lockdown (Movement Control Order) including Sabah until 26th January 2021. There will be no interdistrict and interstate travel allowed within this period and only essential businesses are allowed to operate namely medical, groceries, sundries, food and beverage.
How do I postpone my trip?
To postpone your trip, please reach out to your travel consultant who has been consulting you on your trip.
Are there additional charges for postponement?
For travel dates beyond 31st March 2021, there will also be no fees for postponement. You can postpone your trip and we will simply credit any amount you have already paid to Sticky Rice Travel towards your future departure. However, your future departure may incur annual price increase. We will endeavour to secure current year pricing for you as best possible if you postpone your trip rather than cancelling. We will issue you a credit note.
Can I postpone my trip if I don’t have future travel dates?
If you have decided to postpone but have difficulty on setting future dates for now, we can simply issue the credit note to confirm validity of your money being brought forward to 1 year from your original travel dates.
Note on credit notes: credit notes issued to you are valid up to 18 months from your original travel dates or Sticky Rice Travel will also consider transfer of credit notes if you decide to ‘gift’ family member or friends with holiday to our destinations.
What is Sticky Rice Travel’s current financial standing?
If you are worried about companies failing financially as economies are forced to shut down across the globe, we assure you that Sticky Rice Travel will be here post-COVID-19. The company has little to no debt, more than healthy cash flow, and a good amount of reserves to take us through the expected period of time of interrupted international travel. Therefore, we are able to process cash refunds for those set on cancelling, yet extremely appreciative of those who choose to postpone.
Flexibility Related to Covid-19 Travel Restrictions
In light of Covid-19, any cancellation/postponement related to Covid-19 travel restrictions will automatically be put under our Flexi Travel Terms. Under this term, eligible payments made will be carried forward in the form of credits. The future credits are valid for a period of 18 months from the original traveling dates. Any changes or alteration to participant’s itinerary will be subject to any 3rd party suppliers terms and conditions if applicable including standard annual price increases. The management under its own discretion will access any unused credits after an 18 months period on a case to case basis. However no refunds or exchanges can be made in respect of accommodation, meals, sightseeing tours, transport or any other services that are included in the tour prices but not utilized by the tour member after services have commenced.
What about fees associated with the cash refund process?
As most of you are aware, there are fees incurred by banks for wire transfers on both the sender’s and receiver’s end. We will absorb the fees needed by our bank to trigger the refund but there is a chance that there may be discrepancies due to exchange rate fluctuation and fees by your bank. We appeal to your heart of hearts to waive the shortage due to exchange rate fluctuation and bank fees, if any. We expect these fees to be minimal and hope that you can meet us here during this time.
Can I book a new trip during this time?
Yes, we welcome new bookings for the future! We require 30% deposit and full payment 30 days prior to your departure date. If we are not able to secure this agreement with any 3rd party suppliers, we will advise you accordingly and you can consider putting forward these bookings directly with the suppliers.
What if I cancel?
We will also continue to have flexible cancellation terms of up to 16 days with no cancellation fee. However, if you cancel less than 16 days prior to arrival, 30% cancellation fee will be retained.
When will I be able to travel with Sticky Rice Travel?
International and domestic travel is still not permissible at this point in time, we will definitely keep you updated here. Please stay well and safe till then, we look forward to welcoming you on meaningful adventures with us when travelling is allowed.
We are reachable at our usual emails and will respond within 24-48 hours. We can also speak to you on Zoom, WhatsApp and Skype if you would like to use other forms of communication other than email. Please let us know in advance if you intend to visit us at our office.
Sticky Rice Travel will continue to share stories about wildlife, nature, and our communities. Follow us on social media for a virtual tour of some of the most beautiful destinations in the world and its flora and fauna inhabitants. We will also share snippets of how COVID-19 has affected our lives, how we are adapting to new norms, and plans for reinventing the future.
COVID-19 is tearing through every layer of society and has forced us to redefine our daily lives overnight, impacting us physically and mentally. We may not have control over what is happening around us but we do have control on how we react to these changes. We’ve gathered some helpful articles on how to cope during this time.
During this unprecedented time, it is vital that everyone refers to accurate information from reliable sources about COVID-19. If you haven’t already, you may read these links below to keep updated on the situation.
