There are four stages to the plan, decided based on "data and science", consisting of a list of actions and requirements for the country to achieve full herd immunity by the end of the year.

If you're wondering when you can actually travel home to see your parents, well, you'll have to wait somemore.

A long way to go

Muhyiddin announced during the special press conference that Malaysians can only cross borders and reunite with their loved ones if the country reaches Phase 4 of the recovery plan, Malay Mail reported.

Based on the plan released by the government, Phase 4 is slated to begin in October.

Muhyiddin said that in order to safely reopen the borders, the country has to record less than 500 new COVID-19 cases daily by then.

Another requirement is that 60 per cent of the country’s population will have to have received two doses of vaccine before they are allowed to travel interstate.

"The Fourth Phase is the last phase of the National Recovery Plan where we can return to the norms of daily life.

"All economic sectors will be opened, more social activities will be allowed, cross-state travel will be allowed and domestic tourism will also be opened subject to strict SOPs," he was quoted as saying.

Phase 4 is also where other activities such as spectator sports and social events would be allowed.

"I often receive requests for sporting events such as football matches with spectators in the stadium to be allowed, social functions to be held and the most I receive is an appeal to return to the village to visit parents, relatives and dear family members," he said.

Muhyiddin has one word of advice for Malaysians at the moment: be patient.

"Be patient. At the moment these things we still can’t do. We must prioritise efforts to break the chain of Covid-19 infection first."

The four phases

In case you missed it, here are the four stages of the national recovery plan:

There are four stages to the plan, decided based on "data and science", and here is what we can expect between now and the end of the year.

Pelan Pemulihan Negara mempunyai empat fasa dan melibatkan pelan peralihan PKP secara berperingkat - Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri @MuhyiddinYassin#AWANInews pic.twitter.com/UEzJZMBBtz

— ??Astro AWANI?? (@501Awani) June 15, 2021

Phase 1 (June)

Phase 1 is where we're at now (i.e. full lockdown). It started on 1 June 2021 and has been extended after the initial two-week announcement to end of June.

In this phase, only essential businesses are allowed to operate, no social or religious activities are allowed and workplaces that are allowed to operate can only operate at 60 per cent capacity.

Phase 2 (July to August)

The government will consider moving to the next phase when the number of COVID-19 cases dips below 4,000, the healthcare system is no longer in a critical state and the number of ICU cases are at a moderate level, and 10 per cent of the population has received two doses of vaccines.

In this phase, economic activities will be allowed gradually with workplaces operating at 80 per cent capacity. Social activities and state border crossings will still not be allowed.

Phase 3 (September - October)

Menurut PM Muhyiddin, Parlimen dijangka bersidang sekitar Sept atau Okt dengan mengikut SOP yang ketat#AWANInews#AWANI745 #HapusCOVID19#PolitikMalaysiahttps://t.co/LiDzvXHqAr

— ??Astro AWANI?? (@501Awani) June 15, 2021

The transition to this phase will happen if the number of cases goes below 2,000, sufficient ICU beds are available and 40 per cent of the population is vaccinated.

In this phase, all economic activities will be allowed to resume except those with high risk of COVID-19 infectivity possibilites. Operations capacity will be limited to 80 per cent but leeway will be given to workplaces where the staff is fully vaccinated. Social activities including education and sports will be allowed to reopen in stages.

Parliament is also expected to reopened during this phase - possibly in September or October.

Phase 4 (October)

Semua sektor ekonomi akan dibuka, perjalanan rentas negeri dibenarkan dan pelancongan domestik dibuka pada Fasa Keempat - Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri @MuhyiddinYassin#AWANInews pic.twitter.com/5glXSSyTSh

— ??Astro AWANI?? (@501Awani) June 15, 2021

Phase 4 will start when the cases go below 500, the healthcare system is healthy including having enough ICU beds and 60 per cent of the population is vaccinated. This phase is projected to be reached by the end of October.