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Malaysia extends relaxed lockdown until June 9 to contain virus
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Motorists drive pass a shop during reopening of some business establishments in Penang on May 10, 2020 as Malaysia relaxes partial lockdown measures to combat the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (AFP/GOH Chai Hin )
M
alaysia will extend its relaxed lockdown by four weeks, allowing nearly all economic activities to continue while keeping its borders shut and schools closed.
The government will allow limited interstate travel for families who are separated ahead of the Eid al-Fitr celebration, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address on Sunday.
“So, the next few weeks are quite critical for us,” as they will show the result of the relaxed lockdown, he said. “If there’s a significant rise in cases during this time, the government will be forced to implement Enhanced Movement Control Order for the affected areas.”
Read also: AirAsia to resume flights from Surabaya to two major Malaysian cities
Malaysia allowed almost all sectors to reopen starting May 4 in a bid to revive the economy following the two months-long lockdown that was previously set to end May 12. The move was met with some backlash as states delayed easing their restrictions due to lack of preparation while companies struggled to get all their workers tested before resuming work.
While the spread of the new coronavirus infections has slowed overall, the country saw a spike in early May due to imported cases. There were 105 and 122 confirmed cases on May 2 and 3 respectively, many of whom are people who had returned from overseas. Malaysia added just 54 new cases on Saturday to bring the total to 6,589.
--With assistance from Anisah Shukry.
