INTERNATIONAL: The first group of passengers crossing over a newly reopened land border into neighbouring Malaysia has departed Singapore on Monday morning.

Once one of the world's busiest land borders, the crossing was reopened on Monday for vaccinated travelers after nearly two years of being shut down. The sudden closing of the border in March 2020 left tens of thousands stranded on both sides, separated from families and fearing for their jobs.

Travelers who were about to board buses bound for Malaysian border city Johor Bahru have said they welcomed the chance to reunite with family and friends, but there were still concerns the border might be closed again due to the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

Travelers must test negative for COVID-19 before departure, and Malaysia has required travelers to get an on-arrival test, a move Singapore has followed on Sunday over concerns about the Omicron variant.

Up to 1,440 travelers from each side can cross the land border each day without quarantine, if they hold citizenship, permanent residency or long-term visas in the destination country, according to guidelines published by the Singapore government.