Malaysia will lockdown Wednesday, closing all borders. It will restrict the movement of citizens until the end of March, to combat a potential “second wave” of coronavirus cases in the country, It was announced by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday.
Theis announced caused a run on Malaysias shops from Singapore residents today.
Malaysians will be barred from leaving the country during this time, and all foreign tourist and visitor entries will be banned, Muhyiddin said in a live, televised announcement. He did not discuss whether the lockdown could be extended beyond the end of the month.
Malaysians who are returning to the country during this period will be subject to health screenings and self-quarantine of 14 days. Malaysia currently reports 566 cases of COVID-19 infections.
The surge, an apparent second wave of cases, came after individuals who did not know they were infected attended a Muslim religious gathering in Kuala Lumpur last week that drew 16,000 people from Malaysia and neighboring countries. Efforts to trace the attendees and their close contacts are underway.
