News Desk
Malaysia’s government on Tuesday extended a lockdown and broad movement restrictions by two weeks. The Southeast Asian nation grapples with a surge in Coronavirus infections that has pushed the cumulative total past 200,000 cases. The lockdown, which covered all but one state and was to end on February 4, will now continue until February 18, Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said. “The health ministry has confirmed that daily cases in all states are still showing a rising trend… the sporadic spread in the community is also high,” Ismail Sabri said in a televised address. The lockdown will allow some leeway for businesses to continue operating, especially micro-enterprises and small-time traders.