PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Foreigners arriving in Malaysia through various entry points must now pay the full RM4,700 (S$1,550) fee for the mandatory Covid-19 quarantine, Senior Minister (Security cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Thursday (Sept 24).

Previously, both Malaysians and non-Malaysians must pay RM2,100 for accommodations and food for the two-week quarantine period at a hotel or in government provided rooms.

But foreign nationals will now need to pay an additional RM2,600 for operational costs, Datuk Seri Ismail said.

The government will continue to subsidise the operational costs for Malaysians, he said.

"Starting from Thursday, all non-Malaysian individuals entering the country from its international entry points will have to pay the full charges," Mr Ismail said in a statement.

"The government has decided to continue subsidising the quarantine costs for Malaysians. Malaysians will only have to pay RM2,100 for their accommodation, while the operational costs of RM2,600 will be paid by the government.

"For foreigners, they will have to pay the full charges of RM4,700, " he said.

For the second and third individuals who are allowed to share a room with the first individual - such as a couple and their child who is above six years old - they will pay RM700 per person, said Ismail Sabri.

Children aged below six years old are exempted from the fees, he added.

From July 24, the government has said that all individuals arriving in Malaysia must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at hotels or institutes.

Mr Ismail said that up to Wednesday, a total of 33,354 individuals have arrived at the country's international entry points and been put under quarantine.

He said 8,005 individuals are currently undergoing the quarantine order while 103 have been sent to hospitals for treatment.

Some 25,426 have been discharged and allowed to return home.