KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has asserted the need for tighter border control after almost half of new Covid-19 cases recorded today were imported overseas.

"Today is very important for us to tighten our border control. Most of the countries...not only our neighbours, initially we have five countries (infected by Covid-19), now it involves more than 187 countries.

"What is more important is for us to strengthen our borders and make sure we (conduct) mandatory screening as well as quarantine.

"So we will continue to do so as most of those coming back are students and workers from abroad. More importantly we identify them and make sure we quarantine them,” he said during his daily Covid-19 press briefing here.

Earlier, Dr Noor Hisham said that 21 of the 47 infection cases reported today were imported.

All but one were Malaysians returning from Saudi Arabia, with the remaining from the United States of America.

Dr Noor Hisham also explained that Malaysians returning home were swabbed at least twice by medical personnel — on Day 1 and Day 13 — for Covid-19, with further swabs performed should any symptoms emerge throughout the quarantine period.

He also lauded the government’s initiative to quarantine these individuals and subsequently isolate those who have tested positive.

As of April 3, 37,477 Malaysians have undergone a mandatory two-week quarantine since their return with 29,279 of them allowed to return home after completing the process.

Of the 37,477 returning Malaysians, 390 have tested positive.

Last week, Dr Noor Hisham said reopening the country’s borders is the last thing Malaysia will do as it gradually eases restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.