Coronavirus: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin declares targeted lockdowns
- Third wave of Covid-19 has seen cases rocket from fewer than 10,000 in mid-September to nearly 136,000 on Sunday. There have been 551 deaths
- The country’s 13 states and three federal territories will be put under some form of lockdown starting Wednesday. All inter-state travel is banned
Six regions including the wealthy states of Johor, Selangor and Penang – as well as Kuala Lumpur, the administrative capital of Putrajaya and the federal territory of Labuan – will commence a strict two-week lockdown starting midnight on Wednesday.
Residents in these areas are required to shelter in place and only leave their homes within a 10km radius to purchase food and necessities or for medical emergencies. Non-essential businesses will be shut, although places selling food can operate on a take-away basis.
Citizens living in other states with fewer daily new cases will be subject to movement control orders (MCO) as well, albeit of a less stringent nature. All inter-state travel is banned.
“The situation today is indeed very alarming. Our healthcare system is under tremendous pressure, more now than at any other time since the start of the pandemic,” the embattled prime minister said in a live address. “As I have said before, unprecedented situations call for unprecedented measures.”
