Coronavirus: Malaysia to enter new lockdown as Muhyiddin warns of national crisis
- Movement Control Order will begin on May 12 and end on June 7
- Social activities including dining out are banned and interstate travel is forbidden except for medical or other approved reasons
The prime minister said the decision to impose the new restriction was made in a National Security Council meeting he chaired on Monday. The country is under a state of emergency to curb the pandemic, giving the government the power to rule by decree.
“There are now Covid-19 variants that are more infectious while the capacity of the public health system is becoming more critical,” Muhyiddin said. “[There are also] weaknesses in Covid-19 protocol compliance by some. These [factors] demand that the government take drastic action,” he added.
Health officials earlier said 3,807 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, with most occurring in the wealthy state of Selangor, followed by Kuala Lumpur. Johor and Penang, the two other industrial hubs in Peninsular Malaysia, are also seeing a surge in cases.
Malaysia has now recorded a total of 444,484 cases and 1,700 deaths.
The partial lockdown, known as a Movement Control Order (MCO), will begin on May 12 and end on June 7, Muhyiddin said.
