KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's travel restrictions have been extended to Iran and Italy with immediate effect from Tuesday (March 10), in view of the worsening Covid-19 outbreak.

Sabah state secretary Datuk Safar Untong said nationals from these two countries would not be allowed to enter Sabah via air, sea or land.

Foreigners, regardless of nationalities, and Malaysians who are non-residents of Sabah with recent travel history to Iran and Italy within the last 14 days would not be allowed in as well.

He said any Sabahan, permanent resident or resident of Sabah under work pass, student pass, long-term social visit pass or any exemption order, returning from Iran and Italy would be subjected to a compulsory 14-day home quarantine.

Safar said all Iranian and Italians who were still in Sabah would be advised to depart or return before expiry of their visa.

"If they wish to extend their expiring visa, they might only be allowed a one-time visa extension to a maximum of seven days," he said.

Prior to these, all flights to and from China and from Korea had been banned to control the spread of Covid-19.

In Sabah, a total of 124 people have been tested for Covid-19 but all have turned out to be negative as of March 10.

From these, 92 are Malaysians (seven in Sabah), 26 China nationals, and one each from Jordan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Korea, Hong Kong and Indonesia.