Latest: Malaysia reopens resort island as vaccinations rise

Hundreds of holiday-makers flocked to Malaysia’s northern resort island of Langkawi as it reopened to fully vaccinated travelers

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Hundreds of holiday-makers flocked to Malaysia’s northern resort island of Langkawi as it reopened Thursday to fully vaccinated travelers.

Langkawi is the first holiday destination in the country to welcome visitors as part of a domestic tourism bubble. If successful, it could see other holiday destinations following suit in a bid to revive the economy. Malaysia has reported more than 2 million infections while deaths have surged above 21,000 despite a lockdown in June.

But vaccination has also picked up pace, with three-quarter of the country’s adult population fully inoculated.

The government says a lockdown is no longer feasible and that Malaysians have to learn to live with the virus, which will soon be treated as endemic. Restrictions have been loosened recently and Langkawi was allowed to reopen with strict health protocols.