Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia on Tuesday said it would extend lockdown restrictions across most of the country as it grappled with a rise in coronavirus infections.
Last week, capital Kuala Lumpur and six states went into a two-week lockdown. Essential sectors including manufacturing, plantations and construction were allowed to stay open, but a nationwide travel ban was implemented.
Security minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Tuesday said the lockdown will also be imposed on six other states from Friday for two weeks. Only the eastern state of Sarawak will not see a full lockdown, though some restrictions are in place.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has said the lockdown measures were necessary as the healthcare system was at a breaking point.
The Southeast Asian country is also under emergency rule, which was imposed to deal with the pandemic, though the political opposition has said it is a move by Muhyiddin to cling to power amid a leadership challenge.
The total number of coronavirus infections in Malaysia stood at 165,371, including 619 deaths. Moreover, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon on Tuesday announced an extension to the country’s coronavirus lockdown, saying restrictions would remain in place until at least the middle of February.
Speaking in Scottish Parliament, Sturgeon said the cabinet had decided to extend the current measures, which include a “stay-at-home” order.
“Any relaxation of lockdown while case numbers, even though they might be declining, nevertheless remain very high, could quickly send the situation into reverse,” she said. Mainland Scotland was placed into lockdown on January 4 to tackle the rising spread of the new coronavirus strain.
When Scotland’s lockdown was first announced, the number of positive cases had risen to a new record high every day in 2021, hitting 2,464.—AP
